Current and Future Research on Work-Family Balance: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on Literature

Hui Zhang(Graduate School，Wesleyan University-Philippines)
Ali G. G. Mamaclay(Graduate School，Wesleyan University-Philippines)

Abstract

For a long time, the issue of work-family balance has been a focus of research by scholars in organizational behavior, psychology, and other fields. In 2020, COVID-19 swept across the globe. The change in work and lifestyle brought about by the great closure blurred the boundary between work and life. The work-family balance faced unprecedented challenges, both for organizations and individuals. So, since the COVID-19 epidemic, what trends and achievements have emerged in the research on work-family balance? To clarify these issues, the author of this article searched 70 pieces of literature related to work-family balance published between 2020 and 2023 based on core databases including the SSCI, ESCI, and SCIE. After analyzing and summarizing the latest research focuses, conclusions, and future directions of retrieved literature, the author predicted the future research directions of the work-family balance.

Keywords

Work-family Balance, COVID-19, Literature Review

References

Tayyaba, Kiran., & Noshaba, Batool. (2022). Opening the black box of work life balance theories: A critical review of literature. Pakistan Journal of Social Research, 4, 200-208.

Zheng, S. L., & Xia, F. B. (2017). Theoretical integration and model reconstruction of work-family relationship. Research on financial issues (06), 138-144.

Hind Elhinnawy, Morag Kennedy., & Silvia, Gomes. (2023) From public to private: the gendered impact of COVID-19 pandemic on work-life balance and work-family balance, Community, Work & Family, DOI: 10.1080/13668803.2023.2265044

Adisa, T.A., Aiyenitaju, O. and Adekoya, O.D. (2021). "The work-family balance of British working women during the COVID-19 pandemic", Journal of Work-Applied Management, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 241-260. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-07-2020-0036

Michel Perreault & Niamh Power (2023) Work-life balance as a personal responsibility: The impact on strategies for coping with inter role conflict, Journal of Occupational Science, 30:2, 160-174, DOI: 10.1080/14427591.2021.1894596

Gragnano, A., Simbula, S., & Miglioretti, M. (2020). Work-life balance: weighing the importance of work-family, and work–health balance. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(3), 907. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030907

Wang, Z., Qiu, X., Jin, Y., & Zhang, X. (2022). How work-family conflict and work-family facilitation affect employee innovation: a moderated mediation model of emotions and work flexibility. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 796201. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.796201

Jamila, Lamane-Harim., David, Cegarra-Leiva. & Ma Eugenia Sánchez-Vidal. (2023) Work–life balance supportive culture: a way to retain employees in Spanish SMEs, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34:10, 2074-2106, DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2021.1878255

Verweij, R., Helmerhorst, K., & Keizer, R. (2021). Work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict and their relation to perceived parenting and the parent-child relationship before and during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Journal of Family Research, 33(3), 734–771. https://doi.org/10.20377/jfr-636

Bradley, L., McDonald, P., & Cox, S. (2023). The critical role of co-worker involvement: An extended measure of the workplace environment to support work-life balance. Journal of Management & Organization, 29(2), 304-325. doi:10.1017/jmo.2019.65

Landolfi, A., & Lo Presti, A. A psychometric examination of the work-family balance scale. A multisample study on Italian workers. Current Psychology 41, 3778–3787 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00893-z

Ninaus, K., Diehl, S., & Terlutter, R. (2021). Employee perceptions of information and communication technologies in work life, perceived burnout, job satisfaction and the role of work-family balance. Journal of Business Research, 136, 652-666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.007

Cheng, Zeng., & Hui, Chen. (2020) An Exploration of the Relationships between Organizational Dissent, Employee Burnout, and Work-family Balance: A Cross-cultural Comparison between China and Finland, Communication Studies, 71:4, 633-648, DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2020.1749864

Jarrod, Haar., & David, Brougham. (2022) Work antecedents and consequences of work-life balance: A two-sample study within New Zealand, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33:4, 784-807, DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2020.1751238

Allen, T. D., Regina, J., Wiernik, B. M., & Waiwood, A. M. (2023). Toward a better understanding of the causal effects of role demands on work-family conflict: A genetic modeling approach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(3), 520–539. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001032

Craig, L., & Churchill, B. (2021). Dual‐earner parent couples’ work and care during COVID‐19. Gender, Work & Organization, 28, 66-79. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12497

Erdogan, D. T., Heras, M. L., Rofcanin, Y., Bosch, M. J., & Stollberger, J. (2022). Family motivation of supervisors: Exploring the impact on subordinates’ work performance via family supportive supervisor behaviors and work-family balance satisfaction. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52(12), 1179-1195. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12919

Jonna, Leppäkumpu., & Anu, Sivunen. (2023) Communicating across the borders: managing work-life boundaries through communication in various domains, Community, Work & Family, 26:2, 222-241, DOI: 10.1080/13668803.2021.1952163

Fellegi, Z., Kočí, K., & Benešová, K. (2023). Work and Family Balance in Top Diplomacy: The Case of the Czech Republic. Politics & Gender, 19(1), 220-246. doi:10.1017/S1743923X21000489

Ugwu, F.O., Enwereuzor, I.K. & Mazei, J. Is Working from Home a Blessing or a Burden? Home Demands as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Work Engagement and Work-Life Balance. Applied Research Quality Life 18, 341–364 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10084-6

Rahman, M. M., & Ali, N. A. (2021). Does work–family balance mediate the relationship between work–family conflicts and job satisfaction of academicians? Journal of Community Psychology, 49(2), 361-374. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22464

Lizana PA, Vega-Fernadez G. Teacher Teleworking during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Association between Work Hours, Work-Family Balance and Quality of Life. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(14):7566. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147566

Akobo, L.A. and Stewart, J. (2020), "Contextualising work-life balance: a case of women of African origin in the UK", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 52 No. 3, pp. 133-153. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-09-2019-0092

Adisa, T. A., Antonacopoulou, E., Beauregard, T. A., Dickmann, M., & Adekoya, O. D. (2022). Exploring the impact of COVID‐19 on employees’ boundary management and work-life balance. British Journal of Management, 33(4), 1694-1709. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12643

Martucci, S. (2023). He’s Working from Home and I’m at Home Trying to Work: Experiences of Childcare and the Work-Family Balance Among Mothers During COVID-19. Journal of Family Issues, 44(2), 291-314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X211048476

Tahir, R. (2023), "Struggling or juggling: work-life balance challenges of Western self-initiated women expatriates in the United Arab Emirates", Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 613-636. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCSM-09-2022-0145

Tayal, D., & Mehta, A. K. (2023). The Struggle to Balance Work and Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights Based on the Situations of Working Women in Delhi. Journal of Family Issues, 44(6), 1423-1465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X211058817

Kossek, E. E., Perrigino, M., & Rock, A. G. (2021). From ideal workers to ideal work for all: A 50-year review integrating careers and work-family research with a future research agenda. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 126, 103504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103504

Melika Shirmohammadi, Wee Chan Au., & Mina, Beigi. (2022) Remote work and work-life balance: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and suggestions for HRD practitioners, Human Resource Development International, 25:2, 163-181, DOI: 10.1080/13678868.2022.2047380

Kossek, E. E., Perrigino, M. B., Russo, M., & Morandin, G. (2023). Missed Connections Between the Leadership and Work-Life Fields: Work–Life Supportive Leadership for a Dual Agenda. Academy of Management Annals, 17(1), 181-217. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2021.0085

Deshpande, P., & Srivastava, A.P. (2023), "A study to explore the linkage between green training and sustainable organizational performance through emotional intelligence and green work-life balance", European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 47 No. 5/6, pp. 615-634. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-11-2021-0182

Kim, M. S., Ma, E., & Wang, L. (2023). Work-family supportive benefits, programs, and policies and employee well-being: Implications for the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 108, 103356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103356

Lo Presti, A., Molino, M., Emanuel, F., Landolfi, A., & Ghislieri, C. (2020). Work-Family Organizational Support as a Predictor of Work-Family Conflict, Enrichment, and Balance: Crossover and Spillover Effects in Dual-Income Couples. Europe's journal of psychology, 16(1), 62–81. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v16i1.1931

Campo, A. M. D. V., Avolio, B., & Carlier, S. I. (2021). The Relationship Between Telework, Job Performance, Work-Life Balance and Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviours in the Context of COVID-19. Global Business Review, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211049918

Landolfi, A., Barattucci, M., De Rosa, A., & Lo Presti, A. (2021). The association of job and family resources and demands with life satisfaction through work-family balance: a longitudinal study among Italian schoolteachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Behavioral Sciences, 11(10), 136. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11100136

Irfan, M., Khalid, R.A., Kaka Khel, S.S.U.H., Maqsoom, A. and Sherani, I.K. (2023), "Impact of work-life balance with the role of organizational support and job burnout on project performance", Engineering, Construction, and Architectural Management, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 154-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2021-0316

Lamovšek, A., Černe, M., Radević, I. et al. The Key to Work-Life Balance is (Enriched) Job Design? Three-Way Interaction Effects with Formalization and Adaptive Personality Characteristics. Applied Research Quality Life 18, 647–676 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10100-9

Lan, Lin., & Yuntao, Bai (2023). The dual spillover spiraling effects of family incivility on workplace interpersonal deviance: from the conservation of resources perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 184(3), 725-740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05123-z

Sharma, A., Mor, S., Garg, R., Chhikara, R., Pal, A., & Narula, S. (2023). Work-Life-Study Balance and Executive Education: Case of India. Millennial Asia, 14(1), 127-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996211020537

Young, D.K., McLeod, A.J. and Carpenter, D. (2023), "Examining the influence of occupational characteristics, gender and work-life balance on IT professionals' occupational satisfaction and occupational commitment", Information Technology & People, Vol. 36 No. 3, pp. 1270-1297. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-08-2020-0572

Uddin, M., Ali, K. B., Khan, M. A., & Ahmad, A. (2023). Supervisory and co-worker support on the work-life balance of working women in the banking sector: A developing country perspective. Journal of Family Studies, 29(1), 306-326.

Chung, H., Birkett, H., Forbes, S., & Seo, H. (2021). COVID-19, Flexible Working, and Implications for Gender Equality in the United Kingdom. Gender & Society, 35(2), 218-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912432211001304

Hjálmsdóttir, A., & Bjarnadóttir, V. S. (2021). “I have turned into a foreman here at home”: Families and work-life balance in times of COVID‐19 in a gender equality paradise. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(1), 268-283. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12552

Chung, G.S.K., Chan, X.W., Lanier, P. et al. (2023) Associations between Work-Family Balance, Parenting Stress, and Marital Conflicts during COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore. J Child Fam Stud 32, 132–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02490-z

Stefanova, V., Farrell, L. & Latu, I. Gender and the pandemic: Associations between caregiving, working from home, personal and career outcomes for women and men. Current Psychology 42, 17395–17411 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02630-6

Cheung, C. K., & Chi-mei Li, J. (2022). Moderating the Harmful Effects of Police Nightshift Work on Work-Family Balance by Adjusting Shift Autonomy. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 53(3), 305-330. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.53.3.020

Tahir, R. (2022), "Work–life balance: is an entrepreneurial career the solution?", Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-03-2022-0077

Bragger, J.D., Reeves, S., Toich, M.J. et al. Meaningfulness as a Predictor of Work-Family Balance, Enrichment, and Conflict. Applied Research Quality Life 16, 1043–1071 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-019-09796-z

Nicklin, J. M., Shockley, K. M., & Dodd, H. (2022). Self-compassion: Implications for work-family conflict and balance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 138, 103785.

Sankar, J. P., Haq, M. A. U., Akram, F., George, S., & Baddela, U. K. (2022). Factors affecting employees' work-family balance of aluminum fabrication firms in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Middle East Journal of Management, 9(5), 461-482. https://doi.org/10.1504/MEJM.2022.125293

Marlene A. Dixon, Shaina M. Dabbs, Jeffrey A. Graham & Ashlyn Hardie (2023) Coach as CEO: developing a work-family balance taxonomy for sports executives, Managing Sport and Leisure, 28:1, 16-34, DOI: 10.1080/23750472.2020.1848447

Juju Zuhriatusobah, Edwin Kusuma Yudha, Yulianita Rahayu, Willya Achmad. (2023). Work-Life Balance Strategy to Improve Employee Performance at PT. XYZ. CEMJP, 31(2), 94–105. https://doi.org/10.57030/23364890.cemj.31.2.11

Ameeta Jaga & Timothy C. Guetterman (2023) The value of mixed methods work-family research for human resource management: a review and agenda, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34:2, 286-312, DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2021.1964092

Wan, M., Shaffer, M. A., Singh, R., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Spoiling for a fight: A relational model of daily work‐family balance satisfaction. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 95(1), 60-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12368

Irawanto, D.W.; Novianti, K.R.; Roz, K. （2021） Work from Home: Measuring Satisfaction between Work-Life Balance and Work Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. Economies. 2021; 9(3):96. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030096

Crawford, R. P., Barbé, T., & Randolph, J. (2023). Demographic differences in satisfaction and work-life balance of prelicensure nursing faculty. Nurse Educator, 48(2), 92-97. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001309

Lonska, J., Mietule, I., Litavniece, L., Arbidane, I., Vanadzins, I., Matisane, L., & Paegle, L. (2021). Work-life balance of the employed population during the emergency situation of COVID-19 in Latvia. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 682459. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682459

Adamson, M., Muhr, S. L., & Beauregard, T. A. (2023). Theorizing work-life balance endeavors as a gendered project of the self: The case of senior executives in Denmark. Human Relations, 76(4), 629-654. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211073309

Katou, A. (2022), "Examining the mediating role of work-family balance in the core self-evaluations – organizational performance relationship: a multilevel study", Employee Relations, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 136-155. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-06-2020-0265

Ortiz-Bonnin, S., Blahopoulou, J., García-Buades, M.E. and Montañez-Juan, M. (2023), "Work-life balance satisfaction in crisis times: from luxury to necessity – The role of organization's responses during COVID-19 lockdown", Personnel Review, Vol. 52 No. 4, pp. 1033-1050. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2021-0484

Arpino, B., & Luppi, F. (2020). Childcare arrangements and working mothers’ satisfaction with work–family balance. Demographic Research, 42, 549-588.

Mazaheri, P., Hawk, K. E., Ledermann, E. J., Lozano, K. D. S., & Porter, K. K. (2023). Flexible work arrangements and their impact on women in radiology: RSNA 2021 panel discussion summary sponsored by AAWR and more. Clinical Imaging, 94, 56-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinimag.2022.11.012

Karlapudi, T. K. (2022). An empirical study on the impact of work/family conflict on occupational future of IT employees: Environmental support as a moderator. International Journal of Human Capital and Information Technology Professionals (IJHCITP), 13(1), 1-16. DOI: 10.4018/IJHCITP.296690

Akanji, B., Mordi, C., Ajonbadi, H. and Adekoya, O. (2023), "The impact of COVID-19 on the work-life balance of working mothers: evidence from Nigerian academics", Personnel Review, Vol. 52 No. 3, pp. 703-723. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-08-2020-0636

Wan Mohd Yunus, W. M. A., Badri, S. K. Z., Panatik, S. A., & Mukhtar, F. (2021). The unprecedented movement control order (lockdown) and factors associated with the negative emotional symptoms, happiness, and work-life balance of Malaysian University students during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 566221. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.566221

Hong, X., Liu, Q., & Zhang, M. (2021). Dual stressors and female pre-school teachers' job satisfaction during the COVID-19: the mediation of work-family conflict. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 691498. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.691498

Farber, J., Payton, C., Dorney, P., & Colancecco, E. (2023). Work-life balance and professional quality of life among nurse faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Professional Nursing, 46, 92-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.03.005

Anderson, D. and Kelliher, C. (2020), "Enforced remote working and the work-life interface during lockdown", Gender in Management, Vol. 35 No. 7/8, pp. 677-683. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2020-0224

Rodríguez-Rivero, R., Yáñez, S., Fernández-Aller, C., & Carrasco-Gallego, R. (2020). Is it time for a revolution in work-life balance? Reflections from Spain. Sustainability, 12(22), 9563. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229563

Rashmi, K. and Kataria, A. (2022), "Work–life balance: a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 42 No. 11/12, pp. 1028-1065. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2021-0145

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12345/jetm.v8i2.17985