Non-work Domains Research Articles

Work Life Balance (Myth or Fact) Black Female Academics

Work-Life balance is a priority at many institutions of higher learning everywhere but especially for Black female academics from South Africa. Employers acknowledge the value employees who can straddle work and non-work domains but is it balance or integration and supportive workplaces that is required. This article authored by a male social worker seeks to explore the experiences of Black female academics at a university in Gauteng, regarding their work-life balance using the intersectionality framework. This qualitative exploratory case study included ten respondents, who were purposively sampled. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the necessary data. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the collected data. The study revealed the following main findings: Firstly, Black female academics are confronted by both personal and professional challenges that hinder them from achieving a work-life balance. Identified personal challenges included family responsibilities, patriarchal and cultural practices. While work overload, lack of recognition and lack of respect by male senior colleagues were identified as work-related challenges.

Pushing yourself to the edge: The relationship of worker self‐sacrifice behaviour with perceived role performance, emotional exhaustion, and partner self‐sacrifice

AbstractSelf‐sacrifice behaviour features in a number of well‐known management concepts such as organizational commitment, pro‐social motivation, and organizational citizenship behaviour, but is rarely acknowledged as a salient factor or examined directly. Drawing on theories of goal systems and personal resource allocation, and dyad data collected from 122 church ministers twice over 2 years and their partners, this study examines the extent to which worker self‐sacrifice behaviour is simultaneously an enabler of high work effectiveness and a cost for personal wellbeing. Findings support the ‘doubled‐edged’ nature of self‐sacrifice, showing that while worker reports of self‐sacrifice behaviour are positively related to increases in perceived role performance, they are also linked to partner ratings of worker emotional exhaustion and partner self‐sacrifice behaviour 2 years later. This study therefore validates the importance of self‐sacrifice behaviour in accounting for divergent work outcomes and its potential to spillover into the nonwork domain. The study further finds psychological detachment to partially moderate the relationship between worker self‐sacrifice and the two problematic outcomes. Therefore, psychological detachment offers a potential means of sustaining high self‐sacrifice behaviour over time and could play an effective role in related interventions.

The effectiveness of work-nonwork interventions: A theoretical synthesis and meta-analysis.

A growing body of intervention studies is concerned with improving the work-nonwork interface. Extant work-nonwork interventions are diverse in terms of content and effectiveness. We map these interventions onto work-nonwork theories that explain why the interventions should improve proximal work-nonwork outcomes (i.e., conflict, enrichment, balance). Our resulting integrative framework suggests that interventions can affect work-nonwork outcomes via distinct mechanisms, which can be delineated according to their (a) content valence (i.e., increasing resources/positive characteristics or decreasing demands/negative characteristics); (b) locality (i.e., personal or contextual factors); and (c) domain (i.e., work, the nonwork, or the boundary-spanning). We further provide a meta-analytic review of the efficacy of such interventions based on 6,680 participants within 26 pre-post control group design intervention studies. The meta-analytic results reveal an overall significant main effect across all identified interventions for improving proximal work-nonwork outcomes. When comparing different kinds of interventions aimed at increasing resources, we found beneficial effects for interventions targeting personal resources over contextual resources and interventions in the nonwork domain compared to interventions in the work or boundary-spanning domain. We conclude that work-nonwork interventions effectively improve the work-nonwork interface and discuss theoretical and practical implications of the more substantial effects and potential advantages of interventions aimed at enhancing personal resources in the nonwork domain. Finally, we provide concrete recommendations for future research and elaborate on the type of studies we would like to see in terms of interventions targeting the reduction of demands, for which we found only a limited number of studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Work-Life Balance Machine

Remote work or hybridized work has come to stay post COVID-19 pandemic, though not without both benefits and drawbacks. Work-life balance represents an essential need of remote workers, which could either be hindered or promoted during remote work. The continuous adoption of remote work warrants that the crucial challenge of work-life balance facing remote workers be addressed. Therefore, this study offers insights regarding the work-life balance processes of remote workers by following a research approach that involves synthesizing literature about remote work and work-life balance in an integrative way. This article upholds that the work-life balance processes of remote workers involve a work-life cognitive system that is responsible for maintaining equilibrium in the work-life system. The work-life system of remote workers includes elements, resources, forces, useful work, and output. Achieving balance between work and non-work domains is a function of the relative processes among the elements, resources, and forces within the work-life system. This article refers to the work-life balance cognitive system as ‘the work-life balance machine’. The work-life balance machine provides knowledge about how and what remote workers need to learn, adapt to, and change in the environment in order to develop an optimally balanced work and life. Thus, based on the blending of theories and concepts with the synthesized evidence from literature, this article offers a model; the work-life balance machine and a definition of work-life balance. In addition, this paper highlights actionable insights critical for human resource management in developing, supporting, and maintaining remote workers’ work-life balance.

