Work Life Balance and the Performance of Academic Staff at the Selected Tertiary Institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ascertaining the effective work and life balance of employees becomes relevant as human needs are evolved in the dynamic environment in which they operate. Several institutions, especially in the education sector have adopted the financial motivation mechanism in covering up for imbalance work life for employees. However, these challenges have persisted and require attention. We therefore aimed at examining a specific impact of work flexibility and environment on the performance of academic staff with a focus on the selected tertiary institutions in Kwara State. We retrieved 246 copies of questionnaires from academic staffs of three selected state-owned institutions. Thus, the data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The new research result revealed that work-life balance through its variables (work flexibility and work environment) significantly affects the employees’ performance. We conducted a search by focusing on the work structures through work flexibility and environment and the analysis has established that work life balance significantly affects the employees’ performance through its indicators. Also, this study found out that with increase in a flexible work style not encroaching into the private life, employees reacts in a positive way and also when the environment becomes conducive, employees tend to rise their work culture thereby affecting their performance. This practical observation also goes in tandem with the position of spill over theory which best appropriates the distinctive factors between home and work. Thus, the new research results recommend making schedules to create clear boundaries between work and private space for attaining effective performance.