WORK-LIFE BALANCE POLICIES IN JORDANIAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES

Mahmoud Abubaker () and Christopher Bagley ()
Additional contact information
Mahmoud Abubaker: Al Aqsa University, Palestine and University of Bradford, UK
Christopher Bagley: University of Southampton, UK

Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, 2016, vol. 4, issue 3, 13-28

Abstract: No published work is available on work-life balance (WLB) programs in Jordan. Drawing on the methodology of Critical Realism, interviews with ten senior managers, and case studies in two large telecommunication companies were undertaken. WLB practices had both similarities and differences from those in developed countries. WLB policy and practice was constructed within three main areas: social and cultural practices; financial practices; leave arrangements. In comparison with developed countries, social practices such as praying time, Hajj leave and Ramadan concessions reflected the culture and religion of Jordan as an Arabic, Islamic country. Flexible practices, such as compressed working and paternity leave did not exist. The absence of these practices was also linked to social and cultural factors, as well to levels of current economic development. However, part-time working was developed primarily to benefit employers, rather than employees, in contrast to most developed countries.Employers’ reasons for adopting WLB practices were the level of competition in the labour market, government regulations, social and culture norms of society, pressures from women in the workforce, and pressure from labour unions. Financial practices were linked to the competitive market, reflecting the need to retain well-qualified staff. Financial benefits including subsidized childcare, paid study leave, and family health insurance, were reported to have the strongest positive impact on organisational morale and staff retention. Keywords: Work-Life-Balance, Jordan, Qualitative Research, Critical Realism, Arab Culture, Telecommunications

Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://eurasianpublications.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/EJBM-4.3.2.pdf (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ejn:ejbmjr:v:4:y:2016:i:3:p:13-28

Access Statistics for this article

Eurasian Journal of Business and Management is currently edited by Nidžara Osmanagić-Bedenik

More articles in Eurasian Journal of Business and Management from Eurasian Publications
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Esra Barakli ().