Work and Non-Work Relationship - Essay Example

Work and Non-Work Relationship Contents Introduction 3 Various models and concepts of work and non-work relationship 3 Work and Non-Work Balance in the corporate sector 6 Addressing employee issues 7 Work-Life Balance and the Management 9 Imbalance in work-life and the reasons 10 Examples of work-life balance in various countries 12 European Union 12 United Kingdom 12 Conclusion 12 References 14 Introduction Work-life balance is a term which is basically used to explain the organizational ideas which focuses on improving an employee’s experience regarding areas related to his work and also which are not related to his work as well. Work-life balance plan can be described as a plan in which a company provides such sponsored benefits or working conditions to its employees, which eventually helps them to balance their respective work and non-work demands. According to Wysocki & Kromm, (1986), work-life balance planning and practices involves such initiatives which are voluntarily launched by companies for the purpose of reconciling its employees working lives and personal lives. The initiatives which are adapted by such companies, includes, chronological preparations, which facilitates employees to decrease the total number of hours which they work in a particular day. The constant upheavals and adjustments in the corporate world create a constantly changing as well as modifying world of organization and this makes it often more important for employees as well as employers to consider the fact that work-life balance is the cornerstone for a successful organization. Various models and concepts of work and non-work relationship Work-life balance facilitates us to identify the degree to which a particular individual is evenly satisfied with his job responsibilities and family responsibilities. An effective work-life balance program is one which not only facilitates an individual to maintain effective performance at work and contentment at home, but also to effectively manage the conflict between these two different responsibilities (Avery & Wilson, 2007). For the purposes of explaining the relationship between job responsibilities and family responsibilities, various kinds of conceptual models have been proposed in this regard, and these conceptual models symbolize the diverse viewpoints on how we carry out our respective job responsibilities and family responsibilities. Although, various conceptual models have been introduced for the purpose of explaining the relationship between job responsibilities and family responsibilities, but the five major conceptual models which have been introduced in this regard, includes, segmentation model, spillover model, compensation model, instrumental model and conflict model. As per the segmentation model, our job responsibilities and family responsibilities are two completely different aspects of life, and they are carried out by us unconnectedly and thus, these two aspects of our respective lives doesn’t influence each other. As per the compensation model, if an individual is unable to fulfill his demands or satisfactions in either of the two aspects of his life, then he can fulfill those demands or satisfactions in his other aspect of life (Killinger, 1991). As per the Instrumental model, if a person carries out either of the two responsibilities successfully, then this can facilitate him to successfully carry out his other responsibility as well. As per the conflict model, if a person has too many demands to fulfill in his both professional and personal life, then that person has to make some difficult choices for the purposes of fulfilling those demands, and consequently conflict of interests arises in this regard, and that person may also have to face a significant overload as well. Different methodologies have been used by the researchers for the purpose of assessing the relationship between enhanced work loads of dismissed survivors and their respective work-life balance and work and life contentment. As per a research, employees who face extremely heavy workload, have to face heavy overall role overload as well, and this eventually creates a negative influence on their work-life balance (Wysocki & Kromm, 1986). Another research was carried out for the purpose of discovering the fact that whether contented employees maintain an effective work-life balance or not, and in this research, the researchers found that flexible functioning approach facilitates employees to stay aggravated, which eventually helps them to accomplish their respective professional and personal goals effectively and efficiently. According to Schaef and Fassel (1988), employees working in the financial services sector can have a significant influence over the work-life balance subject in the financial services sector, and work-life balance programs had better depth and eminence where autonomous unions exists. Similarly, the total number of working hours which an employee have to work in a particular day, can also have a significant impact on his work-life balance, because an employer would be satisfied with his employees respective work-life balance if the total number of hours worked by them are comparatively more prolific, than they were previously. For the purposes of examining the attitude towards work-life balance, a research was conducted in this regard, in which a senior male and female manager identified the