Syfte: Syftet med det här arbetet är att undersöka sjuksköterskors upplevelser om deras balans mellan arbete och privatliv och om det upplever att det har en effekt på deras välmående och prestation.  Metod: Vi har utfört den här studien med semistrukturerade intervjuer, vilka har transkriberats och analyserats. Det är en kvalitativ studie med en induktiv forskningsansats.  Slutsats: För sjuksköterskor finns det flera utmaningar angående WLB, till exempel mentala påfrestningar, svårigheter att släppa jobbet när de är hemma, ork- och tidsbrist, svårt att varva ner och ibland för lite tid till återhämtning. Stress och för lite sömn kan påverka välmående samt prestation. Vi får också lära oss att bemanningssjuksköterskors situation påverkar positivt samt negativt i olika aspekter av WLB. Regelbundna arbetstider och bemötandet av bemanningsfrågan för att lösa arbetsbördan kan förbättra arbetsförhållandena. / Purpose: The purpose with this paper is to examine nurses' experiences concerning their work-life-balance and their eventual opinion whether it has an effect on their well-being and performance.  Method: We have done this study with semi structured interviews, which we have transcribed in order to anlayse them. The study is of qualitative nature and has an inductive research approach.   Conclusion: Nurses face several challenges regarding their WLB, for example mental strain, difficulties in disconnecting from work at home, energy- and time based deficiencies, challenge to unwind and, sometimes, a time shortage for recovery. Stress and lack of sleep can affect well-being and performance. We have also learned that the staffing nurse situations have both positive and negative effects on different aspects of WLB. Regular work hours and addressing staffing issues to alleviate work-load could enhance the work situation.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The old belief that work and life are two separate, conflicting issues no longer holds true for companies that wish to establish a sustainable competitive advantage. Because of the transformation of global markets and the changing demographics of the workforce, the benefits of work-life balance for employees and employers can no longer be ignored. The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether the use of work-life balance enhancing practices leads to increased organisational benefits and improved employee morale. The study identified numerous benefits of efficient work-life balance practices for employees as well as employers and established that the existence of work-life balance practices enhances organisational benefits and employee morale. The research question was addressed through the use of a self-developed structured questionnaire consisting of a list of written questions. The survey was carried out using an online questionnaire and targeted professionals in permanent paid employment in South Africa. In answer to the research objectives, the outcomes of the survey suggest that work-life balance is decreased as a result of an increase in work-life conflict. Work-life conflict may be aggravated by an increase in stress levels, work commitments impacting negatively on time available for leisure activities or family responsibilities, and an increase in the number of hours worked. The existing corporate culture and related negative perceptions surrounding employees making use of work-life balance initiatives, may further add to the conflict between work and life. The results of the survey indicated that not having effective work-life balance practices in a company may negatively impact on organisational aspects such as reduced job satisfaction, poor retention; increased absenteeism and more negative spill-over from life to work. The absence of work-life balance practices may affect employee morale adversely as a result of a decrease in well-being due to a lack of balance; poor health due to stress and feeling over-worked; an increase in work-life conflict; more negative spill-over from work to life; and an increase in work-life conflict due to an increase in working hours. Based on survey results, improved productivity, better recruitment and enhanced career commitment were not directly affected as a result of a lack of work-life balance practices. To realise the full benefits that effective work-life balance practices have to offer requires a paradigm shift away from a focus on policy to a process approach which involves examining the nature of paid work as well as the underlying assumptions in an effort to uncover innovative ways of altering these to benefit organisations, employees and societies more holistically. It is hoped that this research will help encourage the debate of exploring a social sustainability methodology that questions some of the existing assumptions of competitive capitalism which value economic growth for its own sake regardless of related social issues. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die historiese oortuiging dat werk en lewe „n aparte, teenstrydige vraagstuk is, is nie langer geldig vir maatskappye wat hoop om „n volhoubare kompeterende voordeel daar te stel nie. Die voordele wat werk-lewe balans vir werknemers sowel as werkgewers inhou, kan nie langer geïgnoreer word te midde van die veranderende wêreldwye marklandskap asook veranderinge in die demografie van die werksmag nie. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om vas te stel of die gebruikmaking van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke tot verhoogde organisatoriese voordele en verbeterde werknemermoraal lei. Die studie het verskeie voordele van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke vir werknemes en werkgewers geidentifiseer. Dit het ook vasgestel dat die bestaan van praktyke wat werk-lewe balans aanmoedig, voordele inhou vir die organisasie sowel as werknemermoraal. Die navorsingsvraag is aangespreek deur „n selfontwikkelde gestruktureerde vraelys wat bestaan uit „n lys van skriftelike vrae. Die opname is uitgevoer met behulp van 'n aanlynvraelys en het professionele mense in permanent betaalde werk in Suid-Afrika geteiken. Na aanleiding van die navorsingsdoelwitte, het die uitkomste van die opname daarop gedui dat werk-lewe balans afneem as gevolg van „n toename in die werk-lewe konflik. Werk-lewe konflik word vererger deur „n toename in stresvlakke, werksverpligtinge wat „n negatiewe impak het op tyd beskikbaar vir ontspanning of gesinsverantwoordelikhede, en „n toename in die aantal ure gewerk. Die bestaande korporatiewe kultuur en verwante negatiewe persepsies rondom werknemers wat gebruik maak van werk-lewe balans inisiatiewe, kan verder bydra tot die konflik tussen werk en lewe. Die resultate van die opname het aangedui dat die afwesigheid van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke in „n maatskappy mag „n negatiewe impak hê op organisatoriese aspekte soos verlaagde werksbevrediging, swak retensie, verhoogde afwesigheid en meer negatiewe oorloopgevolge tussen lewe en werk. Die afwesigheid van werk-lewe balans praktyke kan werknemermoraal nadelig beïnvloed as gevolg van „n afname in welstand weens „n gebrek aan balans; swak gesondheid as gevolg van stres en „n gevoel van oorwerk; „n toename in werk-lewe konflik; meer negatief oorloopsgevolge tussen werk en lewe; en „n toename in die werk-lewe konflik as gevolg van „n toename in werksure. Gebaseer op die resultate van die studie, was verbeterde produktiwiteit, beter werwing en verbeterde loopbaan toewyding nie direk beïnvloed deur „n gebrek aan werk-lewe balans praktyke nie. Om die volle voordele van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke te realiseer, verg „n paradigmaskuif weg van „n fokus op beleid na „n benadering wat die aard van betaalde werk ondersoek, sowel as die onderliggende aannames, in „n poging om innoverende maniere van die verandering hiervan te ontbloot tot voordeel van organisasies, werknemers en gemeenskappe. Daar word gehoop dat hierdie navorsing sal help om die debat aan te moedig wat die moontlikheid van „n sosiale volhoubaarheid metodologie wat sommige van die bestaande aannames van mededingende kapitalisme, wat ekonomiese groei bo alles nastreef, ongeag verwante sosiale kwessies sal ondersoek. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za

Popular messages not only illuminate many of the struggles people experience wrestling with the tensions between work and home life, but these popular texts also influence the behaviors of those who consume them. They not only reflect organizational members' experiences, but they also shape what they do. The following dissertation provides a theoretical discussion that conceptualizes and locates popular messages within dominant cultural patterns and explores the role of popular discourse in socializing organizational members. Next, "work-life" research is understood in terms of enactments and construals of time. This discussion not only develops a temporal perspective for "work-life" research, but also highlights inequalities embedded in the current "work-life" research. A narrative approach is offered as a theoretical perspective and methodological tool for uncovering perspectives. Sixty-seven participants are interviewed, and findings suggest differing perspectives on work-life balance, work-life expectations, and the role popular messages play in shaping work-life expectations vary along gender, socioeconomic, and generational lines. Further, analyses of interview data reveal gender and socioeconomic inequalities exist within the "work-life" construct and differing construals of time. / text

Experts estimate that by 2013, every adult in the world will own a mobile phone. Mobile technologies are one of the fastest growing and most widely adopted technologies in history. This study seeks to understand the impacts of an increasingly mobile culture in the United States, focusing on how being “always on” impacts individuals' relationships with work. Being always on refers to an individual’s propensity to remain continuously connected to the world through a web-enabled, mobile technology device, such as an iPhone or BlackBerry. Influenced by Clark's (2000) work-family border theory, I conducted 49 in-depth interviews, in order to develop a communicative model of being always on. The model is characterized by using new mobile technologies, needing to be connected, blurring boundaries between work and non-work spheres, identifying with work, working long hours, and having work-life balance. Being always on is linked to a strong work identity and desire for control over one's time. However, being constantly connected with a smartphone also means being more connected to work; it has become easier to work longer hours, have work leak into personal time, and slowly but ultimately lose control over the boundaries between work and non-work domains. Ironically, individuals who are always on in order to gain more control over their time may actually end up giving up more control than they gain. However, always-on individuals actually feel like they have an appropriate work-life balance, which complicates traditional understandings of the meaning of “balance.” Instead, these findings suggest always-on individuals actually “atomize,” a term that refers to the breaking down of communicative tasks into small pieces to can be completed anywhere, at any time, enabling flexibility and control. / text

The purpose of this case study is to explore how tenured women with children describe their experiences; to discuss what institutional structures and policies they identify as influencing their advancement; and to see what they identify as the benefits, rewards, challenges, and/or sacrifices related to having tenure. Ultimately, a collection of sensitizing themes and descriptions emerged. The intent was to better describe the specific experiences of women using an adult education theory that has a core emphasis on personal wellbeing and theoretical parameters for successful work-life negotiations. The journey for mothers who seek tenure is an arduous one. The benefits, rewards, challenges and sacrifices are multidimensional and have complex implications for the lived experiences described it his study. The word balance may not accurately describe the association between the roles a mother-scholar plays. The mothers in this study described negotiation between responsibilities and deadlines and the integration of work at home as well as the integration of home at work in such a way that the two sides were inseparable. Acclimating to the fact that the role of mother and scholar are inseparable suggests theoretical movement toward a position that values the merit of the transformational learning that occurs as a result of motherhood as a positive occurrence. / Dept. of Educational Studies

Academics, practitioners and media agree that the topic of work-life balance is on the agenda and valued by the new business generation. Although Sweden might be considered a working friendly country, the management consultancy industry is not recognized to be the same. With an institutional perspective we will through a discourse analysis investigate the communication on Swedish management consultancies web pages in order to explore how consultancies relate to the work-life balance discourse. In this study we look at work-life balance communication as a continuum with abstract and concrete as two opposites where the level of concreteness will decide the level of responsibility dedicated from the organizations regarding employees` work-life balance. Our findings suggest that the discourse is mostly composed of abstract descriptive talk, which indicates that the communication exists as a legitimizing result of institutional pressures, and might not be an essential matter for the concultancies` everyday practice. A big part of the responsibility to achieve a work-life balance is put upon the individual employee and even though initiatives are presented they are seldom followed up by concrete targets or supported with results.

Besöksnäringen har historiskt sett lidit av hög personalomsättning och idag är efterfrågan på kvalificerade kockar stor. Studier visar att Work-life Balance, som belyser betydelsen av anställdas balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv, är en central variabel kopplad till anställdas intentioner att stanna inom eller lämna en organisation. Då balans varierar mellan grupper och individer avsåg studien att specifikt studera kockar. Syftet med studien var således att öka förståelsen för hur restauranger kan arbeta för att bidra till kockars förutsättningar att balansera arbetsliv och privatliv. För att bidra med kunskap och fördjupad förståelse i ämnet, avsåg studien beskriva hur restauranger arbetar med dessa frågor samt hur yrkesverksamma kockar uppfattar sina förutsättningar att balansera arbetsliv och privatliv. En fallstudie genomfördes på tre svenska restauranger där en kökschef och en kock på vardera restaurang intervjuades. Resultatet visade att restaurangerna i viss utsträckning arbetar med strukturella stöd, men desto mer med kulturella stöd i syfte att främja de anställdas upplevelse av balans. De implementerade kulturella stöden av restaurangerna samt den yrkesgemenskap som existerar inom kockyrket visade sig bidra till kockarnas förutsättningar att balansera arbetsliv och privatliv. Resultatet indikerade vidare att kockarna upplever balans trots att de spenderar mycket tid på arbetet samt att karaktärsdrag kopplade till kockyrket, bland annat passion och kreativitet, bidrar till deras upplevelse av balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Då studien vittnar om att kockyrket i sig samt den yrkesgemenskap som existerar påverkar kockarnas förutsättningar att balansera arbetsliv och privatliv, belyser studien slutligen vikten av att studera specifika yrkesgrupper och deras förutsättningar till balans.

There is a shortage of nurses leading to challenges in recruitment in Sweden and many other countries. Especially for less populated regions recruitment can be chal-lenging. Nurses often face difficulties with work-life balance (WLB). This study aims to identify the importance of WLB opportunities and support that make a work-place attractive from the perspective of nursing students studying in Dalarna. A questionnaire was distributed via email to 525 students enrolled in the nursing bach-elor program at Dalarna University. They were asked to rate the importance of 15 sub questions regarding WLB opportunities and support. These sub questions were asked in order to analyze the importance of 15 components regarding WLB oppor-tunities and support. 196 students (37 percent) answered the questionnaire. Three WLB components, working from home, childcare and rooms for breastfeeding, were found to be not important to nursing students studying in Dalarna. This was reason-able due to the profession of nursing and the WLB support provided by the Swedish government. Cultural factors, such as the organization being positive towards using WLB opportunities and support, were more important than structural factors, such as the possibility to work part-time. Moreover, to have a manager that is supportive towards using WLB opportunities and support was found to be the most important factor and having workplace practical support such as childcare was found least im-portant. Furthermore, contrary to the expected results, no statistical significance was found on the influence on the importance of all combined relevant WLB opportuni-ties and support by the sociodemographic variables; gender, semester of studies, age, having children, months of work experience and work experience in the healthcare sector. However, nine individual components were found to be influ-enced by one or more sociodemographic variables. Therefore, some recommenda-tions on how to target specific groups of individuals were made. However, the con-clusion of the study is that, regardless of the sociodemographic variables and gov-ernmental support, organizations should offer new nurses opportunities and support to gain a balance between work and life, especially in terms of cultural factors.

UNIVERZITA KARLOVA V PRAZE FILOZOFICKÁ FAKULTA KATEDRAANDRAGOGIKY A PERSONÁLNÍHO ŘÍZENÍ Bc. Markéta Dufková Ovlivňování kvality pracovního života rozvojovými aktivitami (Influence of development activities on quality of work life) DIPLOMOVÁ PRÁCE Praha 2013 Vedoucí práce: PhDr. Jan Gruber, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This work focuses on comparison of theoretical approaches to the quality of work life with practical approaches in international companies. At the same time, emphasis is placed on staff development, which includes education. The basis of this work is the analysis of approaches to quality of life or more precisely the quality of working life. Theoretical dimensions of quality of working life are a synthesis applied to a practical measurement tool used in the studied Corporation. Nowadays, the employee is valuable and essential element of organizational life. Orientation on cutomer and focus on employee requires a thorough knowledge of motivation patterns and human needs. Improving the quality of working life can affect not only the work performance of the employee, but also its satisfaction with the work. A secondary effect is a reduction in fluctuation. Quality of working life can be affected by a large number of ways, in this work, however, attention is focused on the effect of staff development on the...

This exploratory study examines the relationship between the work-life balance and organisational culture of medical doctors and nurses in Nigeria. There has been an overwhelming majority of work-life balance studies undertaken in Western countries. This leaves Africa, most notably Nigeria, an understudied area of investigations. In order to achieve this objective, this study applies a qualitative research method. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with 62 medical doctors and 29 nurses across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Drawing on the data collected, this thesis makes two important contributions to this field of research. Empirically, the study enhances the work-life balance database most especially in the specific context of Nigeria, by revealing that the traditional culture of Nigerian health organisations has an enormous influence on the employees’ abilities to use work-life balance policies and practices. In other words, there is an overarching relationship between organisational culture and the use of work-life balance policies and practices by doctors and nurses in the Nigerian health sector. The findings also reveal that Nigerian doctors and nurses struggle to cope with the demanding nature of their jobs and their aspirations to fulfil their non-work responsibilities. Theoretically, the study identifies an important shift in the construct and application of border theory. Border theory explains how employees negotiate their daily movements across work and family domains, but fails to recognise that family is by no means the only non-work duty that is important to employees. Also, border theory does not deal with factors that determine employees’ movements across the border. These shortcomings are alarming, especially now that Generation X employees (workers born after 1963) prefer work arrangements that also cater for their non-work duties and responsibilities. Following these shortcomings, and with the data collected, a work-life border control model was developed. Practically, the developed model (work-life border control model) extends work-life border theory by incorporating other non- ii working live activities including familial duties and outlines factors that determine employees’ movement across the border. Also, the findings of this study provide a valuable insight into the reality of work-life balance practices in Nigeria. This study thus provides an important and timely understanding about the working and non-working lives of Nigerian doctors and nurses and provides feasible and practicable recommendations for the relevant authorities.