Journal Article

Faculty perceptions of work-life balance: the role of marital/relationship and family status

Denson, Nida, Szelényi, Katalin

2022

Overview

This study examined correlates of work-life balance perceptions for faculty from various marital/relationship and family statuses, using data from the multi-institutional survey of faculty from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) project at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Indicating lower work-life balance among single (rather than married/partnered) faculty, our findings call for colleges and universities to directly address the work-life struggles of single faculty members with and without children. Our findings also underscore the central importance of institutional support for making personal/family obligations and an academic career compatible for all faculty, supports that are correlated with better faculty work-life balance at the level of both individual faculty and the institution. In addition, we argue that institutional supports are particularly important for early-career faculty, who assessed their work-life balance consistently lower than faculty at higher ranks.

• Publisher: Springer Nature,Springer Netherlands,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Academic careers / Ausland / Careers / Childlessness / Children / Collaboration / College Faculty / College teachers / Correlation / Cultural Influences / Department Heads / Domestic relations / Education / Environmental Influences / Faculty College Relationship / Faculty Promotion / Families & family life / Family / Family Role / Family roles / Family status / Family Work Relationship / Fathers / Females / Gender / Gender Differences / Graduate studies / Health aspects / Higher Education / Hochschule / Institutional aspects / Institutional Characteristics / Lehre / Males / Marital Status / Marriage / Mothers / National Surveys / Occupational roles / Occupations / Parent Responsibility / Parents / Parents & parenting / Perceptions / Psychological aspects / School Policy / School Surveys / Sex Role / Single persons / Soziale Lage / State Surveys / Student / Studentenschaft / Studium / Teacher Attitudes / Time / USA / Women / Women Faculty / Work life balance / Work-Leisure conflict