Assessment of Work-Life Balance of Female Academic Staff: Exploring Challenges and Coping Strategies- A Case Study on Ambo University

Abstract

Maintaining a balance between personal and professional life is important for professionals, including academics. Work-life balance helps in achieving and sustaining a healthy work routine that enhances an academic’s effectiveness and satisfaction. This study aimed to assess the work-life balance of female academic staff at Ambo University, focusing on the challenges they face and the coping strategies they adopt. The research involved 120 female academic staff across four campuses of the university. Both primary and secondary data sources were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis methods. The findings highlight a range of challenges experienced by female academics, spanning professional, emotional, and personal domains. Professional challenges include difficulties in maintaining professional networks, updating expertise, and advancing their careers. On a personal level, managing dual responsibilities of professional and personal duties intensifies their workload, leading to dissatisfaction and emotional strain. The excessive time spent on house chores, inclination towards family responsibilities at the expense of professional responsibility, worry about work when not actually at work, low support levels from supervisors and subordinates, and personal and professional related factors are major challenges for female academic staff work-life balance. The study found that female academics use various coping strategies to manage their demanding schedules, including time management, prioritization, seeking support, outsourcing, and making personal sacrifices. The study’s findings have important implications for university administrators, policymakers, and society. Academic institutions need to cultivate a supportive environment that recognizes the importance of family responsibilities. This study also has implications for Governments to collaborate with universities to design policies that recognize the additional emotional and caregiving burdens often placed on women, ensuring fair workload distribution and career advancement opportunities