Presenteeism Is Reloaded and Ready for Further Research – A Commentary on Priebe, J. and Hägerbäumer, M. (2023)

Presenteeism Is Reloaded and Ready for Further Research – A Commentary on Priebe, J. and Hägerbäumer, M. (2023)

Gender differences in work-life conflict during Covid? A research agenda for work-life conflict post-pandemic

ABSTRACT Studies on gender differences in work-life conflict have shown that women often report higher levels of work-life conflict due to social mores of undertaking a larger proportion of childcare and household work. Similarly, emergent research on the impact of the Covid pandemic on work-life conflict have shown that women experienced more work-life conflict. During the pandemic, educational work and provision took place within the home. The current study therefore sought to investigate work-life conflict for employees in the further education sector during the pandemic. The findings of the current study suggest that there were no gender differences, at least in the case of the further education sector, which is contrary to extant research on work-life conflict. Thus, there is scope to explore through future research whether there is trajectory towards gender equalitarianism in the sharing of household work, whether the pandemic as a crisis was an episodic event that necessitated gender equalitarian work distribution, or whether the blurring of boundaries between work and non-work domains is a continuum of neoliberal institutional demands.

The competing influence of psychological job control on family‐to‐work conflict

AbstractPsychological job control has typically been negatively related to work‐to‐family and family‐to‐work conflict. Based on the job demand‐resource model and boundary theory, we argue that psychological job control may indirectly be positively related to family‐to‐work conflict by both increasing supplemental work, that is, the rate of engagement in work outside of formal working hours without receiving compensation aided by mobile technology, and work‐to‐family conflict. We hypothesize that this proposed positive indirect relationship will be lower among employees who perceive a high segmentation norm at their workplace. Based on a two‐wave study of 4518 employees, we obtained support for a serial moderated mediation model that suggests a dual effect of psychological job control on family‐to‐work conflict, such that psychological job control was positively associated with family‐to‐work conflict through supplemental work and work‐to‐family conflict at low levels of segmentation norms. By examining the dual effects of psychological job control, this study aims to further understand the mechanisms involved in determining whether and when psychological job control, together with supplemental work, encourages employees to uphold or cross boundaries between work and nonwork domains. Our findings imply that psychological job control can both be a resource and a demand depending on the levels of segmentation norms.

The roles of internal marketing and person-organization fit in hospitality employees’ life satisfaction: an integration of work and nonwork domains

PurposeIntegrating the Stimulus-Organism-Response model, the spillover theory and the person-organization fit literature, this study investigates how internal marketing spills over its effects from the work domain to nonwork domains.Design/methodology/approachData of 279 hotel employees working in the US were collected from a self-administered survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk.FindingsFindings support the direct effects of internal marketing on job performance and job satisfaction, and of job satisfaction on life satisfaction. Moreover, results show the mediating roles of perceived person-organization fit, highlighting the mechanism by which internal marketing generates its spillover effect from the work domain to the life domain.Originality/valueThis study advances the conversation on employee-organization behaviors by revealing how internal marketing could lead to job satisfaction, job performance and life satisfaction. These insights reflect the true interconnection of human work and life. For hospitality employees’ well-being, this study encourages managers to simultaneously adopt and integrate the five functional activities of internal marketing (i.e. communication, compensation, welfare system, training and management support) in organizational operations.

Critical events at critical times? A gendered identity approach on the path to (sustainable) leadership.

The early career phase is a key period of identity maintenance and change. But, it is also ripe with important, attention-grabbing occurrences (i.e., critical events) that may modify these processes, particularly influencing women's leadership pursuit. Because previous research has overlooked if or how such events might alter identifying or if these processes differ for people who identify as men and women, we integrate the identity and critical events literatures to elaborate on how positive and negative critical events may shape men and women's identifying in the work- and non-work domains over time. We propose that critical events' effects on identity salience will occur both within and across domains, but that these effects will be stronger within (vs. across) domains. While both positive and negative events can exert negative effects on subsequent identity salience, we propose that the effects of critical events on identity salience may be stronger for women (vs. men). Finally, we connect work identity salience with subsequent leadership status, including contextual moderators that enhance or undermine these effects (i.e., inclusive organizational climate and mega-threats, respectively). We conclude with theoretical and practical implications of this research, including for workforce efficiency and social sustainability. We also highlight calls for future research stemming from our review [e.g., sustainability critical events and gendered analyses for (more) accurate science] as well as fruitful research areas and innovative practices at the work-non-work interface for professionals on the path to leadership.

