Work-life balance : occupational stress, psychological capital and general health among working women at a University.
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Date
2016
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Abstract
In recent times, South Africa has witnessed an increasing female labour force due to the changing context of work. Despite, the increase of women in the work sphere, many women are still seen to be situated in the home sphere. As a result, many working women in contemporary society have to juggle both work and home life – creating a work life balance challenge. This work-life balance challenge has been shown to increase occupational stress among women, consequently endangering their general health. One way to reduce the effect of occupational stress on general health is to have high psychological capital – positive strengths that can combat the effects of stress on health. The study was conducted among staff at a local university. Specifically, it was conducted on female employees at the university and included different categories of female staff including, cleaning staff, administrative staff, and academic staff. Data was assessed using quantitative methods as the purpose of the study was to identify key relationships. More precisely, a cross-sectional design was used. The study sought to determine the relationship between the four constructs of the study: work-life balance, occupational stress, psychological capital and general health and to determine whether psychological capital plays a mediating role in the relationship between occupational stress and general health. The results showed that psychological capital did not play a mediating role in the relationship between occupational stress and general health. However, the research has shown that a higher level of psychological capital is associated with higher levels of general health. Additionally, the study found that while negative work life balance does not necessarily diminish the experience of good general health, it may lead to an increase in occupational stress.
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Master of Human Sciences. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2016.