Work-Life Balance and Manager Performance in Bangladesh

Abstract

The current interest in work–life balance (WLB) emanates from the perception that extreme workplace demands can have negative consequences for employees in other important life spheres such as family and leisure. Changes in society that increase the numbers of individuals with significant responsibilities both at home and at work have fuelled further inquiry into the interdependencies between work and home life. Much of the work-life research has been conducted in Western countries, so it is unknown whether theories, models and findings are valid in other settings despite the few studies from emerging economies such as Asia and Africa. The present study examined the effect of the determinants of WLB on individual performance in a developing country’s context. Data were collected from a large logistic firm to identify the link between work environment, work pressure, discrimination, leave options, flexible work hours, employee benefits, and individual performance. Results revealed positive relationships of work environment, leave options, flexible work hours, and employee benefits with individual performance while it was negatively related to discrimination and work pressure. The findings suggested that a pragmatic work-life balance is required to have an increased level of performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Keywords: Performance, work environment, work pressure, work-life balance.

Keywords

• Performance
• work environment
• work pressure
• work-life balance