Work-Life Balance Satisfaction among Academics in Public Higher Educational Sector

Abstract

Work-life balance has always been a concern of those interested in the quality of working life and its relation to broader quality of life. Balancing a successful career with a personal or family life can be challenging and impact on a person’s satisfaction in their work and personal life’s roles including academics in higher education. This article is based on a research developed in 2015, which aimed to investigate the state of perceived work-life balance satisfaction among academics in public universities in Malaysia. The research took the form of semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews with seventeen academics from three public universities in Malaysia. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques were implemented in this research. The findings shown that there are mixed responses in regards to the general feelings of satisfaction with the work-life balance among the interviewed academic members. Working overtime and on weekends, family support, and impacts of work towards life or vice versa were the key issues discussed among the academics regarding satisfaction with work-life balance. Findings of the study provides the universities and policy makers with key information to increase and maintain the work-life balance satisfaction and in the same time control the consequence variables such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover.