Strategies for Work-Life Balance for Women in the Academic Profession of Sri Lanka

Most researchers are investigating work-life balance as a Human Resource Management tool used to attract, motivate and retain skilled employees rather than focusing on how individuals achieve work and personal life satisfaction when engaging work and family roles. This study shifts the focus from the engagement perspective that is highly beneficial for the organization to an enhancement perspective that increases the quality of personal life. This study aimed to explore and describe strategies for the work-family balance that can potentially contribute to the family wellbeing of women in the academic profession in Sri Lanka.

Semi-structured interviews exploring the experiences of work-life balance were undertaken with thirty women lecturers in state universities in Sri Lanka. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest the following strategies: compartmentalizing and separating roles between work and life, fostering personal relationships, building a professional support system, a better plan schedule, and organization, self–care in terms of personal, physical, and mental health, learning and research-based work environment, effective communication in both domains, and utilization of technology and focus on sacrificing personal life for success. The identified strategies, specifically for the Sri Lankan context and that it does so from the perspective of Sri Lankan women academics.