Name: Kiirrtana Ravichandran

Student ID: 1002164092

Propose research title:

Influence of Work life balance on job satisfaction among working adults in Malaysia.

Research Background

Achieving a balance between work life and personal life is very crucial for employees.

Work life balance have a direct impact on the job satisfaction , and there is several research

that proved this connection. The employee’s satisfaction is vital for any organization, because

it leads high rate of productivity among employees which will directly affects the organization

success (Shaughnessy,2017).That said, if an organisation consciously or unconsciously,

intrudes on an employee’s personal life with excessive overtime or undue pressure, it can

results in dissatisfaction and stress.

Work life balance is consists of balance between the time to family and time to work.

The inability to maintain this balance would impact the employee’s behaviour, and well-being.

Thus, it’s important for the companies to initiatives balance working life which is by giving

employees flexible working hours, remote working options and supportive policies. Based on

study conducted among United States, it stated that 75% percent of employees is believed not

have enough time to spend with their children meanwhile 61% present doesn’t have time for

their spouse.

Besides, in the context of Malaysia there is 63% of Malaysian workers have revealed

they don’t have enough time with their family due to long working hours thus, leading in

dissatisfaction of job and eventually leaving the workforce (Debby Ho, 2019).On other hand,

based on a research conducted by Sanjeev Kumar highlighted that the Malaysian public
servants are motivated to stay in workforce due to the government sector provides reasonable

work task and satisfying work arrangement which helps them to balance between work and

personal lives. However, there is not many studies have conducted about the influence of work

life balance on job satisfaction among Malaysia. Therefore, this research is conducted to delve

into these dynamics to provide deeper insights into how employee perceive and manage their

work life and personal life, and how this influences their job satisfaction.

Problem Statement:

Nowadays, working adults in Malaysia are facing issues with their job satisfaction

which relate to their working life balance. In order to create a balance working life for

employees, it is important to understand employees job satisfaction towards the job. Job

satisfaction is explained as positive emotional state, resulting from stable job, room to grow in

the career and good balance between work and personal life (Joshua Bourne,2020).

There are limited studies that have been conducted on this topic, thus this research focus

on the influence of work life balance in job satisfaction among Malaysia working adults. The

studies used qualitative methods to measure the variables which is through interview. Gender

differences play a major role in work life balance and job satisfaction. This phenomenon can

be explain through role theory which suggest that individuals have multiple roles and managing

these roles can lead to conflict or enrichment. For instance, men are expected to focus on work,

while women are often tasked with family responsibilities. There are past studies show the

connection of gender in job satisfaction for instance there is studies shows the impact of work-

life balance policies on job satisfaction among men and women in different sectors. It

highlights that women benefit more from flexible work arrangements, which significantly

improve their jobs satisfaction (Malik,2017). According to some studies, the experience of

work life balance and job satisfaction is equal in both men and women however, according to
other research, shows the effect of gender is significant, with men reporting higher work-life

balance than women. This is due women faces difficulties in balancing their work and family

life which eventually lead them to leave the workforce. This are the problem arise when

conducting this research.

Evidence of the issue/ Justification of the importance of the problem as found in the past

research and in practice:

The importance of this problem based on past research and in practice are its has impact

on employee well-being, where studies consistently shows that a goof work-life balance is

crucial for overall employee well-being(Jeffrey,2011). Employee who can balance their

professional and personal lives reported higher levels of happiness and lower stress level. This

will directly impact the employee’s job satisfaction, which can lead to higher productivity and

reduce turnover rates (Ellen,1998). Beyond individual and organisational benefits, promoting

work-life balance has boarder societal implication, such as improving family dynamics and

community involvement.

Audiences that will benefit from a study of the problem:

The audience who benefits from these studies are employees and organisation. Where

when there is work life balance among employee it can lead to improved mental and physical

health and also job satisfaction. This will eventually lead to positive organisation culture and

lead to fewer absenteeism.

Gap. Deficiencies in our existing knowledge about the problem. What is missing?
 Despites considerable research on work life balance and job satisfaction, there are still

notable gaps and deficiencies in our understanding, particularly in context of Malaysia.

Existing studies often overlook the unique cultural and societal influence on work-life balance

and job satisfaction in Malaysia. Research that considers cultural norms, values, and

expectations is limited. Besides, there is a need to understand how rise of remote work and

digital technologies effect work-life balance and job satisfaction. By addressing these impacts

through targeted research can provide valuable insights for organisation, employees, and

policymakers in Malaysia, to create more supportive and effective work environments.

Conceptual Framework:

Gender

Work-life balance Job satisfaction

Figure 1: Visual representation of a conceptual framework for the topic “ Work life balance

influences job satisfaction among Malaysian working adult”.

The conceptual framework guiding this research is centred on understanding the

influence of the independent variable, “ Work-life balance on the dependent variable, “ job

satisfaction”.
Research questions Research Objectives

What are the current perception of work-life To assess the current level of work-life

balance among different demographic balance among Malaysian working adults.

groups?

How do organisational policies and To examine the factors influencing work-

practices effect work-life balance and job life balance perceptions, including

satisfaction? organisational policies and individual

characteristic.

Does job satisfaction impact significantly To analyse impact gender difference in

employee performance among Malaysian work-life balance and job satisfaction.

working adults
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