Background of the research
Every organization relies on two essential assets: labor and capital While capital plays a crucial role in driving business success, labor is indispensable for daily operations In today's work environment, employees often seek to balance their professional responsibilities with personal lives, highlighting the importance of both components in achieving organizational goals.
Family and work are two pivotal aspects of adult life, yet the expectations associated with each can often clash, leading to conflicts between professional responsibilities and family commitments (Netemeyer, Boles, and McMurrian, 1996) Recently, there has been a significant surge in research focused on achieving a balance between these critical domains of work and family life.
Balancing family and work responsibilities has become a significant challenge for many professionals According to Felstead, Jewson, Phizacklea, and Walters (2002), work-life balance strategies are essential for empowering employees to manage both their work and personal lives effectively As a result of evolving employee demographics and shifting societal attitudes towards work and family, achieving this balance has become a crucial daily task for employed adults (Zedeck, 1992).
Employee morale is crucial for the success of any organization, particularly in business The International Labor Organization highlights a significant disparity in labor productivity, noting that Singapore's productivity is 15 times higher than that of Vietnam Amidst financial instability, low labor productivity has emerged as a pressing issue in Vietnam, acknowledged by both government officials and employees Foreign managers who have collaborated with Vietnamese workers recognize their intelligence and skill but point out that their output lags behind that of neighboring countries This discrepancy suggests that motivation plays a key role, necessitating effective solutions to enhance productivity.
In Vietnam, many managers overlook the crucial factors that motivate employees to enhance their performance While companies implement policies aimed at employee motivation, these often prioritize the work environment, compensation, training, and promotion, neglecting the essential aspect of work-life balance Addressing the conflict between work and personal responsibilities is vital, making the improvement of employees' work-life balance a key consideration in developing effective motivation strategies to strengthen the human resources of Vietnamese companies.
Recognizing the significance of employees' work-life balance is crucial for managers in Vietnamese banks, as it plays a vital role in enhancing competitiveness within the global economic landscape This study aims to explore the factors influencing work-life balance and examine the gender differences associated with it, providing valuable insights for improving workplace policies in Vietnam.
Research problem, research objective, and research questions
How do family responsibilities and work pressure effect on work-life balance of employees in Vietnam banking? What are the differences of those impacts on gender?
What is the factors effect work life balance of employees working in Viet Nam banks?
How do the gender factor influence on the work life balance?
This research aims to identify the factors influencing work-life balance among employees in the banking sector of Vietnam and to explore gender differences in this regard The specific objectives include analyzing various elements that affect work-life balance and examining how these elements differ between male and female employees.
Identify factors influence work life balance of employees banking sector
Investigate effects of moderators of gender on work life balance.
Scope of study
This study focuses exclusively on employees within the Vietnamese banking sector, which is characterized as a rapidly evolving developing economy Consequently, the findings may not be applicable to other sectors.
The limited sample size for the survey conducted in Ho Chi Minh City, which hosts the largest banking sector in Vietnam, may lead to results that are not fully representative of the national landscape.
Significance
Research findings will evaluate the impact of employees' work-life balance Consequently, HR managers are strategizing to create policies tailored to gender and individual employee circumstances to improve overall performance.
Structure of the thesis statements
This research report is structured into five chapters Chapter 1 provides an overview of the research topic, while Chapter 2 outlines the theoretical framework, including the concepts and proposed hypotheses Chapter 3 details the research methodology used to test the theoretical models and scales In Chapter 4, the results of the testing and analysis of data are presented, leading to conclusions regarding the hypotheses from Chapter 2 Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes the study's key findings, contributions to management theory and practice, and discusses the research limitations to inform future studies.
LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORITICAL MODEL
Introduction
Numerous studies worldwide have investigated work-life balance, revealing that both internal and external determinants—ranging from tangible to intangible factors—can significantly impact employees These determinants may have varying positive or negative effects on work-life balance, influenced by specific situations and organizational types This study focuses on previously examined aspects of work-life balance to understand their influence on employees, while also comparing the differing impacts based on gender and age groups The aim is to formulate hypotheses that will contribute to a model for further analysis.
Work—life balance concepts
This section will review previous studies about causes of work life balance to see how they impacts together, and finding hypothesizes for analyzing
The concepts of 'Work-life balance' and 'Work-life conflict' have garnered significant attention in academic literature (Hayman, 2005; Moore, 2007; Pocock, 2005) However, 'balance' is not viewed as an effective work-family linking mechanism, as it fails to clarify the causal relationships between experiences in one role and those in another (Edwards & Rothbard, 2000).
Work-life balance is essential for individuals to maintain harmony between their professional and personal lives According to Karakas and Lee (2004), it involves spending quality time with family, having opportunities to relax, receiving support from colleagues, ensuring access to quality childcare and education, and feeling satisfied with one's workload Kinman (2001) highlights that work-life balance is a significant factor in psychological distress and job dissatisfaction, noting that over half of surveyed academics work from home in the evenings, leading to increased stress Additionally, Netemeyer, Boles, and McMurrian (1996) found that many employees continue to worry about work-related issues after hours, which negatively impacts their sleep and overall well-being.
Work-life balance, as defined by Greenhaus and Beutell (1985), refers to the inter-role conflict arising when the pressures from work and family roles are incompatible Their model identifies three key dimensions of work-life balance: time-based, strain-based, and behavior-based Time-based work-life balance is negatively affected when demands from one role hinder the ability to fulfill another, particularly when individuals become preoccupied with one role's requirements Factors influencing this balance include work-related elements such as hours worked, commute times, overtime frequency, and work schedule rigidity, as well as family-related factors like the number of children and family size (Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985; Carlson, Kacmar, and Williams, 2000).
Strain-based work life balance is originated from role-produced strain, when tension from one role interferes with achieving responsibilities in another role (Greenhaus and Beutell,
Sources of strain-based work-family balance can be categorized into work-related and family-related factors Work-related sources include role ambiguity, insufficient leader support, conflicts within job roles, and high physical and psychological demands Family-related sources involve discrepancies in career coordination between spouses, differing views on family roles, lack of spousal support, childcare arrangements, and contrasting attitudes towards a wife's employment status.
Behavior-based work-life balance occurs when the behaviors expected in one role align with those in another Work experiences often involve ambiguity and contributions, while family-related challenges can include role ambiguity, intra-family conflicts, role associations, and the level of social support available.
Factors influence Work—life balance
2.3.1 Work life balance and family responsibilities:
Working parents of young children, particularly those aged six or younger, face significant challenges in affording high-quality child care, which can consume a large portion of their income and impact mothers' employment opportunities (Elliott, 2003) The emotional burden of balancing child care and elder care disproportionately affects women, who continue to bear the primary responsibility for childcare As a result, many women are more likely to work part-time to accommodate family responsibilities (Daly and Lewis, 2000).
Child care arrangements can create significant strain-based conflict, impacting both men and women in the workplace Research indicates that nearly half of employees' work hours are unproductive due to childcare issues However, satisfaction with childcare support is linked to improved work-life balance, leading to better concentration, enhanced job performance, and increased job satisfaction.
Research indicates that married women often dedicate significant time and energy to caring for their in-laws, particularly their husbands' parents, positioning them as the primary caregivers for the elderly This caregiving role is typically fulfilled by women in their capacities as wives, daughters, and daughters-in-law Furthermore, many of these women also serve as primary caregivers for their children, which enhances their caregiving experience compared to men Consequently, there is a notable difference in work-life balance between males and females concerning elder dependency.
Eldercare, much like childcare, significantly impacts employees on personal, professional, emotional, and financial levels It can lead to increased absenteeism, reduced work hours, and a shift from full-time to part-time employment, sometimes even resulting in early retirement (Ross and Mirowsky, 1988) Additionally, eldercare responsibilities can deter individuals from entering the workforce altogether (Frone, 2003) Caregivers often experience negative effects on their overall health, reporting feelings of depression, isolation, loneliness, and stress due to their caregiving duties (Kossek and Lambert, 2004).
Research indicates that increased spousal support correlates with lower work-life balance levels (Aryee et al., 1999; Burke and Greenglass, 1999; Erdwins et al., 2001; Rosenbaum and Cohen, 1999) This support is particularly influential in shaping work-life balance (Adams et al., 1996; Thomas and Ganster, 1995) Notably, there is an expected disparity in work-life balance between male and female employees in banks concerning partner support.
H1: Family responsibilities have negative impact on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
2.3.2 Work life balance and work pressure:
Research indicates that organizations with a strong work-life balance tend to foster a supportive culture (Thompson et al., 1998) Kossek, Dass, and DeMarr (1994) identified a lack of alignment between employee lives and organizational goals as a key contributor to work-life strain, emphasizing that negative workplace culture, poor environments, and unsupportive supervisors hinder work-life balance efforts Gilbert (2002) noted that while longer working hours may diminish family satisfaction, employees who are more committed to their jobs report higher family satisfaction than their less committed counterparts Thus, it is not solely work hours that impact family life, but also employees' attitudes towards their roles Additionally, Greenhouse and Powell (2003) highlighted that flexible working conditions can alleviate the adverse effects of job demands on family life.
A study by Thompson et al (1998) suggests that organizations with lower work-life conflict tend to have a supportive culture Kossek, Dass, and DeMarr (1994) identified that a lack of alignment between employees' personal lives and organizational goals contributes to work-life strain They further noted that negative workplace culture, poor environments, and unsupportive supervisors hinder the achievement of work-life balance Consequently, it is proposed that there are differences in work-life balance between male and female employees concerning job resources.
Research by Lease (1999) highlights that tenure-track faculty at three universities experience stress influenced by factors such as salary satisfaction, working hours, and colleague support, which also impacts overall job satisfaction Roehling and Moen (2001) further indicate that earnings, schedule flexibility, family-friendly work policies, and supportive colleagues are essential in mitigating work-life strain They found that a lack of colleague support negatively affects employee loyalty, and that a partner's unstable or low income can increase financial stress for the other partner Consequently, there are notable differences in work-life balance between males and females, particularly regarding the level of support received from colleagues.
Work-related stress has significantly increased, with heavy workloads and limited resources being major contributors (Kinman & Jones, 2008) Smith et al (1995) identified three types of stress among faculty: role-based stress from unclear responsibilities, task-based stress from work overload, and person/system-based stress from high self-expectations A study by Winefield et al (2003) on Australian university employees found that academics are generally satisfied with intrinsic factors like intellectual inspiration and opportunities for initiative, but less so with extrinsic factors such as salary and promotion prospects This disparity suggests similar challenges may exist in the banking sector Additionally, there are notable differences in work-life balance between males and females, particularly regarding unfair criticism.
H2: Work pressure have negative impact on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
2.3.3 Work life balance and gender
Previous studies have examined the impact of gender on work-life balance, revealing mixed results While some research indicates minimal differences between men and women regarding work-life balance (Blanchard-Fields et al., 1997; Duxbury and Higgins, 1991), other studies show that women experience higher levels of work-family conflict (Duxbury et al., 1994; Frone et al., 1992) Additionally, some findings suggest no significant differences in work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts between genders (Janzen et al., 2007; Kinnunen and Mauno, 1998) Apperson et al (2002) noted that female managers reported higher levels of work-life balance but similar overall balance compared to their male counterparts Cinamon and Rich (2002) found that women placed greater importance on family-work conflict and experienced lower levels of work-life balance This disparity is often attributed to women's prioritization of family obligations over work roles (Simon, 1995), leading to a greater challenge in balancing these responsibilities Consequently, gender differences in work-life balance are evident among banking employees in Vietnam.
H3: There is moderation effect of gender on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
The research model was developed based on key determinants that influence work-life balance, highlighting the differences between male and female experiences However, the extent of each determinant's impact on work-life balance and the variations in these effects by gender remain unclear Therefore, conducting a survey and performing regression analysis in subsequent chapters is essential to uncover this information, providing valuable insights for both the author and readers to better understand and address these issues in real-world applications.
Vietnam, located in Southeast Asia, is experiencing significant economic and cultural transitions According to a survey by the Vietnam Labor Statistics Department, the country's population is nearly 90 million, with approximately 52.8 million individuals employed Notably, the female labor force participation rate stands at 48.7% The nation showcases a diverse social and cultural structure.
In contemporary society, modern and traditional lifestyles coexist, with strong family ties significantly shaping values, attitudes, aspirations, and goals The increasing participation of women in the workforce is driving a rapid shift in cultural norms regarding gender roles, as both men and women in professional settings strive to balance modern gender expectations with traditional family values Research on work-family balance in Vietnam is limited, but previous studies indicate that both genders face greater interference from work-life than life-work, with women experiencing more challenges in achieving work-life balance compared to men Recent studies have developed a model to explore the effects of work-life balance and highlighted the moderating role of gender in these relationships.
Conclusion
The following research hypotheses have been developed to analyze data The conceptual framework has been adopted from Elliott (2003) to test these hypotheses
H1: Family responsibilities have negative impact on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
H2: Work pressure has negative impact on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
H3: There is moderation effect of gender on work life balance of employees in Viet Nam banking sector
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