Abstract
Background: Undertaking degree studies while working can provide life-changing career opportunities. These studies, however, can introduce substantial work-life balance conflict, particularly for those with family responsibilities, with important implications for retention. Aim: The aim of this study is to test theory that predicts the effects of certain moderating and mediated influences on the relationship between work-life balance conflict and turnover intentions of professional staff undertaking evening degree classes at a selected South African university. Setting: The sample was drawn from a large university in Gauteng, South Africa. Methods: This study applies Hayes's PROCESS methodology to test the moderating effects of age, gender, numbers of dependent children, social support, engagement and levels of stress on the relationship between work-life conflict and turnover intentions. Further tests of mediation are performed to test the mediating influence of job satisfaction on the same relationship. Results: Findings suggest a unique configuration of moderating and mediation influences relating to the work-life balance conflict for this cohort, particularly for those with dependent children. Those with more children who experience higher levels of work-life balance conflict are less likely to display higher turnover intentions. Individuals with higher levels of social support are however more likely to report higher levels of turnover intentions. Conclusion: These results support the conclusion that the relationships between work-life conflict and turnover intentions for working individuals undertaking evening degree classes in this context, display a different configuration of moderating influences from those expected in general working populations. Employers and other stakeholders should pay particular attention to these implications so as to ensure retention of scarce skills.
Highlights
When an organisation loses employees, their knowledge is lost as well
What is not clear is whether older or younger individuals are relatively more vulnerable to withdrawal cognitions when their work-life balance is disrupted or reduced. It is not clear if older employees, in this specific cohort, with greater http://www.sajems.org family commitments remain with a firm irrespective of differences in job satisfaction associated with work-life pressures. Whereas many of these relationships can be predicted, using a general theoretical model drawn across work contexts, we suggest that this cohort is not typical of general workers across contexts, given the unique historical context of the country which may have resulted in a new paradigm of work post 1994
The results of the hypothesis testing are reported and discussed: H1: Increases in work-life balance conflict are significantly associated with increases in intent to quit
Summary
When an organisation loses employees, their knowledge is lost as well This loss of knowledge can be at cost to an organisation’s competitive advantage (Omotayo 2015; Sarra, Benabou & Tabeti 2013). Given the costs to organisations of the lack of this knowledge, and resultant uncertainty, it is necessary for human resource practitioners to turn to theory to better understand these relationships. Knowledge of the relative salience of the demographic, social and organisational influences on the relationship between work-life balance and employee attrition is an important topic of research across different contexts of work. Undertaking degree studies while working can provide life-changing career opportunities These studies, can introduce substantial work-life balance conflict, for those with family responsibilities, with important implications for retention
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