DO FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS IMPACT WORKING WOMEN�S WELL-BEING?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite rapid industrialisation and relative prosperity, a recent United Nations Report stated that Malaysian women are being relatively under represented in the labour force in comparison to most countries in the Asia Pacific region. One of the major challenges for these women has been the ability to juggle work and home and for some it means coming to a compromise on their career or their family. In an attempt to understand the low participation of women in the labour force in Malaysia, this study tries to examine whether flexible working arrangements may have an impact on working women’s well-being. This study was conducted among working women in the Klang Valley, where questionnaires were distributed randomly to a sample of 500 female employees from 14 selected organisations in the services sector. This study examines how women perceive the benefits they may achieve if they were offered flexible working arrangements (FWAs) at the workplace. The discussion centers on the expected benefits of flexible working arrangements and their impact on women’s well-being focusing on three main aspects, namely work-life balance, empowerment and lifestyle. Findings from MANOVA analysis show that flexible working arrangements have an impact on women’s well-being in terms of work-life balance and empowerment but not lifestyle. As this was more significant among married women who have young children, it could be a possible tool to retain women in the labour force. Implications of these findings for working women and policy implications are also discussed. Keywords Flexible Working Arrangements, Workplace Flexibility, Female Labour Force Participation, Work-Life Balance, Empowerment.