Bakgrund. Individer i dagens samhälle behöver finna en balans mellan sina olika roller inom arbetslivet och privatlivet. Denna balans konkurrerar om individens tid och resurser, vilket kan vara krävande för en individ att lyckas balansera mellan. Forskningen visar att en individs balans mellan sina olika roller tenderar att samverka med individens motivation på arbetsplatsen. Syftet med studien är därmed att undersöka sambandet mellan work-life balance och medarbetarnas upplevda motivation i arbetet. Material och metod. Studien består av en kvantitativ metod, där ett bekvämlighetsurval har använts. En enkät användes för datainsamlingen, där 296 respondenter deltog. De instrument som har använts för att undersöka sambandet är WEIMS-instrumentet och WLB-scale. För att kontrollera att sambandet mellan våra huvudvariabler kvarstod mot kontrollvariablerna, har en multipel regressionsanalys använts. I denna analys genomfördes bootstrapping med 5000 iterationer. Resultat. Studien fann ett positivt samband mellan work-life balance och motivation (r = .14, p < .001), när sambandet kontrollerades för våra signifikanta kontrollvariabler: stress, hälsotillstånd och sömn. Slutsats. Work-life balance och medarbetarnas upplevda motivation är två faktorer som samspelar med varandra. Vidare har work-life balance och motivation också visat sig samverka med individens vilja till att lämna arbetsplatsen. / Background. Individuals in today's society need to find a balance between their various roles in the workplace and personal life. This balance competes for an individual's time and resources, which can be demanding for them to successfully juggle. Research shows that an individual's balance between their various roles tends to interact with their motivation at work. The purpose of this study is thus to examine the relationship between work-life balance and employees' perceived motivation in the workplace. Materials and Methods. The study employs a quantitative method, using convenience sampling. A questionnaire was used for data collection, with 296 respondents participating. The instruments used to investigate the relationship are the WEIMS instrument and the WLB-scale. To control for the persistence of the relationship between our main variables against the control variables, a multiple regression analysis was employed. In this analysis, bootstrapping was performed with 5000 iterations. Results. The study found a positive correlation between work-life balance and motivation (r = .14, p < .001) when the relationship was controlled for our significant control variables: stress, health condition, and sleep. Conclusion. Work-life balance and employees' perceived motivation are two factors that interact with each other. Furthermore, work-life balance and motivation have also been found to interact with an individual's intention to leave the workplace

The study, conducted at selected Swedish universities and colleges, focused on the balance between work, family, and studies for working professionals. In this qualitative study, twelve individuals were examined to explore their experiences of balancing work and studies alongside their full-time employment, as well as how the boundaries between work and family affected individuals in committed relationships with children under the age of 12. The theoretical framework of the study was centered around work-life balance and the significance of different roles in achieving this balance. The study's results highlighted challenges in balancing work, family, and distance learning for working parents. Common challenges included time constraints, the impact of children on work and studies, and a lack of support. Women experienced greater effort and a dual workload due to traditional expectations. Men in leadership positions often had more flexibility and fewer conflicts. The study concludes that combining full-time employment, children, and studies is challenging, particularly for women striving for economic improvement. The authors suggest that future research should examine how communication patterns within the family can affect balance, and further explore the situation for individuals holding non-leadership positions.

Bakgrund: Revisionsbranschen befinner sig i en nedåtgående trend sett till antal revisorer. Revisionsyrket präglas av säsongsbetonad och ojämn arbetsbelastning, vilket resulterar i hög arbetsrelaterad stress på grund av tids- och budgetpress samt höga krav. Tidigare forskning visar att balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv är viktigt för medarbetarens trivsel på arbetsplatsen. Tidigare forskning riktas främst mot situationen i revisionsbyråerna vilka benämns “The Big Four” varpå följande studie riktar sig mot chefer på mindre revisionsbyråer. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att identifiera och undersöka hur stödjande ledarskap används av chefer inom små regionala revisionsbyråer för att förbättra det psykosociala välbefinnandet för medarbetarna. Teoretisk referensram: Föreliggande studie använder teorier och begrepp som exempelvis stödjande ledarskap, Work-Life Balance, krav, kontroll och stöd. Kärnbegrepp inom studien är arbetsrelaterad stress vilket kan uppstå till följd av obalans av tidigare nämnda faktorer. Metod: I föreliggande studie användes en kvalitativ forskningsansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer utgjorde den huvudsakliga datainsamlingen som kompletterades med insamling av dokument. Åtta intervjuer genomfördes där svaren triangulerades med hjälp av dokumenten. Slutsats: Det studien visade var att det är avgörande för chefen att skapa en personlig relation till medarbetarna. Detta för att kunna identifiera behov och anpassa sig utifrån den givna situationen. Goda förmågor att planera och följa upp arbete är även en viktig faktor för chefer inom revisionsbranschen för att medarbetarna ska ha en kontrollerbar arbetssituation och därmed undvika såväl orimlig arbetsbelastning som arbetsrelaterad stress. Det kan vidare konstateras att ledarskap är individuellt utifrån chefen som medarbetaren där egenskaperna varierar och ledarskapet behöver anpassas utifrån båda parter. / Background: The auditing industry is currently in a declining trend in terms of the number of auditors. The audit profession is characterized by seasonal and uneven workload, which results in high work-related stress due to time and budget pressure and high demands. Previous research shows that balance between work life and private life is important for employees’ well-being in the workplace. Previous research is mainly aimed at the situation in the audit firms called “The Big Four”, whereupon the following study is aimed at managers at smaller audit firms.  Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify and investigate how supportive leadership is used by managers within small regional auditing firms to improve the psychosocial well-being of employees.  Theory: The current study uses theories and concepts such as supportive leadership, work-life balance, demands, control and support. The core concept within the study is work-related stress, which may arise as a result of imbalance of previously mentioned factors.  Method: In this study a qualitative research approach was used where semi-structured in-depth interviews constituted the main data collection which was supplemented by the collection of documents. Eight interviews were conducted where the answers are triangulated with the help of documents.  Conclusion: The study showed that the crucial part for the manager is to create a personal relationship with the employees. This is to be able to identify needs and adapt based on the given situation. Good abilities to plan and follow up on work is also an important factor for managers within the audit industry and for the employees to have a controllable work situation and thus avoid both unreasonable workload and work-related stress. It can further be stated that leadership is individual based on the manager as the employee where the characteristics vary and leadership needs to be adapted based on both parties.

As mental health care increasingly embraces recovery principles, the role of peer support workers (PSWs) has gained recognition. The work that mental health PSWs do became particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when increased needs for mental health care became apparent but were often unmet. This article-based doctoral thesis adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that combines research on management and organization with research on health care and systems. The thesis examines the mental health peer support role and its integration within teams, organizations and health systems. It also considers the peer support role as it was enacted in a virtual space, which became a requirement due to pandemic work-from-home mandates. Within the context of the virtual space, PSWs confronted work-life boundaries that they had to navigate as they enacted their work roles. The virtual space also presented technological and social challenges to and opportunities for peer support, which are examined in this thesis from the points of views of PSWs and peers. Overall, this thesis attends to the PSW role more generally, and to peer support work in the specific context of a virtual environment. The thesis is composed of three studies, the second and third of which had to be adapted to the unexpected challenges and opportunities posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 (presented in Chapter 2) is a narrative review that synthesizes the literature on factors influencing formal PSW role implementation in mental health systems. The findings are synthesized in a multilevel framework consisting of macro, meso and micro level influences. The analysis reveals that macro-level influences on PSW role implementation include socio-cultural, regulatory, political and economic factors, most of which act as obstacles. At the meso level, organizational culture, leadership, and human resource management policies play a significant role. Micro-level influences center around PSWs' relationships with team members. Interlevel interactions are also discussed. This study is co-authored with Professor Samia Chreim and was published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services in February 2022. For Studies 2 and 3, qualitative data were collected from members of a peer support organization situated in Ottawa. This organization is a publicly funded, not-for-profit organization that provides services free of charge to people experiencing mental health and addictions challenges. Due to the pandemic, all services and operations of this organization transitioned to remote services involving virtual platforms. Study 2 (presented in Chapter 3) is a qualitative case study that delves into the work-life boundary challenges and management of PSWs who were