A NATIONAL STUDY ON THE ANTECEDENTS AND OUTCOMES OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN IRAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2018.33.16161636Keywords:
Work-Life Balance, Life Satisfaction, Work Satisfaction, Turnover Intentions, Supervisor SupportAbstract
This paper examines the impact of work-life balance (WLB) on individual outcomes of full time employees in Iran. This research aims to identify the influence of WLB on job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Moreover, this paper aims to identify the influence of a selected group of antecedents (job autonomy, work demands and supervisor work-family support) on WLB. Structural equation modeling in AMOS is used to analyze data from a sample of 203 full time workers in Iran. Analysis of data reveals positive relationships between WLB and job and life satisfaction while negative relationships between WLB and turnover intentions. The results also show significant relationships with all the studied antecedents of WLB. Job autonomy and supervisor work-family support have a positive relationship with WLB while work demands have a negative relationship with WLB. This is one of the first studies to analyze antecedents and outcomes of WLB in Iran. The results show that WLB is a relevant factor in the Iranian society. Employees that are able to balance all their life roles experience higher satisfaction and have less intention to leave their organization. In addition, the perception of balance is strongly influenced by work and family conditions. These findings align with other national studies in Western countries. Further research is needed to assess other work and non-work conditions that might influence WLB, for example, the role that colleagues, supervisors and HR management play in creating supportive work environments. It would also be valuable to extend the current study to other countries to develop a comparative cross-national research.
References
Ahuja, M. K., Chudoba, K. M., Kacmar, C. J., McKnight, D. H., & George, J. F. (2007). IT road warriors: Balancing work-family conflict, job autonomy, and work overload to mitigate turnover intentions. Mis Quarterly, 31(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148778
Allen, T. D., Herst, D. E.., Bruck, C. S., & Sutton, M. (2000). Consequences associated with work-to-family conflict: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(2), 278–308. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.5.2.278
Allen, T. D. (2001). Family-supportive work environments: The role of organizational perceptions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58(3), 414–435. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2000.1774
Beauregard, T. A., & Henry, L. C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human resource management review, 19(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001
Beigi, M., Ershadi, S. M., & Shirmohammadi, M. (2012). Work-family conflict and its antecedents among Iranian operating room personnel. Management Research Review, 35(10), 958-973. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211272688
Bond, J. T., Galinsky, E., & Swansberg, J. E. (1997). The National Study of the Changing Work-force, 1997. No. 2. New York: Families and Work Institute.
Boyar, S.L., Maertz, C.P., Pearson, A.W., & Keough, S. (2003). Work-Family Conflict: A Model of Linkages Between Work And Family Domain Variables And Turnover Intentions, Journal of Managerial Issues, 15(2), 175–190.
Brough, P., Timms, C., O'Driscoll, M. P., Kalliath, T., Siu, O. L., Sit, C., & Lo, D. (2014). Work–life balance: a longitudinal evaluation of a new measure across Australia and New Zealand workers. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(19), 2724-2744. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2014.899262
Brough, P., O’Driscoll, M., & Kalliath, T. (2007). Work–Family Conflict and Facilitation: Achieving work-family balance, in I. Glendon, B. Myors, & B. Thompson (Eds.), Advances in Organizational Psychology: An Asia Pacific Perspective (pp. 73–92). Sydney: Australian Academic Press.
Brough, P., & O'Driscoll, M. (2005). Work–family conflict and stress. In S. G. Antoniou, & C. L. Cooper (Eds.). Research companion to organizational health psychology (pp. 346–365). Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781845423308.00032
Burke, R. J. (2002). Work stress and women's health: Occupational status effects. Journal of Business Ethics, 37(1), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014734302972
Byron, K. (2005). A meta-analytic review of work–family conflict and its antecedents. Journal of vocational behavior, 67(2), 169-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2004.08.009
Carmines, E. G., & McIver, J. P. (1981). Analyzing models with unobserved variables: Analysis of covariance structures. In G. Bohrnstedt, & E. Borgatta (Eds.), Social measurement: Current issues (pp. 65-115). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Casper, W. J., & Harris, C. M. (2008). Work-life benefits and organizational attachment: Self-interest utility and signaling theory models. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72(1), 95-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2007.10.015
Clark, S. C. (2000). Work/family border theory: A new theory of work/family balance. Human relations, 53(6), 747-770. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726700536001
Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R. Hutchinson, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived Organizational Support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3),500–507. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500
Ferguson, M., Carlson, D., Zivnuska, S., & Whitten, D. (2012). Support at work and home: The path to satisfaction through balance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(2), 299-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.001
Fu, C. K., & Shaffer, M. A. (2001). The tug of work and family: Direct and indirect domain-specific determinants of work-family conflict. Personnel Review, 30(5), 502-522. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005936
Greenhaus, J., & Allen, T. (2011). Work–family balance: A review and extension of the literature. In J. C. Quick, & L. E. Tetrick (Eds.), Handbook of occupational health psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Greenhaus, J. H., Collins, K. M., & Shaw, J. D. (2003). The relation between work–family balance and quality of life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(3), 510–531. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00042-8
Greenhaus, J. H., & Powell, G. N. (2003), When Work and Family Collide: Deciding Between Competing Role Demands. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 90(2), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-5978(02)00519-8
Guest, D. E. (2002). Perspectives on the study of work–life balance. Social Science Information, 41(2), 255–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018402041002005
Haar, J. M., Russo, M., Sune, A., & Ollier-Malaterre, A. (2014). Outcomes of work–life balance on job satisfaction, life satisfaction and mental health: A study across seven cultures. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85(3), 361-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.010
Haar, J. M. (2013). Testing a new measure of WLB: A study of parent and non-parent employees from New Zealand. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(17), 3305–3324. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.775175
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of the job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60(2), 159-70. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076546
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Babin, B. J., & Black, W. C. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective (Vol. 7). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Erez, A., & Locke, E. A. (2005). Core self-evaluations and job and life satisfaction: The role of self-concordance and goal attainment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(2), 257–268. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.2.257
Kaldenberg, D. O., & Becker, B. W. (1992). Workload and psychological strain: A test of the French, Rodgers, and Cobb hypothesis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(6), 617-624. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030130607
Kalliath, T., & Brough, P. (2008), Work-Life Balance: A Review of the Meaning of the Balance Construct, Journal of Management and Organization, 14(3), 323–327.
Karimi, L. (2009). Do female and male employees in Iran experience similar work-family interference, job, and life satisfaction?. Journal of Family Issues, 30(1), 124-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X08324973
Karimi, L. (2006). A test of a model of work-family interface: A study of Iranian employees. Curtin, University of Technology Press.
Karimi, L. (2008). A study of a multidimensional model of work–family conflict among Iranian employees. Community, Work & Family, 11(3), 283-295.
Karimi, L., & Nouri, A. (2009). Do work demands and resources predict work-to-family conflict and facilitation? A study of Iranian male employees. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 30(2), 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-009-9143-1
Kirchmeyer, C. (2000). Work-Life Initiatives: Greed or Benevolence Regarding Workers' Time?. Trends in organizational behavior, 7, 79-94.
Knudsen, H. K., Aaron Johnson, J., Martin, J. K., & Roman, P. M. (2003). Downsizing survival: The experience of work and organizational commitment. Sociological Inquiry, 73(2), 265-283. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-682X.00056
Kofodimos, J. R. (1993). Balancing act. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kossek, E. E., Valcour, M., & Lirio, P. (2014). The sustainable workforce: Organizational strategies for promoting work–life balance and well-being. In C. Cooper, & P. Chen (Eds.), Work and wellbeing (pp. 295–318). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118539415.wbwell030
Lagerström, M., Josephson, M., Arsalani, N., & Fallahi-Khoshknab, M. (2010). Striving for balance between family and work demands among Iranian nurses. Nursing Science Quarterly, 23(2), 166-172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318410362543
Lobel, S. A., & Kossek, E. E. (1996). Human resource strategies to support diversity in work and personal lifestyles: Beyond the “family friendly” organization. In E. E. Kossek & S. A. Lobel (Eds.), Managing diversity: Human resource strategies for transforming the workplace (pp. 221–243). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Marks, S. R., & MacDermid, S. M. (1996). Multiple roles and the self: A theory of role balance. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(2), 417-432. https://doi.org/10.2307/353506
Martin, J. K., & Roman, P. M. (1996). Job Satisfaction, Job Rewards Characteristics, and Employees’ Problem Drinking Behavior. Work and Occupations, 23(1), 4–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888496023001002
Moorman, R. H., & Podsakoff, P. M. (1992). A metaanalytic review and empirical test of the potential confounding effects of social desirability response sets in organizational behaviour research. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 65(2), 131-149. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1992.tb00490.x
Nishaat, B. Z. (2017). Achieving work family balance (WFB) among professional working women in Mauritius: A qualitative study. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(2), 2053-5074.
