Work-life Balance: Perceptions of the Non-work Domain

Vineetha Prakash

IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, 2018, vol. 7, issue 2, 97-108

Abstract: Work-life balance research suffers from a lack of consistency in defining the scope of non-work (life outside work). Considering the evolving life preferences of modern workforce, work-life balance researchers should have a broader view of life which expands beyond work-family, and includes other non-work domains of life. This study is an attempt to establish that for today’s employees, work-life balance means balancing work not only with family life; but also with other non-work domains. Several non-work domains were identified from previous literature and a survey was conducted to identify the different non-work aspects important for respondents to have work-life balance. Based on results from 214 Indians working in various Indian cities and abroad, it was established that in the context of work-life balance, non-work includes not just family, but a combination of life domains, which varies from person-to-person. Although family remained the topmost priority, other non-work aspects were also chosen by varying proportions of respondents. Non-work preferences and related experiences of employees varied based on gender, marital status and child-care responsibilities. Satisfaction with organization’s work-life balance facilities differed when employees chose family, from when they chose other non-work domains. Findings indicate that various non-work preferences of employees should be considered during work-life balance research, and while designing work-life balance practices. This would help to address the non-work demands of different types of employees, and hence give more acceptance to such initiatives.

Keywords: Work-life balance; work–non-work; non-work; personal life; work-life balance facilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:iimkoz:v:7:y:2018:i:2:p:97-108

DOI: 10.1177/2277975218769505

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