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1 – 10 of over 1000Johan Ingemar Lorentzon, Lazarus Elad Fotoh and Tatenda Mugwira
This paper aims to explore the impacts of remote auditing on auditors’ work and work-life balance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the impacts of remote auditing on auditors’ work and work-life balance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopted a qualitative online survey approach using open-ended reflections from 98 highly experienced auditors. The survey design aligns with a “Big Q” approach to qualitative data. The reflections were interpreted through the theoretical lens of the social presence theory.
Findings
Auditors underscore that remote auditing has improved their work-life balance since it offers flexibility, greater autonomy and efficient use of time. However, they believe less social contact due to remote auditing can hurt their work.
Research limitations/implications
This study aimed to holistically comprehend the concept of work-life balance in a remote auditing setting. Therefore, the study refrained from making comparisons based on demographic information (e.g. gender, experience and type of audit firm).
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need for adopting flexible work arrangements that prioritise auditors’ well-being. This is critical for making the audit profession attractive and enhancing overall audit quality. Updated regulatory guidance and controls are needed concerning the use of technologies in remote auditing to ensure high-quality audits.
Social implications
The findings of this study can positively reshape public perception of the audit profession. Firstly, enhanced work-life balance can improve audit quality. Secondly, incorporating emerging technologies in auditing can result in society perceiving auditors as adaptive to innovation and technological advancement that has been touted for their potential for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of audit and audit quality, potentially enhancing societal trust in auditing.
Originality/value
The findings of this study complement the auditing literature that has mainly focused on the traditional work paradigm, requiring in-person presence. The authors identify potential challenges emanating from auditors’ remote work and propose solutions for audit firms to improve work-life balance in a remote work setting.
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Attia Aman-Ullah, Hadziroh Ibrahim, Azelin Aziz and Waqas Mehmood
This study aimed to examine the direct impact of work–life balance on employee retention and turnover intentions among doctors in Pakistan. Further, it also aimed to test the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the direct impact of work–life balance on employee retention and turnover intentions among doctors in Pakistan. Further, it also aimed to test the mediating role of job satisfaction on these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
This study's data were collected from 394 doctors working in public hospitals in Pakistan, using survey-based questionnaires and stratified random sampling technique. For data analysis, structural equation modelling was utilised to investigate the direct and indirect associations among the variables, while Statistical Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data management.
Findings
Work–life balance was found to have a positive association with employee retention and a negative association with turnover intention. Results suggest that a fair work–life balance is a significant predictor of employee retention and turnover intention. Also, job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between work–life balance and employee retention and between work–life balance and turnover intention.
Research limitations/implications
This study's focus was limited to doctors working in public hospitals. Thus, future research can extend the scope to other segments such as nurses, paramedics and pharmacists from both public and private organisations.
Practical implications
Human resource (HR) executives can improve employee retention and turnover intentions through strategic implementation of work–life balance practices. Policymakers should stress upon hospitals to implement favourable working hours that are satisfactory to employees to reduce turnover intention.
Social implications
In the healthcare industry, suitable work–life balance strategies will help improve employees' lifestyle, which will positively impact their family and social relationships.
Originality/value
This study is expected to contribute to the existing healthcare literature in the context of Pakistan by explaining the process by which work–life balance affects employee retention and turnover intention. Specifically, job satisfaction is the mechanism that explains these relationships.
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Pilar Mosquera and Maria Eduarda Soares
Work overload has become a relevant issue in the Information Technology (IT) industry, with negative effects for individuals and organizations alike. This study aims to analyse…
Abstract
Purpose
Work overload has become a relevant issue in the Information Technology (IT) industry, with negative effects for individuals and organizations alike. This study aims to analyse the role of personal resources in a broad model regarding the effects of work overload on performance and well-being for the particular case of IT professionals. Considering the specificities of the IT industry, three personal resources were included in this study: one stable personality variable (conscientiousness) and two more malleable variables (work-life balance and psychological detachment).
Design/methodology/approach
To test the model, the authors use a sample of 144 IT Portuguese professionals. The authors collected data through an online questionnaire shared in social networks and IT social network communities. The authors use partial least squares (PLS) for data analysis.
Findings
The results show that work overload negatively impacts on employees’ life satisfaction, psychological detachment, work-life balance and task performance. Conscientiousness is positively related with two positive outcomes: task performance and life satisfaction. Work-life balance has a mediating effect in the relationship between work overload and life satisfaction.
Practical implications
These findings emphasize the need to promote conscientiousness in IT professionals, as well as reduce workload and promote family-friendly working environments to foster work-life balance and life satisfaction.
Originality/value
By testing this model, the authors aim to contribute to the current knowledge on the role of personal resources in the Job Demands-Resources model, which is still unclear and under-researched.
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Mansi Tiwari, Garima Mathur and Sumit Narula
The Covid-19 virus badly affected working patterns in almost every sector. The purpose of this paper is to analytically substantiate how work and life integration impacts the…
Abstract
Purpose
The Covid-19 virus badly affected working patterns in almost every sector. The purpose of this paper is to analytically substantiate how work and life integration impacts the exhaustion and work–life balance among employees of academic institutions and IT companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Current study is empirical in nature based on the survey of 500 respondents taken from academic (250) and IT companies (250) from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis with the application of the software Smart-PLS. Two surveys were conducted to collect the data separately for academic institutions and IT organizations.
Findings
Findings revealed the facts that during Covid-19, the employee’s work and life integration affected the work–life balance and exhaustion in academic institutions highly. The relationship was positively significant. But, for IT employees, it was identified as non-significant.
Practical implications
The current study highlighted the issues which employees faced during Covid-19 severe spread while managing work and family; how it varied due to the nature of work performed by the employees, for example, academics being more exposed to transformation from offline to complete online mode posed more challenges to teaching staff. This study also disclosed the scenario created and how it was handled in the deadly phase.