Noor, S., & Maad, N. (2009). Examining the relationship between work life conflict, stress and turnover intentions among marketing executives in Pakistan. International journal of Business and Management, 3(11), 93. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v3n11p93
OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,. (2017, April 26). Retrieved from http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/work-life-balance/
O’Driscoll, M., Brough, P., & Biggs, A. (2007). Work-Family Balance: Concepts, Implications and Interventions. In J. Houdmont & S. McIntyre (Eds.). Occupational Health Psychology: European Perspectives on Research, Education and Practice (pp. 193-217). Nottingham: Nottingham University.
O’Shea, M. (2003). Culture Shock! Iran. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing.
Schwab, K. (2016). The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-competitiveness-report-2016-2017-1
Soon, A., Quazi, H. A., Tay, C., & Kelly, K. (2005). Studies on the Impact of Work-Life Initiatives on Employee & Firm Performance. Executive Report for Public release.
Steiber, N. (2009). Reported levels of time-based and strain-based conflict between work and family roles in Europe: A multilevel approach. Social Indicators Research, 93(3), 469-488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9436-z
Sultan, S., Kanwal, F., & Gul, S. (2017). Giving versus receiving social support: An analysis of what contributes the most to favorable life outcomes. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(2), 762-774. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.32.762774
Thomas, L. T. & Ganster, D. C. (1995). Impact of family-supportive work variables on work-family conflict and strain: A control perspective, Journal of Applied Psychology, 80(1), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.80.1.6
Thompson, C. A., Beauvais, L. L., & Lyness, K. S. (1999). When work–family benefits are not enough: The influence of work–family culture on benefit utilization, organizational attachment, and work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational behavior, 54(3), 392-415. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1998.1681
Valcour, M. (2007). Work-based resources as moderators of the relationship between work hours and satisfaction with work–family balance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1512–1523. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1512
Voydanoff, P. (1988). Work role characteristics, family structure demands, and work/family conflict. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50(3), 749-761. https://doi.org/10.2307/352644
Wadsworth, L.L. and Owens, B.P. (2007), “The effects of social support on work-family enhancement and work-family conflict in the public sector”, Public Administration Review, 67 (1), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00698.x
Wang, P., Lawler, J.J., Shi, K., Walumbwa, F., & Piao, M. (2008). Family-friendly employment practices: importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China. Advances in International Management, 21, 235-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7
Williams, L. J., Vandenberg, R. J., & Edwards, J. R. (2009). 12 structural equation modeling in management research: A guide for improved analysis. The Academy of Management Annals, 3(1), 543-604. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520903065683
Wise, S., & Bond, S. (2003). Work-life policy: does it do exactly what it says on the tin?. Women in Management Review, 18(1/2), 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420310462307
Xie, J. L., and Johns, G. (1995). Job scope and stress: Can job scope be too high?. Academy of Management Journal, 38(5), 1288-1309. https://doi.org/10.2307/256858
Yang, N., Chen, C. C., Choi, J., & Zou, Y. (2000). Sources of work–family conflict: A Sino-US comparison of the effects of work and family demands. Academy of Management Journal, 43(1), 113–123. https://doi.org/10.2307/1556390
Yildirim, D., & Aycan, Z. (2008). Nurses’ work demands and work–family conflict: A questionnaire survey. International journal of nursing studies, 45(9), 1366-1378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2007.10.010
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
