Can Employee ‘Work-Life Balance’ Contribute to Business Sustainability?
Essay Question: How compatible is the concept of ‘work-life balance’ with the various ‘schools of management thought’? Can employee ‘work-life balance’ contribute to business sustainability?
The concept of work-life balance ‘implies that work is different from life’ (Bell, R 2012). This essay will discuss the close link between the concept of work-life balance with the schools of management thought. This essay will begin by defining work-life balance. It will then explain the schools of management thought which is made up of five various schools of thought being classical, behavioural, management science, quality management and systems. Next it will then turn to examine the compatibility between both these concepts and the impact in which they have on each other. Finally it will deal with the impact an employee’s work-life balance can have on the sustainability of business. The essay will argue that there is a significant link between the work-life balance concept and the school of management thought and that an employee with a positive work-life balance can contribute to business sustainability.
Work-life balance has been defined as ‘the division of someone’s time, energy etc., between the responsibilities and requirements of their work on the one hand, and the needs of their personal life, as family obligations and activities, social and leisure activities etc., on the other. (Macquarie concise dictionary fifth edition online, 2009) There is no defined ratio on the perfect work-life balance, due to the fact that each person is an individual and what might be the perfect balance for you may not work for someone else. However ‘work-life balance is proving an elusive goal for more and more people.’(Taylor, cited by Nolan 2002) This is due to the rapid changes to working hours and the pressure organisations are under to produce ‘goods and services, of the right quality and price, when the customers want them’ (Taylor, cited by Donaghy 2002) which cause
The concept of work-life balance ‘implies that work is different from life’ (Bell, R 2012). This essay will discuss the close link between the concept of work-life balance with the schools of management thought. This essay will begin by defining work-life balance. It will then explain the schools of management thought which is made up of five various schools of thought being classical, behavioural, management science, quality management and systems. Next it will then turn to examine the compatibility between both these concepts and the impact in which they have on each other. Finally it will deal with the impact an employee’s work-life balance can have on the sustainability of business. The essay will argue that there is a significant link between the work-life balance concept and the school of management thought and that an employee with a positive work-life balance can contribute to business sustainability.
Work-life balance has been defined as ‘the division of someone’s time, energy etc., between the responsibilities and requirements of their work on the one hand, and the needs of their personal life, as family obligations and activities, social and leisure activities etc., on the other. (Macquarie concise dictionary fifth edition online, 2009) There is no defined ratio on the perfect work-life balance, due to the fact that each person is an individual and what might be the perfect balance for you may not work for someone else. However ‘work-life balance is proving an elusive goal for more and more people.’(Taylor, cited by Nolan 2002) This is due to the rapid changes to working hours and the pressure organisations are under to produce ‘goods and services, of the right quality and price, when the customers want them’ (Taylor, cited by Donaghy 2002) which cause