The experiences of work-life balance, stress, and coping lifestyles of female professionals: insights from a developing country
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Date
2020-05-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Employee Relations: Emerald Publishing Limited
Abstract
Purpose – Given the limiting conditions of the gender roles confronting professional working women and
drawing on spillover theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of work-life balance with an
emphasis on the causes of the imbalances, perceived stress, and coping techniques experienced by female
medical doctors in an African context – Nigeria, a geographical location that is considered under-researched.
Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative data is based on one-to-one in-depth interviews with 52
Nigerian female medical doctors.
Findings – Based on the findings of the thematic analysis, it is clear that time squeeze, as a well-known factor
in the medical profession, exacerbates negative work-home interference. However, other themes, such as
patriarchal proclivities and task-pay disparity, that affect female doctors but are rarely considered in studies on
work-life balance also emerged as sources of stress and work-family conflicts, leaving these doctors to devise
individual coping methods as mitigating strategies.
Research limitations/implications – The study relies on a limited qualitative sample size, which makes the
generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study contributes to the limited literature on the implications
of stress and work-family incompatibilities facing women in a society that is not particularly egalitarian, with
an extremely pronounced culture of masculine hegemony that is contrary to western cultures. The article
unveils the socio-cultural difficulties of the work-life demands facing women specific to the Nigerian society
and experienced with a different level of intensity.
Originality/value – The majority of the research on work-life balance has been undertaken in western
countries and has focused on various professional groups and organisations, including the health sector.
Nevertheless, work-life balance is a novel concept within the Nigerian work environment, where female medical
doctors, as a professional group, are rarely studied. The article also provides valuable insights into the macrocontextual features influencing the work-life balance of Nigerian professional women.
Description
Keywords
Coping Strategies, Female Doctors, Work-life Stress
Citation
Akanji, B., Mordi, C. and Ajonbadi, H.A. (2020), "The experiences of work-life balance, stress, and coping lifestyles of female professionals: insights from a developing country", Employee Relations, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 999-1015. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-01-2019-0089