Luận văn thạc sĩ UEH empirical analysis of factors affecting work life balance among employees in

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

After two years study in International School of Business (ISB) with MBUS program and the

time of doing this thesis, I had great chances to work with professionals come from both

internal and oversea. Those specialists had to equip me not only knowledge, skills and

experience of economy and management, but also provide us valuable information of many

aspects of social life.

Firstly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and deepest appreciation to all my

professors, especially, my research supervisor, Dr. Nguyễn Quỳnh Mai, for her support,

suggesting, guidance during time of my dissertation.

Secondly, I also have got a very nice friendship who have interacted and helped me so much in

studying and shared with me both joys and difficulties during the course, encouraged me so

much in doing this thesis. I would like to send my appreciation to all of them.

Last but most important, I would like to send my deepest thank to my Dad, my Mom, my

brother and my special friend who always stand by my side to encourage and support my spirit

when I’m in the most difficulty.

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Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to identify influence of family responsibility and work pressure on

work life balance of employees in banking sector, to find out the effects of male and female

employees on work life balance and analyze the different between male and female toward

work life balance.

Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative analysis by survey was conducted involving

145 employees working in Vietnam banking sector. Multiple regression analyses were

performed to identify the impacts of family responsibility, working environment and work load

on work life balance of employees in banking sector. Moreover, a multiple regression analyses

were also test to discover the control role of gender variable.

Findings – The results showed that two determinants which are working environment and

work load negatively influence employees’ work life balance. Gender variable plays a control

role in the relationship toward the impacts of family responsibility, working environment and

work load on work life balance. Furthermore, male and female have different influence on

work life balance.

Keywords: Family responsibility, work pressure, work life balance, employee

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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................1

Abstract .........................................................................................................................................2

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................5

LIST OF FIGURE AND CHART.................................................................................................6

1.1 Background of the research .................................................................................................7

1.2 Research problem, research objective, and research questions...........................................8

1.3 Scope of study......................................................................................................................9

1.4 Significance..........................................................................................................................9

1.5 Structure of the thesis statements.........................................................................................9

CHAPER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORITICAL MODEL........................................10

2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................10

2.2 Work—life balance concepts:............................................................................................10

2.3 Factors influence Work—life balance ...............................................................................12

2.3.1 Work life balance and family responsibilities:............................................................12

2.3.2 Work life balance and work pressure:.........................................................................13

2.3.3 Work life balance and gender......................................................................................15

2.3.4 The Vietnam banking context .....................................................................................16

2.4 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................16

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................18

3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................18

3.2 Research design process: ...................................................................................................18

3.2.1. Measurement of variable:...........................................................................................19

3.2.2 Questionnaires design:.................................................................................................21

3.2.3 Sample .........................................................................................................................22

3.2.4 Data analysis................................................................................................................23

3.3 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................24

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS..............................................................................................25

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4.1 Introduction:.......................................................................................................................25

4.2. Sample description:...........................................................................................................25

4.2.1 Final sample.................................................................................................................25

4.2.2 Demography Statistics:................................................................................................25

4.3 Refinement of measurement scale:....................................................................................27

4.3.1 Cronbach’s Alpha results of each measurement .........................................................27

4.3.2 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA).............................................................................30

4.4 Adjustment of hypotheses and research model .................................................................35

4.5 Hypotheses testing .............................................................................................................36

4.5.1 Model 1: Regression analysis between dependent variable (WLB) with independent

variables (FR; WE; WL) ......................................................................................................36

4.5.2 Model 2: Relationship between FR, WE, WL and WLB and moderating effect of

gender ...................................................................................................................................39

4.6 Testing assumptions of Multiple Regressions...................................................................45

4.7 Hypotheses result...............................................................................................................45

4.8 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................47

CHAPTER 5: FINDING, LIMITATION AND FURTURE RESEARCH.................................48

5.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................48

5.2 Findings..............................................................................................................................48

5.3 Managerial implications and recommendation..................................................................49

5.4 Limitations and future research direction ..........................................................................52

References...................................................................................................................................54

APPENDIX A .............................................................................................................................58

QUESTIONAIRE (English version)...........................................................................................58

APPENDIX B..............................................................................................................................62

BẢNG CÂU HỎI........................................................................................................................62

APPENDIX C..............................................................................................................................66

APPENDIX D .............................................................................................................................69

APPENDIX E..............................................................................................................................81

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Measurement.............................................................................................................. 20

Table 4.1 Demographic Statistics of the Respondents............................................................... 26

Table 4.2 Reliability Statistics of Family responsibilities variable............................................ 29

Table 4.3 Reliability Statistics of Work pressure variable......................................................... 30

Table 4.4 Reliability Statistics of Work life balance variable ................................................... 31

Table 4.5 KMO and Barlett’s Test............................................................................................. 32

Table 4.6 Rotated Component Matrix........................................................................................ 35

Table 4.7 Model Summary......................................................................................................... 38

Table 4.8 ANOVA ..................................................................................................................... 38

Table 4.9 Regression analysis of Work life balance .................................................................. 39

Table 4.10 Model Summary and ANOVA of work life balance with moderating effect of

gender......................................................................................................................................... 40

Table 4.11 Regression analysis of work life balance with moderating effect of gender........... 42

Table 4.12 Regression analysis of gender variable – female only............................................. 44

Table 4.13 Regression analysis of gender variable – male only................................................ 45

Table 5.14 Questionnaire for working environment pressure.................................................... 51

Table 5.15 Questionnaire for work load..................................................................................... 53

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LIST OF FIGURE AND CHART

Figure 2.1 Hypotheses Model .................................................................................................... 17

Figure 3.1 Research design process ........................................................................................... 18

Figure 4.1 New Hypotheses Model............................................................................................ 36

Figure 4.2 Testing models.......................................................................................................... 37

Chart 4.1 Impact of family responsibility on work-life balance of Male and Female............... 42

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the research

Each organization has its own asset which contains two main components – labor

and capital. Capital is so important to the achievement of the business, while labor is vital to it.

The labor does everything daily and the whole existing time of the organization. The reality of

working life today is that employees are frequently trying to manipulate their work and

personal lives.

Two important points of adult life are family and work. However, the role expectations

of these two domains are not always compatible, creating conflicts between work and

family life (Netemeyer, Boles, and McMurrian, 1996). In recent years, research on balance

between the different role fields of work and family has dramatically increased.

To balance between the family responsibilities and work responsibilities has become a

challenge for the people in many professions. Felstead, Jewson, Phizacklea and Walters (2002)

defined the work life balance strategies as those strategies which enhance the independence of

employees in coordinating with the work and non-work aspects of their lives. Balancing the

demands of work and family roles has become a principal daily task form any employed adults,

imparts result of changes in employee demographic characteristics and societal attitudes about

work and family (Zedeck,1992).

The spirit of employees is so important which is absolutely necessary for the success of

each organization in any field, including business. According to The international labor

organization, labor productivity of Singapore is 15 times the productivity of Viet Nam.

Therefore, in doing business today, beside the instability of financial sector, one of the biggest

problems for Vietnamese that have been discussed so much on media is productivity of

Vietnamese labor is low. This problem is agreed by both Vietnamese government officials and

employees. And many foreign managers who have worked with Vietnamese people also reveal

that Vietnamese labor is intelligent and has good skills, but the output is quite low compare to

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labor of other neighbor countries, this problem could relate to the motivation aspect that

requires reasonable answer and solutions.

Moreover, the fact is that not many managers in Vietnam consider carefully

about factors that motivate their employees in doing works, encourage them to perform better.

Many companies in Viet Nam have policies to motivate their employees but almost of them

only focus on working environment and policies related to compensations, training or

promotion, not to help their employees dealing with the conflict between work and life

responsibilities. Therefore, improving work-life balance of employees is one of important

factors that must to be concerned when planning encourages policies which help strengthen the

human resource of Vietnamese companies.

Understand the importance of employees’ work life balance and implement reasonable

policies are so important to each manager for the Vietnam banks and the whole Vietnamese

economic system in competing with foreigners. In this study, work life balance will be

investigated to find out the factors effect work life balance and the differences of gender

toward work life balance.

1.2 Research problem, research objective, and research questions

Research problem

How do family responsibilities and work pressure effect on work-life balance of employees in

Vietnam banking? What are the differences of those impacts on gender?

Research questions

 What is the factors effect work life balance of employees working in Viet Nam banks?

 How do the gender factor influence on the work life balance?

Research objective

The overall objective of this research is to identify the factors effect work life balance of

employees working in Viet Nam banking sector and to find out the differences of gender

toward work life balance. Specific objectives in this research are as follows:

 Identify factors influence work life balance of employees banking sector

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