Work-Life Balance among Teachers of Technical Institutions

Abstract

Introduction In a society filled with conflicting responsibilities, chaotic roles and commitments, the balance between paid work and other activities of life has become a predominant issue at the workplace (Lockwood 2003). Organizations have attempted to ease this conflict by establishing work-family programs because employees' quality of work-life is becoming a business issue. With the rise in employment and complex patterns of work in the 21st century, human resource challenges are the biggest concern. Leading employers acknowledge that positive work-life outcomes for employees are key ingredients of a successful business strategy. In practice, improving the quality of work-life remains a tough task. Work pressures have intensified in the past decades. Evidence suggests that the average time spent on job has increased drastically. As a result, work dominates the personal life (Guest 2002). This imbalance of work-life relationships can lead to severe health problems and hamper job performance (Singh 2010). Integration of personal and professional life has increasingly become important due to the lifestyle in changing times, competition for growth and changing patterns of work, family and business. These issues are gaining momentum in the emerging markets (Joplin et al. 2003). In Asia, there has been a surge of work-life balance research in the fields such as medicine, nursing & IT (Malik, Saleem & Ahmad 2010, Singh 2010). At the same time there has been no evidence of teachers' stand in terms of work-life research. The present study addresses issues related to the work-life balance among technical teachers in India. Work-life balance has been a concern for all those interested in maintaining a fine balance between working life and its association with broader quality of life. The understanding of this delicate relationship can provide direct impact on person-organization fit. Hence, many organizations are in quest of increasing the standards of employees by improving their organizational commitment, enhancing job satisfaction levels and at the same time reducing the work related stress. According to Hart (1994) little work has been done to probe the role and the work relationships in determining the outcomes of work-life balance among the teachers. Further, the Indian education system, high on growth, however has its own challenges. One of the important reasons among them is related to the absence of skilled teachers. Hence, the main concern for this study is to provide information and implementation which enable the administrators to respond to the changing needs of employees and ensuring WLB. Review of Literature The term 'Work-Life balance'(WLB) has gained popularity in English language research and policy matters, facilitating the understanding of non-work concerns with the employment (Gregory & Milner 2009). According to them, WLB is the relationship between the institutional and cultural time and space of non-work and work in societies where income plays a major role. It is generated and distributed through labor markets. Traditionally work-life balance has been seen through the lens of women employment. Later on it broadened its horizons to men's and women's negotiation of the demands from paid employment and personal and domestic life. This concern has changed from the work-family to the work-life interface. Guest (2002) argues about the nature of work-life balance, considers why it is an issue of contemporary interest and examines the concept of balance and its implications for the study of the relationship between work and the rest of life. Guest (2002) also analyzed the model outlining the causes, nature and consequences of more or less acceptable work-life balance. The topic is linked to the field of work and organizational psychology and a number of theoretical concepts and issues relevant to research in Europe were raised in the article. Fleetwood (2007) discusses the inevitable connection between WLB and other kinds of flexible working practices, and then discharge these practices. …