Social implications
This study presents the social contribution in understanding the importance of work and life balance and problems related to it, especially when everyone everywhere is scared of going out. The study provides insight into how it became difficult for employees to maintain their payroll successfully.
Originality/value
The current study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by testing statistically that the integration between work and life is important for work–life balance and prohibiting emotional exhaustion. The current paper extends the theoretical contribution by offering suggestions to companies on why to synchronize positive balance between work and life while keeping boundaries relatively strict between family and work to gain employee well-being and competitive advantages.
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Women who are the primary caretaker of the home, as a choice or as a necessity, have to negotiate an effective work-life balance and many times, the need to take care of their…
Abstract
Women who are the primary caretaker of the home, as a choice or as a necessity, have to negotiate an effective work-life balance and many times, the need to take care of their home results in lost opportunities for career development and advancement (Maki, 2015). For most, the opportunity to capitalize on the missed opportunities will occur after childbearing years (Maki, 2015). This study reconstructed the advancement to executive leadership of women who were employed at four-year, public universities using narrative inquiry and guided by the conceptual framework of social cognitive theory (Andrews, Squire, & Tamboukou, 2013; Bandura, 1989). In this study, six women in higher education were interviewed to discuss work-life balance as it pertains to being an executive leader of a four-year public institution. The participants of this study pinpointed family and work-life balance as important factors for their decision-making process. Balancing work and life can be challenging when you are a person in a leadership position and the degree of difficulty increases when children and family are included. Many women believe that they must choose between their careers and their family. Women postponing their careers for their spouses may not seem abnormal because there tends to be an expectation that male's advancement is prioritized over the woman's (Parker, 2015). As more women are taking on leadership roles, the idea and evolution of establishing and maintaining a strategy for work-life balance becomes a very integral topic and one that needs continuous exploration.
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Badreya Alzadjali and Syed Zamberi Ahmad
This study aims to examine the effect of a high commitment work system (HCWS) on employee well-being and the mediating role of organizational support and work–life balance.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of a high commitment work system (HCWS) on employee well-being and the mediating role of organizational support and work–life balance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using structural equation modeling (SEM) for analysis, a quantitative approach was adopted to collect data from the 235 employees from the public sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Findings
Results show that HCWSs have a significant influence on organizational support and employee work–life balance. Therefore, there is a significant positive effect on employee well-being. The consequence of HCWS on well-being is not mediated by organizational support. Organization and work–life balance do not support the idea of reducing the negative effects of high-commitment work systems on well-being. There is a significant influence of work–life balance on employee behaviors to have well-being.
Originality/value
Managers can devise a strategy to involve the employees to join participating in decision-making. The research advances knowledge of how HCWS improves employee well-being and emphasizes the significance of organizational support in the environment of public organizations. Organizations are expecting to develop new strategies that help employees engage with their environment and increase their confidence. In this perspective, the present study has identified a crucial key factor of HCWS affecting of organization support and employee work–life balance, which can help propelling employees well-being. The research expands the knowledge of the organizational and cultural elements that influence employee behavior and performance in this setting by evaluating the effects of HCWS on employee well-being in the UAE.
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This paper aims to examine work design and the linkages of work design with the work–life balance of academics in higher education (HE).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine work design and the linkages of work design with the work–life balance of academics in higher education (HE).
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 307 academics was recruited for this study. The result was analysed using SPSS (statistical package of social science) and AMOS (analysis of moment structure) structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
This paper discovered that high autonomy, task significance, task identity and feedback were linked to greater work-to-family enrichment (W-FE) levels amongst academics, whilst, low job autonomy, task identity and task significance were linked to high work-to-family conflict (W-FC) levels.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the importance of promoting good academics' work–life balance by evaluating and improvising the academics' work design.
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Yumei Yang, Hannah Mai Thu Hue and Sachiko Takeda
Drawing upon the framework of social exchange theory, this study investigated the influence of work-life balance, procedural justice and distributive justice on job satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon the framework of social exchange theory, this study investigated the influence of work-life balance, procedural justice and distributive justice on job satisfaction and turnover intention among Vietnamese millennials.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a quantitative research method, the authors collected a sample of 258 millennial participants in Vietnam. Utilizing the method of multiple regression analysis, the collected data were rigorously examined.
Findings
The results showed that job satisfaction is negatively related to the turnover intention of the millennial generation in Vietnam. Distributive justice is a stronger predictor of job satisfaction than procedural justice. Of particular note, the study revealed an intriguing result: work-life balance does not have a significant influence on job satisfaction among millennials.
Practical implications
Leveraging insights from national cultural theories, the authors' findings provide some insightful explanations of what drives millennials in Vietnam to consider leaving their organizations.
Social implications
The study provides some insights for policymakers in Vietnam and other similar developing countries to reform their approach at managing the millennial generation.
Originality/value
The research addresses the existing gap in literature by delving into the underlying factors driving the propensity of Vietnamese millennials to frequently switch jobs.
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Abstract
This chapter focuses on exploring challenges encountered by the neglected group of employees who live alone and do not have children, particularly in relation to work-life balance (WLB). We first question the conventional WLB discourse – predominately surrounded by addressing work-family conflicts. We next discuss how this formulates debates about the equality and fairness of HR policies affecting various groups of employees, with solo-living individuals being excluded. In addition to previously documented work-life issues, we articulate difficulties related to the pursuit of independence, freedom, balancing, and healthy work-life experiences for and specific to solo-living women academics. We conclude that our insights on “vulnerability” may lead to feminist approach being incorporated into work-life policy development in order to better engage underrepresented groups of employees, accommodate the needs of “others” and promote collective flourishing.
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