Recovery experiences and work engagement: The role of emotions at work

The need for positive organizational behavior research has resulted in the popularization of the concept of work engagement. Many researchers have examined its proximal antecedents, but little scientific attention has been focused on emotions and the non-work domain of employees? lives. Thus, the aim of this research was to study the relationship between recovery experiences, job-related affective well-being, and work engagement. A total of 279 Croatian employees participated in an online study. They filled in Job Affective Well-Being Scale, Recovery Experiences Questionnaire, short Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The results demonstrated that recovery strategies and positive workplace emotions explained 63,4% variance of work engagement. Positive emotions mediated the relationship between recovery experiences and work engagement when recovery was measured as relaxation, developing mastery experiences, and high control over leisure time. Negative emotions mediated only relationship between relaxation and work engagement. Altogether, this study expends previous knowledge and confirms the interaction between employees? work and non-work domains of life.

A relational identity approach to study the antecedents of family supportive supervision.

This research focuses on the antecedents of family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) - the support from supervisors that can help employees manage their competing demands across work and nonwork domains. Drawing on theories of relational identity and self-construal, I conceptualize subordinates' likeability (interpersonal abilities) and competence (task abilities) as antecedents of family supportive supervisor behaviors, and examine whether supervisors' relational identification with subordinates mediates this relationship. In addition, I also examine the extent to which this mediation depends on the level of relational self-construal of supervisors. Data from 205 subordinates and 84 supervisors from a Chilean private bank and results support the hypothesized mediated moderation model. While supervisors' relational identification with subordinates fully mediates the relationship between competence and family supportive supervisor behaviors, supervisors' relational identification with subordinates partially mediates the relationship between subordinates' likeability and family supportive supervisor behaviors. Further, supervisors' relational identification with subordinates mediates the relationship between likeability and family supportive supervisor behaviors when supervisors' relational self-construal is high to medium but not when it is low. Overall, this research offers a novel lens for better understanding subordinates as more than mere recipients of supervisory behaviors.

Seeing the big picture during the COVID-19 pandemic: the spillover effects of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict.

While an expanding body of research has revealed the beneficial impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-related outcomes, little is known about its spillover effects on nonwork domains. Drawing upon work-home resources theory, we investigated the impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict (WFC). Utilizing three-wave data from 268 employees, the results indicate that visionary leadership promotes follower relational energy, which in turn reduces WFC. Furthermore, perceived COVID-19 crisis disruption was found to strengthen the negative indirect link between visionary leadership and employees' WFC. Our research broadens our understanding of the potential positive spillover effects of visionary leadership in the nonwork domain through relational energy, and the accentuating effect of perceived crisis disruption on the work-family interface. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

The influence of nonwork resources, nonwork demands and external support on work engagement and productivity: A moderated mediation model

Orientation: Working from home eliminated the work–nonwork divide. The lives of employees at home were instantaneously connected to their engagement and productivity at work. The mechanisms and pathways through which an individual’s access to and management of nonwork resources and demands influence behaviours and outcomes at work have been scantily investigated.Research purpose: Hinged primarily on the conservation of resources theory, the study examined the influence of the external support, nonwork demands and resources on work engagement and employee productivity.Motivation for the study: Understanding how work–nonwork resources and demands interact(ed) to shape behaviour and outcomes in the work domain could shape cross-domain resource conservation and enhancement efforts.Research approach/design and method: Data were collected from a convenient sample of 185 nongovernmental organisation employees using a standard questionnaire. Structural models, with bootstrapping, were used to evaluate the hypothesised moderating and mediating effects.Main findings: Nonwork resources were positively associated with work engagement. External support moderated the negative relationship between nonwork demands and work engagement. Work engagement mediated the effects of nonwork resources and nonwork demands on employee productivity.Practical/managerial implications: Organizational leaders should appreciate the ecological conditions within which work and nonwork resources are generated and expended. This has implications on desirable, value creating workplace behaviours and related outcomes.Contribution/value-add: The study further exposed the interdependence of the work and non-work domains. Workplaces that enrich both domains will likely enjoy sustained value generation.

Exploring work-life balance among professional women in mainland China: A qualitative study.

This article introduces a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews to explore the barriers and resources of professional women to attain work-life balance (WLB) in the context of mainland China. Interviews were conducted with full-time employed women who had received higher education and possessed professional qualifications (N = 20). The findings reveal underlying factors in work and non-work domains which influence the achievement of work-life balance among Chinese professional women. Participants were found to perceive and attain their work-life balance differently according to their personal traits. The findings also highlight social and family support resources for Chinese professional women from the perspective of Confucianism. This study contributes to current knowledge on work and life issues through the lens of professional women's work-life balance perceptions and experiences in mainland China.

