The Moderating Effect of Ethnicity on Relationship between Role Demands and Work-Life Balance among Women Lecturers in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Women lecturers participate in various work and life roles, which can create challenges when trying to balance the pressures and responsibilities associated with each role. This study is particularly relevant for women in the teaching profession specially for the university lecturers. The current study seeks to argue that the constructs of role demands and ethnicity have been neglected in the work-life balance literature in Sri Lankan context. The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of ethnicity on role demand and the work-life balance of women lecturers in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the study examines the relationship between two aspects of role demands (work and family) and work-life balance among women lecturers in Sri Lanka as well as the role of ethnic identity as a moderator of the relationship. First, to investigate the direct relationship, two exogenous constructs; work demand and family demand and two endogenous constructs namely work satisfaction, family satisfaction were identified. Next, the study was to decide whether the relationship between role demands and work-life balance among women lecturers in Sri Lanka differ on the basis of ethnicity. To test this, ethnicity used as moderating variable and considered the two major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka namely, Sinhala and Tamil. The sample has been selected through random sampling and quantitative research approach has been applied. A questionnaire survey was used to gather data from women lecturers in state universities in Sri Lanka. There were 265 responses were obtained. The structural equation model was used in analyzing the data. First, the result of the study demonstrates that the significant negative relationship between role demands and work-life balance, and it fills a gap in the literature by validating the associations between role demands and work-life balance dimensions. Finally, the study shows that the relationship between role demands and work-life balance is not moderated by ethnic identity. This result is remarkable as this is the first study that presented the outcome of relationships between role demands and work-life balance among women lecturers’ in Sri Lanka as not differing on the basis of ethnicity. This study recognized that women lecturers can improve work life balance by balancing work and family role demands. Furthermore, it was implied that when living under the same economic and social system different ethnic groups gain similar perceptions.