Recovery for Resilience: The Mediating Role of Work–Life Balance on the Quality of Life of Women Employees

Anna Anastasopoulou (), Eftichia Vraimaki and Panagiotis Trivellas
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Anna Anastasopoulou: ORIMAS LAB: Organisational Innovation & Management Systems Laboratory, Department of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Eftichia Vraimaki: Department of Archival, Library & Information Studies, University of West Attica, 12243 Egaleo, Greece
Panagiotis Trivellas: ORIMAS LAB: Organisational Innovation & Management Systems Laboratory, Department of Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: Employees often have to cope with unprecedented challenges in their working and living conditions—caused by organizational and socioeconomic changes and/or crises—by showing resourcefulness and adaptability. Especially working women who bear a heavier burden strive harder to achieve balance between their work and family lives, and build resilience to maintain their quality of life. It is, therefore, important to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms women employ to strengthen their resilience by combining different roles without compromising their quality of life. This survey research examines which coping strategies and after-work experiences contribute to women’s quality of life by improving their sense of work–life balance (WLB). Data collected from 654 women employees in Greece confirmed the positive effect of WLB on quality of life. Furthermore, being able to choose among after-work experiences, learning or doing challenging things, work disengagement, and problem solving positively influence WLB. In contrast, continuing work at home, relaxation, and avoidance coping negatively affect WLB. It appears that taking time to relax and avoidance coping come into conflict with women’s socially acceptable behavior at home. The importance of social relationships is also highlighted by the positive influence that support seeking, as a coping mechanism, has on women’s quality of life.

Keywords: work–life balance; quality of life; employee resilience; women employees; after-work experiences; coping strategies; work recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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