fact that by adapting the work-life balance program, their respective professional and personal lives can face some serious issues. As per a research which was conducted by some researchers, if employees works in a highly committed working environment which persuade excellent performances in their respective jobs, and which also offers intrinsic satisfying rewards, then this facilitates the employees to comprehend their respective managers viewpoints positively, which eventually helps them to understand that the company is actually facilitating them to achieve their respective work life balance programs (Spence and Robbins, 1992). The responsibility of designing and implementing the work-life balance policies at the organizational level usually rests with the human resource head of department. However, the responsibility of designing and implementing the work-life balance policies at the unit level usually rests with the line managers or directors. And this is why the line managers or directors have the most crucial role to carry out in this regard, because besides ensuring the design and implementation of work-life balance policies at the unit level, they also have to ratify the human resource policy as well. As the work-life balance policies are designed and implemented by different line managers in different units, hence this is why the execution of work-life balance policies differs from one unit to other, depending on the respective approaches of the line managers (Spence & Robbins, 1992). Therefore, it is extremely imperative for the human resource head of the department, to ensure that while designing the relevant policies, it must bear in mind the issues which are faced by the line mangers while designing and implementing their respective work-life balance polices at the unit level, so that it could design a much more appropriate work-life balance policy at the organizational level. Work and Non-Work Balance in the corporate sector Work-Life balance can be affected many crucial things which may include: the work schedule of employees, their productivity and efficiency, annual work leaves etc. In todays world, the work environment is totally different as it was a few decades back. According to Ivancevich & Matteson (1996), the corporate sector has become so dynamic and so lucrative that it has become very difficult for a person stick with the same company for his entire life. Due to this reason, various organizations face a dilemma where they not only have to hire extremely talented and productive employees but they also have to retain them. However, even in this scenario, employees may feel that they are working harder and are more efficient than ever before but still are not satisfied with their job. Such level of stress and unhappiness may lead employees to lack of commitment to their company, lack of productivity, and they may even leave the company. Such signs may have a detrimental impact on the company. Employees often bring along with them tons of office work regularly and are so heavily indulge with that work that they forget to enjoy their life with their families and friends. The advent of technology has not only made employees more productive but as a consequence it has laid them with more stress than ever before. Digital tools such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops have made employees more accessible and employees are working longer hours than ever before. Such factors may lead to work stress, depression, anxiety and even resentment. Other factors which may dissatisfy employees in this regard are unrealistic expectations, relentless pressure, biased management, unfavorable work procedures and a misbalanced family and work life (Ivancevich & Matteson, 1996). Addressing employee issues According to Smith (2002),when employers want to evaluate and analyze key reasons behind employee turnover and lack of job satisfaction, they must determine what are the core issues which prompt employees to leave the company? Organizations have consistently conducted various surveys and focus groups to find out the key factors through which they can make their employees happy and how they can bring the best out of their performance. Because companies have been able to realize the fact that a happy employee is certainly a more productive and efficient employee, they have sought to look out various ways through which they can improve the organizational environment. Various organizations have tried to implement work-life programs which can help employees, which include alternate work arrangements, flexible schedules, exercise facilities, casual dressing and many more. By creating a balance between work and life, organizations have tend to introduce programs which can focus more on employee needs and can realize the fact that employee satisfaction and happiness has a direct impact on employee performance. (Smith, 2002). Due to this reason, it is essential to note that for the smooth functioning of a company, the satisfaction of their employees is highly important. It is very important that employees are able to have a balance between work and their personal life and it must be ensured that all employees are performing at their peak and are stress-free. Such a strategy allows employees to be secure and they can feel like that they have been look after by the company. Strategies for work arrangements Employers have often found it highly beneficial to allow their employees with alternate and flexible work schedule. In this manner, employees can boost their productivity and performance and can also improve their focus. Some of the processes through which these arrangements can be made are as follows: Telecommuting It a term which was initially used to describe the process through which employee can work away anywhere from their office, which may include home or any location which is close to home. To be specific, when an employee communicates, he or she has to communicate office via telephone or email and can even go to office to have a meeting with his employer and discuss important things. Constant advancement in science and technology has allowed people to communicate with ease and without any physical meeting. Blyton & Turnbull (2004) states that employees who are able to telecommute can easily access files from their office through remote locations. This may allow employees to be stress free but it does increase the demand in employee productivity and efficiency. Flexibility Another tool through which substantial leverage could be provided to employees in work-life schedule is Flexibility. By working for flexible working hours, employees can work a full day at a time which is beneficial to the employer as well as the employee and can thus lead to profitability for the company. Though employees need to work be available during peak office hours but their start and end times may be chosen by the employees themselves. Alternate Work schedules Another flexibility which could be provided to employees is providing alternative work-schedules, which involve working as an alternate to the traditional 9 to 6 workday. Though alternate schedules may have a constant start and end time but the schedule may vary depending on the organizational need. Work-Life Balance and the Management A substantial amount of research has been made on the topic of work-life balance and defines the genuine implementation for work and life related policies which are quite essential at an organizational level. However, it is extremely important to explore and analyze the crucial role which managers have played in their life and have tried to maintain a work-life balance. According to Armstrong & Baron (2000), the duties of organizational manager’s are often “accepted in a situation of a certain ambiguity and vagueness. A manager is accountable for all the operational activities in his department but he has very limited authority over the particular system which could further improve the effectiveness”. Various work-life initiatives which have been taken at a higher management level can result in a reduction in operational time and can result in employee productivity. Such initiatives may create challenges for organizational managers because they are stuck in a conflict of interest as they have to choose between increasing organizational efficiency or for increasing or decreasing working time for subordinate employees (Guest & Conway, 1998). Through some evidence from various researchers, it has been vividly portrayed that line-managers in a particular organizational can have a crucial impact on certain work-life related issues for employees. For instance, research on employee engagement has revealed that a line manager plays a very important role in balancing work–family participation for his subordinate employees. This research also proves that line managers have a substantial levels of knowledge regarding the understanding of specific work-life polices which can further lead to inconsistent application of certain approaches which are unfavorable for employees. Though there has been intensive amount of research on this crucial topic, very limited research is done on factors which can relate to supervisor and manager support for behaviors which are related to work–family balance programs (Oswald, 1985). Imbalance in work-life and the reasons Within the corporate sector, many people often expose themselves to an unsolicited and a highly dark environment which increases the level of job stress, because the so called hard worker within an organization enjoys a very prestigious position. These are the reasons which can cause an imbalance in the life of an employee but there are several other reasons which can cause a disruption and they are as follows: Research made by various Psychoanalysts in the field of Work-Life balance has stated that uncertainty could be one of the most dominant factors which can increase the level of stress in organizational employees. In todays materialistic world, we are always facing permanent competition. Our appearance, occupation, health, lifestyle etc is now been compared to a media staged ideal. Every individual wants everything to be perfect because being mediocre sounds more like an abuse than anything. Such thoughts can not only make individuals only tired or stressful but it can also make them frustrated at times. This in turn affects their work and creates a massive imbalance between work and life (Cartwright & Holmes, 2006). Another key reason for employees having an imbalance in their life is being Burnout. As Burnout has no literal or medical definition, due to this reason it is not a recognized illness. It is a condition which can only propel the passionate and is not a mental illness. It is a disorder which can not only benefit the patient but it is socially acceptable also and can also help in stabilizing one’s self esteem to a certain extent. One key factor which has been recognized by researchers is that the decision-makers in key government offices as well as upper echelons have never been allowed to show any sign of weaknesses, illness or ecstasy because this could cause a moment for concern for the higher authorities as to the capability of the individual. Another frightening fact is that in some countries where fitness and top health is high priority for people who are assigned highly esteemed positions in private and public organizations, even a potential screening for medical test is considered a weakness. Due to this reason, alarming health symptoms such as burnout and depression are gaining immense popularity. Burnout is often considered an integral part of a highly successful career and is often considered a key part of the success. Examples of work-life balance in various countries European Union The European Union has adopted a policy which focuses on empowering employees to utilize their rights. France has made an attempt for introducing a 35 hour workweek for employees. Countries like Finland and Denmark had tried to experiment with a thirty-hour week in the 1990’s. Apart from the Scandinavian countries, very few state policies can provide evidence which allow and even encourage men in taking a substantial share of domestic work. Countries in Eastern Europe have often had problems with maintaining a work-life balance for their employees (Luthans & Peterson, 2002). In countries like Czech Republic and Greece, more than 60% of working women had said that they are at times unable to do household jobs due to intensive amount of stress and train at work. United Kingdom The government of UK had passed a legislation which had allowed parents of children under five to request a flexible schedule for work. It was up-to the corporations to approve this request as long as it does not harm the productivity of the business. Even a 2005 survey of fresh graduates had revealed that fresh graduates and newly recruited employees would prefer flexibility much more than wages (Wernerfelt, 2006). Conclusion In the corporate sector, it has become highly essential for employees to maintain a balance between their personal and work life balance and to simultaneously maintain their overall productivity. Also, consistently satisfying their need to work has been important for such individuals because they exhibit certain work behavior patterns which have often resulted into a pattern of job satisfaction and happiness. Work-life balance is not a physical process that once achieved it will always be maintained with perfection. Rather work-life balance can only be achieved by implementing a continuous process which can help employees to cope up with organizational pressure on a consistent basis. Although there are situations where family life can interfere with work and personal but it is the role of the employee that he has the subjective way to deal with each and every dimension of life and create a balance in life. But when balance is maintained in life, it gives employees the inner satisfaction to do their job with dedication and hard work. A happy and satisfied work-force will surely yield highly profitable and productive results for an organization. It is up-to the organizational leaders how important they consider work-life balance because only a balanced life can be a successful one. References Avery, D. R., & Wilson, D. C. 2007. Engaging the aging workforce: the relationship between perceived age similarity, satisfaction with coworkers, and employee engagement, Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1542 Armstrong, M., & Baron, A. 2000, Performance management, Human resource management, 69-84 Blyton, P. R., & Turnbull, P. J. 2004, The dynamics of employee relations, Palgrave Macmillan. Cartwright, S., & Holmes, N. 2006, The meaning of work: The challenge of regaining employee engagement and reducing cynicism. Human Resource Management Review, 16(2), 199-208. Guest, D.E. (2001). Perspectives on the study of work-life balance. Retrieved from http://www.enewsbuilder.net/alliedvanlines/e_article Guest, D.E., & Conway, N. (1998). Fairness at Work and the Psychological Contract. London: Luthans, F., & Peterson, S. J. 2002, Employee engagement and manager self-efficacy, Journal of management development, 21(5), 376-387 Ivancevich. J.M., & Matteson, T.M. (1996). Organizational behavior and management (4th ed.). Chicago: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Killinger, B. (1991), Workaholics: The Respectable Addicts, Simon & Schuster, New York/ Oswald, A. J. 1985. The economic theory of trade unions: An introductory survey. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 160-193. Schnabel, C., & Wagner, J. 2003, Determinants of trade union membership. International Handbook of Trade Unions, Cheltenham, 13-43 Schaef, A.W., Fassel, D. (1988), The Addictive Organization, Harper Row, San Francisco, CA, . Smith, D. (2002). Making work your family ally. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Spence, J.T., Robbins, A.S. (1992), "Workaholism: definition, measurement, and preliminary results", Journal of Personality Assessment, Vol. 58 pp.160-78. Wysocki, J., & Kromm, G.M. (1986). The Job Feeling Scale. Handbook of organizational measurement. Wernerfelt, B. 2006, ‘A resource‐based view of the firm’, Strategic management journal, Volume 5, No.2, pp.171-180 Read More