Work-life balance: a study in the petroleum industry.
- Authors: De Villiers, J.C. , Kotze, M.E.
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Work-life balance , Work-life imbalance , Work-life conflict , Role interference , Role overload
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5684 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2929
- Description: A qualitative study was completed to discover how employees of a company in the petroleum industry define and experience the phenomenon of work-life balance, to identify the workplace determinants of work-life imbalance and to elicit some solutions for the problem. It was found that work-life balance is a personal issue that varies across time and situations and the underlying conflict experienced pertains to role overload and role interference. The most significant work-life conflict arises from complex workplace issues, including managing change, supervisory and technical competences, leadership, roles and accountabilities, and culture. Solutions to address the workplace issues, as well as the development of individual balance-enabling skills, are suggested.
- Full Text:
Technology and work-life conflict of academics in a South African higher education institution
- Authors: Kotecha, Kajal , Geldenhuys, Madelyn , Ukpere, Wilfred I.
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Work-life balance , Work-life conflict , Information and Communication Technology
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5475 , ISSN 2039-9340 , ISSN 2039-2117 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13451
- Description: The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to work after regular working hours has become prevalent in the academic profession. Although ICTs are known to enhance work flexibility, they also seem to encourage academics to use ICT devices after hours for work-related purposes. The objective of this study was to investigate the implications of technologyassisted supplemental work (TASW) on the work-life conflict (WLC) of academics. The moderating role of gender was also taken into consideration in investigating the relationship between TASW and WLC. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and made use of an online survey to collect data. The WLC scale and the TASW scale were used. The sample consisted of academics from a higher education in South Africa (n = 216). The results of the research revealed a significant relationship between TASW and WLC. TASW is a significant predictor of WLC. Furthermore, the results revealed that gender significantly moderated the relationship between TASW and WLC. This study contributes further knowledge to the emerging field of research relating to TASW in a South African context. This study also emphasises the implications of using ICTs and their potential to encourage academics to extend their working hours.This study therefore questions the benefits of this work flexibility that many academics are privileged to have from using ICTs
- Full Text:
The effect of family relationships on technology-assisted supplemental work and work-life conflict among academics
- Authors: Kotecha, Kajal , Ukpere, Wilfred , Geldenhuys, Madelyn
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Work-life conflict , Work-life balance , Family relationships
- Type: Journal
- Identifier: uj:5454 , ISSN 2039-2117 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13430
- Description: There is a rising trend in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) by academics to work after regular working hours. The dual nature of ICTs enhances work flexibility and also encourages academics to use ICTs to engage in supplemental work practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of family relationships on technology assisted supplemental work and Work-Life Conflict (WLC) experienced by academics in a higher education institution in South Africa. Specifically, the moderating roles of marital status and children were taken into consideration in investigating the relationship between TASW and WLC. A quantitative research approach was adopted and an online survey was used collect data. The WLC scale and the TASW scale were as well used. The sample consisted of academics from a higher education in South Africa (n = 216). The results of the research revealed a significant relationship between TASW and WLC. TASW is a significant predictor of WLC. Furthermore, the results revealed that marital status and children significantly moderated the relationship between TASW and WLC. This study contributes further knowledge to the emerging field of research relating to TASW in a South African context. This study also emphasises the implications of using ICTs and their potential to encourage academics to extend their working hours. In particular, this study outlines the important role of marital status and children in influencing the relationship between TASW and WLC.
- Full Text:
Managing work-life balance of working mothers
- Authors: Van Zyl, H.F.
- Date: 2014-01-14
- Subjects: Working mothers , Work and family , Work-life balance
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7901 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8792
- Description: M.Comm. (Business Management) , Changes in the corporate landscape and an increase in female participation rates in corporate workforces necessitate a better understanding of female career paths and how organisations can accommodate them better. The purpose of this study is to identify the most appropriate work-life balance benefits organisations can offer to female employees to assist them in achieving greater work-life balance. The study further aims to identify learning and development opportunities that females who have exited from their professions can follow to remain relevant and up to date in their fields. Through the literature review the study examines the need for women in corporate workforces, and inspects reasons for the underrepresentation of women in workforces. It further investigates alternative career models female professionals often embark on in an attempt to gain more balance between family responsibilities and career demands and subsequently discusses the costs associated with losing female talent. It then explores how organisations can assist female employees by offering work-life balance benefits. The study was conducted by using an online questionnaire and respondents were selected by employing a snowball sampling method. In this study research found that the most appropriate work-life balance benefits are flexible working hours, on-site childcare facilities, parental leave, part-time work, mobile working and virtual or cyber working. Conversely, the most inappropriate work-life balance benefits are weekend work, shift work, overtime, temporary or casual work, term-only working and fixed term contracts. It further found that employees who have exited from their professions can follow certain learning and development opportunities to assist them to remain relevant and up-to-date in their fields and assist them to return to full-time employment. The following learning and development opportunities were listed as being most appropriate: Attending continuous professional development courses and workshops, reading and further studies, keeping in touch with colleagues to stay updated with new developments at the office and the organisation, attending seminars and doing ad hoc, private, part-time or consulting work.
- Full Text:
The work-life balance of journalists
- Authors: Thankge, Clarah Thandi
- Date: 2014-05-05
- Subjects: Work-life balance , Work and family , Social responsibility of business
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/389875 , uj:10921 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10495
- Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , South Africa is currently tackling more basic challenges such as poverty alleviation, job creation and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment issues, whereas developed countries are prioritising Work-Life Balance in an attempt to humanise the workplace. Globalisation, modern technology and lean business practices are challenging the old and familiar patterns of paid work while imposing new challenges on families, individuals and households. This contributes to long working hours, high stress levels, low energy, extended travel commitments, reduced healthy family meals and limited basic quality of personal and family lifestyle. Business benefits are observed in organisations that involve employees in identifying and implementing solutions that provide a workplace that inculcates a culture of work-life balance. The benefits for business include the ability to attract high calibre employees, staff retention, efficiency on the job (distractions), employee commitment, high morale and reduced absenteeism rate. The study investigates the perception and/or views of management and journalists on the work-life balance initiatives at BDFM (Pty) Ltd. The recommendation on how Wellness Strategy initiatives should be implemented to mitigate challenges faced by journalists in the media industry gives conclusion to the study. The attraction and retention of high calibre journalists at BDFM (Pty) Ltd will help reduce both the direct and indirect costs that the organisation incurs when there is an unplanned employee turnover. The direct costs pertain to the recruitment and training of new employees who will replace the previous incumbent and the costs of mistakes made during the settling in period. The indirect costs on the other hand relate to performance, the effect of increased stress and reduced job satisfaction.
- Full Text:
The impact of technology on work-life conflict among academics
- Authors: Kotecha, Kajal Harsukhlal
- Date: 2014-08-19
- Subjects: Information technology - Study and teaching (Higher) , Communication and technology , Work-life balance
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:12124 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11867
- Description: M.Com. (Human Resource Management) , The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to work after regular working hours has become prevalent in the academic profession. Although ICTs are known to enhance work flexibility, they also seem to encourage academics to use ICT devices after hours for work-related purposes. This consequently questions the work flexibility, which is enabled by ICTs, and the potential impact that this has on the work–life conflict (WLC) experienced by academics. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of technology assisted supplemental work (TASW) and the implications that this has on the WLC experienced by academics at a higher education institution in South Africa. In addition, the moderating roles of gender, marital status and whether or not the respondents had children were factors, in these academics‟ personal lives, which were taken into consideration in investigating the relationship between TASW and WLC. The study adopted a quantitative research approach, and made use of an online survey, composed of three sections, to collect data. Section A included demographic-related questions, while Section B contained questions from a pre-existing WLC scale, and Section C comprised of a pre-existing scale used to assess TASW. The sample consisted of academics from a higher education in South Africa (n = 216). The results of the research engaged in revealed a significant relationship between TASW and WLC. Regarding the relationship between TASW and the three forms of WLC, the results revealed that TASW is significantly and positively related to time-based and strainbased WLC. There is no significant relationship between TASW and behavioural-based WLC. TASW is a significant predictor of WLC. Furthermore, the results revealed that gender, children and marital status all significantly moderated the relationship between TASW and WLC. This study contributes further knowledge to the emerging field of research relating to TASW in a South African context. In addition, this study also emphasises the implications of using ICTs and their potential to encourage academics to extend their working hours. This study therefore questions the benefits of this work flexibility that many academics are privileged to have from using ICTs.
- Full Text:
An exploration of resilience amongst working mothers
- Authors: Neethling, Lieneke Murray , Working mothers
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Motherhood , Resilience (Personality trait) , Work-life balance
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237777 , uj:24368
- Description: M.Phil. , Abstract: In this postmodernist study, resilient working mothers are studied by means of an autoethnographical strategy. I accordingly examined a small group of South African working mothers’ experiences, including my own, by blending an evocative and artful presentation with theory and analysis. In assimilating subjective personal experience and the broader sociocultural reality, I offer insights into the social world of resilient working mothers, the challenges they experience, and how they manage to thrive despite adversity. As a mother who worked as a minister, I was uniquely situated as a researcher to share first-hand experiences and to provide in-depth knowledge on working mothers’ resilience. Also, deep reflection on myself and my experiences provided me with an opportunity to understand my research participants better. Finally, being both mother and researcher offered the prospect of clarifying, describing and illuminating the experiences of working mothers, their adversities and their resilience from an insider perspective. In addition to my own, I included six other working mothers’ experiences and perceptions to unravel, describe and obtain an understanding of the cultural and social context of resilient working mothers. Using the data gathered from interviews, participant observation and unsolicited documents, including diary entries and photographs, I constructed a number of narratives. Field notes, interview transcriptions and a research journal were also used to capture the data and autoethnographic analytical methods were employed to uncover themes in the data. Finally, to provide a deeper and richer understanding of resilient working mothers, I integrated my own concrete experiences and those of the other women with abstract scholarly concepts. As I believe evocative writing offers a powerful and meaningful description of phenomena, I employed various literary genres and art forms to bring the lived experiences of the working mothers in the study to life. More specifically, I crafted memoirs, short stories, poetry and dialogue and included non-textual displays like photographs, illustrations and music to engage the reader...
- Full Text:
The interplay between emotional labour and work-family balance among black women nurses in Johannesburg
- Authors: Maluleka, Zabby Ntsako
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Work and play , Work-life balance , Nurses, Black - South Africa - Johannesburg , Women nurses - South Africa - Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/477779 , uj:43181
- Description: Abstract: Nurses are essential to health care system in South Africa. They ensure that patients receive healing through the provision of health care. Nurses working in the South African public health care system face many challenges including poor practice environments, poor working conditions, lack of resources and staff shortages. Additionally, they are exposed to diseases and they experience traumatic events at work, for example the death of patients. As a result, nurses experience emotional exhaustion more than other professions. Along with dealing with the emotional encounters they experience at work nurses have families who also demand emotional support from them as well. These work and home demands require nurses to strike a difficult work life balance. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to understand the interplay between emotional labour and work family balance among Black women nurses in Johannesburg. The study findings indicate that emotional labour impacts on nurses’ ability to deal with home related stresses and leads to an imbalance as work drains their ability effectively deal with family demands. In the same view, this lack of balance is visible in their quality of life and their low job satisfaction and 'ineffective' patient care... , M.A. (Social Science)
- Full Text: