Dissertation
Work-life balance and the role of self-leadership
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2022
DOI: 10.17077/etd.006364
Abstract
Background
Working in hospitals requires nurses to function within less than ideal and stressful circumstances such as shift work, tight schedules, and understaffing. Work stress and life demands have impacted nurses’ ability to maintain a good work-life balance. Research evidence shows that nurses’ poor work-life balance is significantly associated with negative nurse (e.g., emotional exhaustion, mental distress, and poor self-rated health) and organizational outcomes (e.g., poor job satisfaction and high turnover).
Despite the importance of work-life balance in nursing, the extent to which the concept has been studied is relatively low. In addition, work-life balance relies on contextual factors such as social environment, culture, and economic status, however, majority of studies were conducted in Western countries. Our understanding of how contextual factors in non-Western countries, such as Oman, is limited.
Moreover, most of the available studies are descriptive and focus on examining organizational and personal predictors of work-life balance with limited information about tools that could help nurses achieve the desired balance. Self-leadership, an individual attribute, represents the way by which individuals influence themselves to achieve self-direction and motivation, and could thus play a significant role in shaping how nurses respond to work and life demands and attempt to achieve work-life balance.
Study Purpose and Research Questions
The two-fold purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was to: 1) investigate the relationship between work and personal factors and work-life balance among Omani nurses working in Ministry of Health (MOH) institutions, and 2) explore the moderating effect of self-leadership on the relationship between both work and personal factors and work-life balance. The current study was guided by the following research questions: 1) to what extent do nurses’ personal factors explain variance in work-life balance?, 2) to what extent do nurses’ work factors explain variance in work-life balance?, and 3) to what extent does self-leadership moderate the relationships of both work and personal factors to nurses’ work-life balance?
Methods
A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study design was used to investigate work-life balance among nurses working in MOH institutions in Oman. Nurses completed an online questionnaire measuring work-life balance (Valcour’s Satisfaction with work-life balance scale, Carlson’s Work-Family Balance scale, and Greenhaus’s Work-Family Balance scale), self-leadership (Abbreviated Self-Leadership Questionnaire), nursing practice environment (Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work Index), job demands (Job Demands in Nursing Scale), and job characteristics and personal factors (using investigator developed questions). The three scales measuring work-life balance were combined into two scales labeled as “Satisfaction with work-life balance” and “Actual work-life balance.” Multiple linear regressions were performed for each research question twice using the two work-life balance scales that were identified by the factor analysis.
Results
The final study sample comprised of 1,741 Omani nurses. The majority of the participants were females (84.4%) and married (85.9%); 59.4% of the participants worked in acute care hospitals while 36.2% worked in primary care institutions and nearly half of the participants worked rotating shifts (53.8%). The overall regression model involving personal factors explained 22% and 8% of the variance in satisfaction with work-life balance and actual work-life balance respectively. The overall regression model involving work factors explained 44% and 23% of the variance in satisfaction with work-life balance and actual work-life balance. Age, using an in-house helper, and satisfaction with support at home were the significant personal predictors of satisfaction with work-life balance and actual work-life balance. Significant work predictors of satisfaction with work-life balance and actual work-life balance included nursing practice environment and job demands. Self-leadership was computed as a moderating variable for personal and work factors with criterion variables satisfaction and actual work-life balance. Regression models involving self-leadership interaction with personal factors explained 33% and 22% of the variance in satisfaction and actual work-life balance respectively; and regression models involving self-leadership interactions with work factors explained 46% and 30% of the variance in satisfaction and actual work-life balance respectively.
Conclusion
Certain personal and work factors explained the variance in work-life balance among nurses in Oman and self-leadership was found to moderate the relationship between some personal and work factors. Implications for nursing practice include providing nurse mangers with information that can be used to develop initiatives and strategies to improve nurses’ work-life balance and inform the development of work-life friendly policies.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Work-life balance and the role of self-leadership
- Creators
- Ahmed Said Al-Saaidi
- Contributors
- Amany Farag (Advisor)Mary Clark (Committee Member)Jacinda Bunch (Committee Member)Beth Livingston (Committee Member)Thomas Vaughn (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Nursing
- Date degree season
- Spring 2022
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.006364
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiv, 134 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2022 Ahmed Al-Saaidi
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color), map, tables
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 110-124).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- Poor work-life balance (WLB) has negative consequences on nurses and organizational outcomes such as job dissatisfaction, intention to leave, health threats, and mental distress. Conversely, good work-life balance has positive consequences on nurses and organizational outcomes such as increased organizational commitment, work engagement, job satisfaction, and family satisfaction. To improve work-life balance, we need to understand work and personal factors that predict work-life balance and find tools that could help nurses achieve a desired balance. Further, work-life balance is affected by cultural, social, and economic contexts; nurses might navigate work-life balance differently in different cultures. The existing literature, conducted mainly in Western countries, is inadequate for understanding work-life balance among nurses in Oman. The current study was conducted in Oman among nurses working in Ministry of Health institutions to examine the impact of personal and work factors on work-life balance and to understand how the role of self-leadership, an individual attribute, represents the way by which individuals influence themselves to achieve self-direction and motivation in relation to work-life balance. The study found that age, having an in house-helper, satisfaction with support at home, nursing work environment, and job demands predicted work-life balance among Omani nurses. Job demands were found to negatively impact work-life balance compared to other factors. The study also found that self-leadership strengthened the relationship between certain personal and work factors and work-life balance. The study findings can be used by health care administrators and nurse managers in Oman to devise strategies to improve work-life balance among nurses.
- Academic Unit
- Nursing
- Record Identifier
- 9984270953802771
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