A Study on the Determinants of Work–Life Balance of Women Employees in Information Technology Companies in India

Abstract

This research article identifies certain factors that strongly impact the work–life balance (WLB) of women employees in information technology (IT) companies in India. These factors are related to the challenges and enhancers to the professional and personal lives of 186 women working in various IT companies in India. The study also identifies the impact of social media (SM) in their work lives. Based on an extensive review of the literature, a set of 42 factors relating to WLB is grouped into five constructs, namely, professional challenges, personal challenges, SM involvement, professional enhancers and personal enhancers. Exploratory factor analysis is used to extract the highly impacting factors. The results show that the personal enhancers of WLB, such as regular exercises and fitness schedule, yoga and meditation, balanced diet as well as good sleep and involvement in the hobbies, loaded the heaviest as the most impacting factors; working from home heavily impacts as a professional enhancer in the WLB of women. The second heavily loaded component is comprised of personal challenges, such as inadequate self-attention, insufficient time spent on elders and children, feeling depressed or suffering with hypertension along with a professional challenge of extended or odd working time. We find that irrespective of challenges or enhancers, personal factors are perceived to be more impacting than the professional ones. Interestingly, the study shows that SM involvement has no significant impact. It is neither considered as a challenge nor an enhancer to the WLB.