Work-Life-Study Balance and Executive Education: Case of India

Abstract

This article aims to understand the unique phenomenon of the work-life-study interface by studying the lived-in experiences of executive education students qualitatively. It delivers a unique contribution by highlighting the third element of ‘study’ in Work-life balance (WLB), unlike most of the literature, which is skewed towards work-life balance and neglects the ‘study’ aspect. The study used phenomenology as the qualitative research method to explore the work-life-study balance of 25 executive education students working in middle-level positions, employing the purposive sampling technique for the year 2020. The findings reveal positive and negative experiences of work-life balance phenomena among executive education students. The results further provide a real-time sneak peek into an executive education scholar’s life and hence, may be used as a point of reference for mental mapping before opting for executive education courses. The study advocates interventions to support executives wishing to re-skill themselves in mid-careers and manage emotions, stress, and burnout.