An investigation of work-life conflict in regional Australia : empirical evidence from an Australian regional university

Work-life conflict is a form of inter-role conflict where simultaneous occurrence of role pressure from work and other aspects of life such as family may lead to a conflict situation as compliance with one may limit an individuals' ability to meet the demands of the other domain. The extant research of work-life conflict literature mostly focused on the issues related with non-regional areas. There is scope of research to be conducted among the work-life balance issues in the regional areas. The purpose of this study was to examine work-life conflict experience among academics and general staff of a regional Australian university. The study would therefore explore how total work-hours and associated variables such as strain and social support affect work-life conflict among university employees. Both academic (n=132) and general (administrative) staff members (n=149) completed a web-based survey (Survey Monkey) designed to measure each of the research variables. Total work-hours of academics was significantly greater than those of general staff (48 vs 38 hours) (p<0.05). The result suggests that total work-hours significantly affect work-life conflict experience for both the academics and general staff members. Further analysis reveals that academics experience significantly more (p< 0.05) work-life conflict compared to the general staff members. It was found that there is no significant difference in strain experience between these two cohorts. Finally, the study found that the general staff experienced significantly (p< 0.05) greater level of work related social support. The study recommends practical implications for management of academics in regional university in Australia and guides for future research.