International Journal of Arts and Commerce Vol. 4 No. 4 April, 2015

97

A CONCEPTUAL PAPER ON WORK FAMILY BALANCE IN

THE HOTEL INDUSTRY: A MALAYSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ruth Sabina Francis 1 and Mr.Gopinath Sangaran

2

1, 2

LECTURER, TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY,

N0.1,JALAN TAYLOR’S, SUBANG JAYA 46150,

MALAYSIA

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study is an attempt to investigate the work - family balance amongst the hotel industry

personnel in the Malaysian culture. Employees are one of the key elements in the operation of a successful

hospitality business. Having the right employees will greatly enhance the likelihood of success for any

enterprise. Employee turnover has resulted as the key factor for the various work-family imbalances in the

hotel industry. This paper is intended to study the possibility of the existence of the work - family balance in

the hotel industry and how much popularity has it gained. A mixed methods research design shall be

deployed for the study. A conceptual framework with factors such as turnover intention, increased burn out,

decreased job satisfaction, employee retention, increased recruitment would possibly emerge out as the

independent variables to the work-family balance.

KEYWORDS: Work-Family Balance, Hotel Industry, job-satisfaction, work-based stress, turnover

intentions

Introduction:

For several decades, work-family research has attempted to understand the causes and consequences of

work-family conflict (Bond, Thompson, Galinsky, & Prottas, 2003). Studies have shown that an

organization which values its employees and recognizes the importance of work life balance stands to win in

terms of staff morale and commitment (Nadeem & Hendry, 2003; Liddicott, 2003). Yet many hotels and

hospitality companies pay scant regard to trying to understand the motivations of their employees.

(Michael.C.G.Davidson, 2003).

Worldwide the, total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges and other separations. Total separation

is referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluptuary separations initiated by the employer. There were

4.2million total separations in October 2013. (BLS Bureau of labour Statistics U.S. Department of Labour,

News Release October 2013). It is recognised that management jobs in the hotel industry are noted for

International Journal of Arts and Commerce ISSN 1929-7106 www.ijac.org.uk

98

having characteristics known to be detrimental to family life, such as long and irregular hours, emphasis on

face time, frequent location, and so on (Harris, O’Neill, Cleveland, &Crouter, 2007). These detrimental

characteristics are considered to be greatly linked with the human resources issues within the hotel industry.

Hence hotels have come up with strategies such as five day working such as Hilton, KL, but the underling

factor is can it be implemented to all hotels and does it guarantee that the employee has a good balance of

both work and family.

Therefore this study will explore into the aspects of how the hotel employees in Malaysia perceive the work-

family balance and does it have any effect at all in the industry.

Review of Literature:

Work-Family balance is explained as “low levels of work-family conflict in combination with high levels of

work-family facilitation by Frone (2003). Though many studies have evolved in the concept of work-family

balance often it is also quoted as work-life balance (Wierda-Boer Gerris, &Vermulst, 2008). McMillan et

al(2011) researched further and linked the parameters such as conflict and enrichment perspectives together

and derived at the work-life harmony which is defined as, “an individually pleasing, congruent arrangement

of work and life roles that is interwoven into a single narrative of life”.

The evolution of Work -Family balance as drawn out by SarikaJain(2013) is as follows;

S.No. Year Researcher Work-Life /

Family

Explanation

1 1985 Greenhaus and

Beutell

Work-family

conflict

Conflict occurred when work interfered with

family.

2 1988 Chow and

Berheide

The separate-

spheres model

Segregated approach to work and family

3 1992 Frone Bi-directional

conceptualisation

of WFC

Work family conflict is a bidirectional process.

4 1999 Barnett The overlapping

spheres model

Work and family are two spheres that overlap

considerably.

5 2002 Werbel and

Walter

Work-family

facilitation

Work and family are interdependent and

complementary

6 2006 Greenhaus and

Powell

Work-Family

enrichment

Extent to which experiences in one role

increase performance and positive affect in

another role.

7 2011 McMillan et al. Work-life harmony Work and life roles that is interwoven into a

single narrative of life.

International Journal of Arts and Commerce Vol. 4 No. 4 April, 2015

99

Sarika (2013) further concluded that not much effort has been made to comprehend the concepts, conflict

and enrichment together, so an integrated framework is required to understand the concept of work-family

balance in totality.

Research on the work-family balance has been taken up in the Malaysian concept, but there is much space in

the hotel industry that has not been explored. The following table enlists the various studies that evolved

around work-family balance in the Malaysian context;

S.No. Title Author/ Authors Year Remarks

1 A Cross-Cultural Test of

the Work-Family Interface

in 48 Countries

E. JEFFREY HILL Brigham

Young University and IBM,

Global Workforce Diversity

CHONGMING YANG AND

ALAN J. HAWKINS Brigham

Young University MARIA

FERRIS IBM, Global Workforce

Diversity

2004 Studies in IBM

industry

2 FAMILY FRIENDLY

POLICIES IN

MALAYSIA: WHERE

ARE WE?

GeethaSubramaniam, Victoria

University of Wellington Doris

PadminiSelvaratnam,

UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia

2010 More to Female

employees,

Business owners,

private sector,

public sector and

academicians

3 Employee Attrition in the

Malaysian Service

Industry: Push and Pull

Factors

essica Sze-Yin Ho *, Alan G

Downe ** and Siew-PhaikLoke

***

2010 Service industry

like Business to

business, end users,

customer support

4 Constructs of Quality of

Work Life: A Perspective of

Information and Technology

Professionals

Rethinam, GunaSeelan and Ismail,

Maimunah

2007 Study in various

countries and in

Malaysia too but in

the IT industry

5 Can a manager have a life

and a career? International

and multisource

perspectives on work-life

balance and career

advancement potential.

Lyness, Karen S.; Judiesch,

Michael K.

2008 Studies conducted

over 33 countries in

egalitarian cultures.

International Journal of Arts and Comme

While countries such as United Kingdo

incorporating workplace flexibility for a

work environment. Subramaniam (2010)

Conceptual framework:

Probable Research questions:

With the gap being identified as such t

industry, therefore giving much room for

R1. What are the consequences of work-

Lu(2011) researched on the impact of

work-family conflict and life satisfacti

relationship between working hours an

positive relationship between working h

the contributing consequences in the hot

R2. What is the relationship between T

Retention and Increased Recruitment wit

According to Amstad et al., (2011) con

turnover intentions and family satisfacti

B

TURNOVER

INTENTION-

IDV1

INCREASED

BURN OUT-IDV2

D

SA

merce ISSN 1929-7106

dom, Europe, United States, Australia and New

a very long time, this working arrangement is n

0).

that such study has not been much analysed in

for the following research questions to emerge.

-family balance?

working hours and role of personal preference

ction amongst Taiwanese employees. Though th

and job and overall life satisfaction. At the sam

hours and Work Family Conflict. Hence a throu

otel industry need to be identified.

Turnover intention, Increased Burn out, Job Sa

ith Work Family Balance?

onsequences leading to Work Family Conflict w

ctions. Family satisfaction was also found to be

WORK

FAMILY

BALANCE-

DV

DECREASED

JOB

ATISFACTION-

IDV3

EMPLOYEE

RETENTION-

IDV4

INCREASE

RECRUITME

IDV5

www.ijac.org.uk

ew Zealand have been

new in the Malaysian

in the Malaysian hotel

ce on job satisfaction,

there was a negative

ame time there was a

ough study of what are

Satisfaction, Employee

were Job Satisfaction,

a major contributing

ED

ENT-

International Journal of Arts and Commerce Vol. 4 No. 4 April, 2015

101

factor according to Baral& Bhargava, 2010; Mcnall et al.,2009) and also to be linked with turnover

intentions. Hence the perceived consequences still need to be explored in the Malaysian hotel industry.

Conclusion:

The study is in the very preliminary stage and has to be analysed in the hotel industry. The innate objective

of the study is to analyse the work family balance / work life balance and its relevance in the perspective of

the Malaysian hotel industry.

References:

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family conflict and various outcomes with a special emphasis on cross domain versus

matching-domain relations, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(2), 151-169.

Baral R & Bhargava S. (2010). Work-family enrichment as a mediator between organisational

interventions for work-life balance and job outcomes, Journal of Managerial Psychology,

25(3), 274-300.

Barnett, R.C. (1999). A new work-life model for the twenty-first century, The Annals, 562(1),

143-158

BLS Bureau of Labour Statistics U.S. Department of Labour, News Release October 2013

Chow, E. &Berheide, C. (1988). The interdependence of family and work: A framework for

family life education, policy, practice, Journal of Family Relations, 37, 23-8.

Frone, M.R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M.L. (1992). Antecedents and outcomes of work-

family conflict: Testing a model of the work-family interface, Journal of Applied

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Frone, M.R. (2003). Work- family balance, Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology,

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Greenhaus, J.H., &Beutell, N.J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles,

Academy of Management Review, 10, 76-88

Greenhaus, J.H., & Powell, G.N., (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of

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Lu L., (2011). Working hours and personal preference among Taiwanese employees,

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McMillan H.S.,Morris M.L., and Atchley K.E. (2011). Constructs of the work / life

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Harmony, Human Resource Development Review, 10(1), 6-25.

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Subramaniam,G., &Selvaratnam, D.P. (2010). Family Friendly Policies in Malaysia: Where are

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1004-1014.