Work-Life Balance of Working Mothers in the Healthcare Industry in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This article investigated the work-life balance of working mothers in the healthcare industry in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It aimed at identifying the factors contributing to family-work conflict (FWC) (the impact of the family on the work) and work-family conflict (WFC) (the impact of the work on the family) among working mothers and deciding which measures dictate a negative impact on work or home, WFC or FWC. It utilized Netemeyer et al.’s (1996) WFC and FWC Scale to examine which areas cause the most conflict for working mothers. A descriptive survey research design was applied, and 80 respondents were chosen for analysis. The results revealed that many factors contribute to WFC among working mothers. For example, the time the job requires makes it difficult to fulfill family responsibilities. Moreover, many factors contribute to FWC among working mothers, such as home life interfering with the responsibilities at work, such as arriving at work on time, accomplishing daily tasks, working overtime, and having to postpone tasks at work because of family or spouse/partner demand. Finally, the impact of work on the family is higher than that of family on work. In the light of the results, the researcher recommended holding training courses in effective time management, stress management, and burnout prevention to help working mothers in the private sector. Shareholders, decision-makers, and bodies interested in work-life balance can benefit from the results to develop programs and plans that help working mothers in the healthcare industry. Therefore, further studies are required to dig deeper and find if other measures have not been addressed in the research that may cause WFC and FWC. The researcher recommended investigating the benefits of work-life balance, how it affects the broader context, and how to improve it, investigating the impact of work–family conflict, stress, and family work conflict and job involvement, investigating the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction, and investigating the link between family economic status and work-family conflict.