providing virtual mental health support during the pandemic. The study identifies temporal, physical, and task-related boundary challenges in work-life domains. Strategies employed by PSWs to manage these boundaries include segmenting and integrating work and personal domains. The study highlights the importance of self-care and the need for training on work-life boundary management for mental health workers. This research is co-authored with Professor Samia Chreim and is published in BMC Public Health. Study 3 (presented in Chapter 4) focuses on the transition from in-person to virtual mental health peer support services. Through semi-structured interviews with PSWs and service users (or peers), the research examines how technological factors act as bridges and boundaries to mental health peer support services, and whether and how a sense of community can be built or maintained among PSWs and peers in a virtual space when connections are mediated by technology. The findings highlight the mental health peer support needs that were (un)met through virtual services, the technology-based boundaries that were manifested and the steps taken to remove some of these boundaries, and the strategies employed by the organization and its members to establish and maintain a sense of community in a virtual environment marked by physical distancing and technology-mediated interrelations. The manuscript pertaining to this study is co-authored with Professor Samia Chreim and will be submitted soon to an academic journal. Overall, this thesis presents a unique and multi-faceted exploration of the implementation of peer support worker roles in mental health systems and their adaptation to virtual environments. It makes a number of contributions. The multilevel framework developed in Study 1 not only advances knowledge in the field but also offers a structured approach for policymakers and organizations to enhance the formal incorporation of PSW roles into mental health systems. Study 2 provides valuable insights into the nature of work-life boundaries in a virtual space, an important topic at a time when peer support workers and organizations are considering whether and how to maintain some form of virtual work post-pandemic. Study 3 adds to knowledge by highlighting the significance of virtual peer support beyond pandemic conditions. It also enhances understanding of the need for technological adaptation in mental health services and for community building regardless of the model of service. Limitations and implications for research, practice and policy are addressed.

Earnings by women in dual income families account for a significant portion of a household’s income, which sustains the financial well-being of their families. Cultural expectations and gender role stereotypes around a woman’s role in the family, pose challenges to career growth and retention. The social perception still occurs that women ought to be main caregivers of family members and households, and are more likely than men to have part-time jobs. The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between flexible work, financial well-being, work-life balance, productivity and job satisfaction of employed women. A cross-sectional survey was used with a convenience sample (n = 252) of female support employees, employed in a higher education institution in the North-West province. Findings of the study indicated statistically significant relations between the variables. Another objective was to determine the impact of flexible work, financial well-being, and work-life balance on productivity and job satisfaction. Results indicated that financial well-being, work-life balance and productivity were statistical significant predictors of job satisfaction, and in addition, subjective experiences of productivity serve as partial mediator in the relationship financial well-being and work-life balance on the one hand and job satisfaction on the other hand. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Earnings by women in dual income families account for a significant portion of a household’s income, which sustains the financial well-being of their families. Cultural expectations and gender role stereotypes around a woman’s role in the family, pose challenges to career growth and retention. The social perception still occurs that women ought to be main caregivers of family members and households, and are more likely than men to have part-time jobs. The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between flexible work, financial well-being, work-life balance, productivity and job satisfaction of employed women. A cross-sectional survey was used with a convenience sample (n = 252) of female support employees, employed in a higher education institution in the North-West province. Findings of the study indicated statistically significant relations between the variables. Another objective was to determine the impact of flexible work, financial well-being, and work-life balance on productivity and job satisfaction. Results indicated that financial well-being, work-life balance and productivity were statistical significant predictors of job satisfaction, and in addition, subjective experiences of productivity serve as partial mediator in the relationship financial well-being and work-life balance on the one hand and job satisfaction on the other hand. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Research indicates that Kentucky agricultural educators are overworked and experience job related stress. Balancing work and home can be a struggle and stress induces burnout and teacher attrition. Shortages in the agriculture classroom could result in loss of agricultural education programs and negatively affect the profession. The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the demographics of Kentucky high school agricultural educators; 2) describe the work and home life balance for Kentucky agricultural educators; 3) determine the level of job satisfaction among Kentucky agricultural educators; 4) determine the perceived busiest time of the school year for Kentucky agricultural educators. The study was conducted on a census of the 2015-2016 Kentucky agriculture teacher directory and the survey was distributed online. Results indicate that agricultural educators work 52 hours per week, can balance work and home responsibilities with assistance from spouse/partner and experience job related stress on a regular basis. It was concluded that Kentucky agricultural teachers are satisfied with their job, but stressed about meeting the needs of work and family balance based on barriers including FFA activities, nightly meetings, childcare and time with spouse/partner.

<p>This thesis examines the relationship between work/life balance and Smartphones (Blackberry, iPhone, Android etc.)</p><p>Academic research has areas where not much research has been done previously including the qualitative research on work/life balance, positive crossover of work/life balance, newness of Smartphone technology, and consequences of constant connectivity. This study hopes to eliminate some of the gaps in these areas of research and proposes two research questions:  <strong>So what does owning a Smartphone mean for work life and home life?  Most importantly can this phone help people towards or assist with the balance they are so looking for or do the phones not impact this balance and just assist in the work life and home life realms separately?</strong></p><p>A qualitative approach using constructionist and interpretivist views were used to conduct the research. Empirical material was collected during phone interviews with participants in the USA, while supporting material was gathered from conference papers, academic articles, websites, and textbooks.</p><p>There are two major themes within this paper, work/life balance and Smartphone technology. For work/life balance a common understanding was reached that work and personal life should be kept happy but that doesn’t mean equal.  Also discussed is research about people that put up boundaries in their lives to try and separate things, one group of people likes to have work and personal separate but one group likes them combined.  Research also presents that there are consequences for setting up boundaries but that having the ability to choose where these boundaries are makes for a much happier situation.  On the technology side of research there is support for these devices being used to manage people’s different selves through communication from being more connected to people to feeling left out when the technology is not there. Also mentioned is how people adapt the devices to fit new and unique situations that the devices may not have been intended to be used for.</p>

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Research about employed fathers of children with special health care needs (SHCN) is still limited, leaving fathers without the necessary workplace and community supports to better integrate work and life. Caregivers with exceptional caregiving responsibilities report greater levels of work-family conflict and considerable caregiver strain, as well as negative employment and financial consequences related to their caregiving responsibilities. These caregivers often struggle to access community supports such as childcare, after-school care, and support from friends and neighbors. This study provides insights into the types of job, home, and community resources that are relevant for fathers of children with SHCN in order to better integrate work and family. The exploratory cross-sectional design employed an online survey to collect the data, with 122 fathers meeting the study criteria of living at least part-time with a child with SHCN under the age of 18 and being employed at least part-time. The fathers had a mean age of 42 and most of them identified as Non-Hispanic White. The majority stated holding a college degree and over 90% reported being married or partnered. Fathers indicated having on average two children and Autism Spectrum Disorder was the most cited diagnosis for the child with SHCN. Regression analyses were conducted to analyze the study's research questions. Access and use of workplace flexibility were significant job resource measures predicting difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Family flexibility to handle work issues was a significant predictor across all dimensions of positive and negative spillover. The availability of community services was found significantly related to negative family to work spillover and support from friends/neighbors was a significant predictor for both difficulty combining work and family, and spillover. Regression analyses with interaction terms of job and home resources showed buffering effects of resource ecologies on spillover. The study's findings illustrate that, fathers of children with SHCN struggle to integrate work and family even if they are not considered primary caregivers. Community, home, and job resources were salient for these fathers to mitigate a lack of resources across ecologies. This lack of resources tended to reinforce traditional gender norms for both mother and father. Resources within and across the three different ecologies were found to have direct and compensatory effects. Community resources were identified as the most important resources for both positive and negative spillover. The study also highlights the positive spillover effects related to employment and family care for fathers of children with SHCN. Organizations are called to reduce flexibility stigma and decrease barriers to using workplace flexibility to improve work-life fit for fathers caring for children with SHCN. Social services like childcare, or after school care, and social support are of critical relevance and need to better support these fathers and families. Considerations for future research are presented.