Role Demands and Work Life Balance among Women Lecturers in Sri Lankan State Universities

I Welmilla

doi:10.4038/kjm.v7i2.7577

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between role demands of work, family and work life balance. Also, this study tried to explore the factors that influence the supportive work life balance of the women academic staff in university. In quantitative phase of the study, a questionnaire survey was used to gather data from 265 women lecturers in state universities of Sri Lanka. Twenty in -depth interviews were conducted with women lecturers in same universities as gathering qualitative data. Finding of structural equation modeling indeed indicate that the significant negative relationship between role demands and work life balance, it fills a gap in the literature by validating the associations between role demands and work life balance dimensions. The qualitative data were analyzed via thematic exploratory analysis, which suggest that supportive factors for work life balance, such as workplace flexibility, avoiding role interference, correct prioritization, good working environment and personal factors against the role demands, that will be useful to Sri Lankan women in the academic profession to avoid their imbalance of work and family life and it also sends an important message to individuals to encourage work and family satisfaction

Highlights

Universities are the largest “knowledgebased” institution in the region; they are urged by the industry and policymakers to transform their traditional roles of teaching and research by adding an additional pivotal role in economic regional development (Diaco, Hughes, & McKelvey, 2012)
Given to the shortcomings in the literature this study addresses the following research questions: i.What are the relationships between role demands (RDs) and work life balance (WLB) of women in an academic profession in Sri Lanka?
The present study explores the problem associated with WLB and RDs of women in the teaching profession in Sri Lanka, by using mixed methodology

Summary

Introduction

Universities are the largest “knowledgebased” institution in the region; they are urged by the industry and policymakers to transform their traditional roles of teaching and research by adding an additional pivotal role in economic regional development (Diaco, Hughes, & McKelvey, 2012) This means that university academic staffs are expected to aid economic regeneration by disseminating their knowledge and expertise economic growth. University academic staffs do serve to undergraduates/ students, and as a contributor to economic development That, they have big demands in their family or personal lives as well as professional lives. University academic staffs face greater challenges in achieving a balance between professional and personal life due to the have demands of work and family roles. All lecturers of the university system have great job demand to carry out their duties diligently

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion