Work-Life Balance among Working Females: A Comparative Study of Female Employees in Government and Private Higher Academic Organizations in Dehradun District

Abstract

This research involves a research on the work- Life balance (WLB) of 180 female academicians working in government and private higher academic institutions located in the Dehradun District, Uttarakhand. The study based on the cross-sectional quantitative design and the use of the 15-item Hayman Work-Life Balance Scale allows exploring the structural and demographic predictors of work-life conflict. Findings demonstrate the presence of an extreme dichotomy between the sectors; female faculty in privates have a markedly high level of Work Interference with Personal Life (WIPL) and Personal Life Interference with Work (PLIW) than their government counterparts, and positively with Work-life enhancement (WPLE). The determination of correlation found a vicious circle between the disruption of work and personal life, where it was established that this was reciprocal and destructive (r=0.684, p<0.01). Also, the multiple linear regression showed that the proportions of the total WLB interference scores accounted by institutional sector, age and responsibilities in dependent care is 57.3 with the government sector being a major protective factor. Finally, the results emphasize the argument that the urgent need of the private academic institutions is to implement the systemic support models that would alleviate the occupational stress and encourage psychological degeneration of the female academic workforce.