Examination of the Effect of Work-life Balance on Employee Productivity

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Background of the study

Redmond et al. (2006) define work-life balance (WLB) as the flexible working schedules that allow both non-parents and parents to make it possible for them to create a balance amid the personal and employment responsibilities. WLB is a crucial concept that concerns different workers in both the public and private industry. It does not just limit one to personal life and the work role. It goes ahead into influencing a person’s mental, social, economic, as well as psychological well-being. As per Orugbu et al. (2015), all these issues are shown through an individual’s output that consequentially impact employee performance. Several theories have been introduced by different scholars to elaborate on Work-Life balance. Spill over theory explains that energy behavior and time is very unfavorable if the work-to -family relations are designed for both time and space. It explains that Work-Life Balance occurs when there is high level of flexibility that enables individuals to integrate and overlap family as well as other work responsibilities (Redmond et.al, 2006). The compensation theory on the other hand is aimed at preventing the unfavorable experiences in one area through increased attempts for the pleasant experiences in the other fields (Guest, 2002). The increased participation rate at the place of work while having some time to rest can compensate the worst experiences in the social life, hence enabling one to be able to gain positive energy and do something worthwhile (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008).

Work-Life Balance Eby et al (2005) remark that work-life balance affects employee’s well-being, organizational effectiveness, attitudes, and behaviors. Many institutions in the banking sector are competing for market leadership, and this may compel top management officials to heap excess workload on their employees to attain their targets. Workers put in more efforts to try to balance this workload with their personal lives (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008). With such, it goes beyond into affecting the way children are brought up, resulting in poor social life as well as unhappy and broken families. Many people encounter the problem of trying to balance family and work life in today’s ever demanding work environment. Even with the global pursuit for WLB, only a small percent of scholars has come up with an acceptable meaning of this phenomenon. According to Higgins et al. (2004), work-life balance doesn’t imply an equal balance. Instead, it entails adjusting the working schedules to permit workers to blend employment with other duties including caring for the elderly or children. 3 Work-life balance is a mixture of connections among various fields of a person’s life, the pros, and cons that accompany it, or one-sidedness may influence different societal stages. The problems that come with work-life balance do not only affect the employee, but also the company. With regard to employers, the disadvantages of poor WLB manifest itself through absenteeism, recruitment and training costs, poor performance, higher employee turnover, and sick leave (Department of Trade and Industry, 2001). To employees, the effect can be unfavorable on mental health, individual performance in an organization, as well as life and work satisfaction (Guest, 2001). From the viewpoint of the employee, work-life balance refers to getting a balance between work and family duties. Russell and Bowman argue that employers perceive the advantages of the working conditions that they offer to aid staff even out the work and family domains as benefits of work life. Traditionally, the theory of work-life dispute concentrated on the effect of family needs on employment. But today, the concept extends to include the effect employment pose on family well-being, individual relationships, and stress (Russell & Bowman, 2000). When experiences at work place interfere with family life, we encounter work-to-life conflict. This type of dispute emerges due to interpersonal conflict at the workplace, unsupportive management, inflexible working hours, as well as high work overload. On the other hand, family-to-work conflict takes place when work life is interfered with family life such as unsupportive family members, an interpersonal dispute within the family, as well as care for both the elderly and children (Baral & Bhargava, 2010).

 Statement of research problem

Poor work life balance (WLB) is a global issue that greatly affects organizational productivity, as well as individual well-being and performance. More often than not, employees encounter difficulties in trying to find a balance between their social life and responsibilities at the workplace Poor WLB is a global issue that greatly affects organizational productivity as well as individual well-being and performance. More often than not, employees encounter difficulties in trying to find a balance between their social life and responsibilities at the workplace Poor work life balance (WLB) is a global issue that greatly affects organizational performance as well as individual well-being and performance. Therefore, the research sought to answer the question; what is the effect of work-life balance on employee productivity.

  Objectives of the study

l  To determine the causes and effect of Work Life Balance on the productivity of employees

l   To examine an effective way the productivity of an employee can be improved on

l  To examine how organizations operations can  affect  the well-being of an employee

  Research questions

1.        What are the causes and effect of work life balance of an employee

2.        What are the ways by which the productivity of an employee can be improved upon

3.        How does the operation of an organization affect the well-being of an employee

Significance of the study

The study is considered significant for the following reason:

l  It will bring more exposureto the effect of work life balance on employee

l  findings from this study is useful as it will serve as a benchmark for the work life balance  in other economic sectors, policy makers and academia

l  It will also serve as a guide to future researcherse as it forms a basis on which other studies can be undertaken on the effect of work life balance on the productivity of employees.

 Scope of the study

This study focuses on the examination of the effect of work life balance on employee productivity.  and also, the  study will further examine how work life balance affects employee positively or negatively, hence This study is delimited to the banking industry in lagos state .

Limitations of the study

During the course of this study challenges encountered were that of .

l  Financial constraint, was faced by the research as the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires.

l  Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

Operational definition of terms

Work-life balance: this is the equilibrium between personal life and career work.

Productivity: this is the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry.