Perceptions of Work–Life Balance for Urban Academic Librarians: An Exploratory Study

Townsend, Tamara; Bugg, Kimberley

doi:10.1080/01930826.2020.1729624

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…, 2007), the personal environment of employees has received insufficient theoretical and empirical attention in studies evoking the JD-R model. These findings on the limitations of organizational leisure benefits also contribute to the current debate regarding whether ensuring a good WLB is the responsibility of the individual or organization, or some combination of the two (Townsend and Bugg, 2020). The present study found that the answer to this question largely depends on the personal circumstances of employees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Consequently, to understand the organizational resources that might facilitate WLB, it should be acknowledged that a "good" balance might differ among individuals; however, this concept has been largely neglected in WLB research, with only a few studies addressing individual perceptions of WLB. For example, Townsend and Bugg (2020) explored WLB among academic librarians and found that for the majority, an ideal WLB allows multiple life responsibilities to be juggled successfully. Key parameters for a well-balanced life were identified: geographic location (urban vs. rural), professional and personal responsibilities and parenting duties.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Organizational leisure benefits – a resource to facilitate employees’ work-life balance?

Strassburger

Wachholz

Peters

et al. 2022

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PurposeUsing the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a theoretical foundation, this study aims to explore the potential of organizational leisure benefit programs in the interplay of job demands and perceived work-life balance.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with 24 hospitality industry employees in Austria.FindingsThematic analysis revealed that organizational leisure benefits can play different roles in the context of job demands depending on the individual’s perceptions of work-life balance. Three major themes were identified, showing that organizational leisure benefits can be a multifaceted organizational resource (1) to facilitate employees’ leisure participation, (2) to boost employees’ recovery or (3) to meet the employees’ need for workplace fun. The results also demonstrated the limitations of organizational leisure benefits, showing that in case employees are constantly experiencing private duties that interfere with recovery during leisure time, leisure benefits do not play any role regarding their perception of work-life balance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scare literature on organizational leisure benefits and clarifies their potential, and limitations, as an emerging organizational resource. In particular, findings broaden existing research in the context of the JD-R model by showing that the notion of job resources can stretch beyond workplace resources and can also encompass organizational leisure support.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%