Relationship between active seniors’ job change and life satisfaction: Serial multiple mediation effects of person–job fit and job satisfaction

AbstractWith older workers staying in or re‐entering the workforce post‐retirement, there has been growing interest in the aging workforce. This study examines how active seniors’ job changes impact life satisfaction through person–job fit and job satisfaction. Drawing on conservation of resources, person–job fit, and spillover theories, we developed and tested a serial multiple mediation model on 2183 active seniors using the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study data. The results of PROCESS macro analysis showed that (a) job change negatively affects life satisfaction, (b) both person–job fit and job satisfaction parallelly mediate the job change and life satisfaction relationship, and (c) there is a serial multiple mediation effect of person–job fit and job satisfaction on the job change and life satisfaction relationship. Our study reveals the link between work and nonwork domains as informed by the three theories, extends the existing literature on life satisfaction from a bottom‐up perspective, and considers cultural characteristics.

Redoing gender: How women in the hospitality industry challenge Chinese hegemonic gender discourse

This study addresses gender in China’s hospitality industry. Grounded in doing gender theory and feminist discourse, the research explores gender performance in work and non-work domains based on data gathered through 32 in-depth interviews in the mainland of China. Findings reveal that China’s gender revolution is uneven across spheres and that women’s liberation, centered on productive labor, represents a hegemonic gender discourse. Additionally, the gender identities of women in hospitality have undergone numerous changes. “Redoing gender” is defined in this study as challenging traditional gender norms in multiple spheres. Women redo gender by redefining gender norms, labeling hospitality feminism, strategically using femininity, and selectively performing gender in various domains. Theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

Factors associated with general self-efficacy of women leaders in India

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the impact of both work and non-work domain contextual factors (family support, workplace social support, mentoring support, networking and visible assignment) on the general self-efficacy (GSE) of women leaders in India. Also, we tried to explore whether GSE is connected to women leaders' career aspirations.Design/methodology/approachThis is a survey-based study where data was collected and analysed from 145 women leaders working in a large public sector organisation in India.FindingsResults suggest that except for workplace social support, all other factors have a significant positive impact on the GSE of women leaders. GSE is also significantly associated with women leaders' career aspirations.Originality/valueUniqueness of the article is that we have empirically tested the enablers and deterrents of women leadership in the GSE context, taking note of both work and non-work domains of women leaders. The implications of the results for women's leadership development have been detailed.

"I Have No Room of My Own": COVID-19 Pandemic and Work-From-Home Through a Gender Lens.

Working from home is not gender neutral. As the COVID-19 pandemic has relocated all non-essential work to the home setting, it becomes imperative to examine the phenomenon through a gender lens. Accordingly, I conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 30 dual-earning married couples in India to study the gendered work-from-home experiences of men and women during the pandemic. The findings suggest that the pandemic has disproportionately increased the burden of unpaid work for women as compared to men. Women are negotiating gendered time–space arrangements within their households with the allocation of limited resources being in favor of men. When this interacts with work, gender inequalities are reinforced both at work and home. Gender roles and unpaid work determine women’s choices regarding when and where to work, boundary management between work and non-work domains, and their experiences of social isolation. Further, gender roles have also affected women’s decisions regarding returning to work post-pandemic, where some women may not be returning to work at all. Finally, the paper identifies how gender intersects with the existing conceptual frameworks of working from home, and makes a strong case for integrating gender considerations in the work-from-home policies.

The Spillover Effects of Visionary Leadership on Employees’ Work-Family Interface

While a growing body of studies have revealed the beneficial effects of visionary leadership on employee work-related outcomes, little is known about its spillover effects on their nonwork domains. Drawing upon the work-family resource theory, we investigate the spillover effect of visionary leadership on employees’ work-to-family conflict. Utilizing the three-wave data from 268 employees, the results indicate that visionary leadership is positively related to employees’ relational energy, which in turn reduces their work-to-family conflict. Furthermore, perceived COVID-19 crisis disruption was found to accentuate the negative indirect relationship between visionary leadership and employees’ work-to-family conflict. Our research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the potential positive effects of visionary leadership beyond the work domain through relational energy, and the accentuating effect of crisis disruption on work-family interface.

How and When Socially Responsible Human Resource Management Practices Influence Employee Insomnia

Although existing studies show that socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) practices positively influence employees’ outcome at work domain, the social impacts of SRHRM practices on employee’s insomnia remain unexplored. Drawing on the appraisal theory of emotion, we explore whether, how, and when SRHRM practices reduce employees’ insomnia. Using multiphase and multilevel data from 270 employees in 52 companies, we find that SRHRM practices negatively predict employee insomnia, and the relationship is mediated by employee’s hope and anxiety. Furthermore, business threat due to COVID-19 weakens the positive relationship between SRHRM practices and employees’ hope, whereas mitigates the negative relationship between SRHRM and employees’ anxiety. We also find that business threat due to COVID-19 influences the indirect effect of SRHRM practices on employee’s insomnia via their hope and anxiety. Our study contributes to understanding the social impacts of SRHRM practices on employee insomnia at the non-work domain, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak.