INTERACTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE WORK LIFE BALANCE STRATEGIES AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS WITH SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING : EVIDENCE FROM RMG SECTOR OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

This research aims to identify if and how individual and organizational Work
Life Balance (WLB) strategies are associated with the perception of Subjective
wellbeing (SWB) of Readymade Garments (RMG) workers in Bangladesh. For
this study, 241 samples from the RMG sector of the country have been selected
and data was collected through structured questionnaire. Ordinary Least
Square (OLS) regression has been conducted to investigate the relationship
among the perception of work life balance and subjective wellbeing of the target
group. Results show that Timing, Tempo, Role Conflict, and interaction between
individual and organizational WLB positively enhance WLB of Bangladeshi
RMG workers. The study also found significant positive relationship among (a)
workers’ beliefs about his/her own satisfaction with life, and (b) autonomy to
set his/her own roster with affective Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) of the RMG
workers of the country. On the contrary, role conflict was found to have a
negative effect on SWB. Interestingly though, the effect of WLB has been found
to have no significant effect on the SWB in the RMG workers of Bangladesh.
Moreover, composite scores of WLB and SWB show that the workers’ work and
life are moderately balanced and overall, they are dissatisfied with their lives.
Wide scale adoption of relevant WLB supportive activities, building awareness
to develop effective individual as well as organizational WLB strategies by
both the corporates and the Government, and rigorous psychological training
will ensure collective wellbeing of the workers in Bangladesh ensuring an
environment of ‘decent work’ in this sector catalyzing Bangladesh’s efforts to go
one step closer towards achieving SDG 8 (Decent work for all). This research
also offers an extensive guideline about the most relevant individual and
organizational WLB strategies to improve WLB status as well as the happiness
of the RMG workers of the country. This study also offers a wide range of future
research opportunities and policy directions to both the RMG managers and the
Government of Bangladesh.