Exploring the relationship between work-family balance and employee engagement amongst workers in Bahrain

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the relationship between work-family balance and employee engagement among Bahraini workers. An overwhelming number of studies have been conducted in the West. In contrast, there is a paucity of research on work-family balance and employee engagement in the Middle East region, particularly in Bahrain. The objectives of the study include: to explore the definitions of work-family balance and its effect on employee engagement amongst workers in Bahrain; to examine the ideology surrounding employees’ role in the workplace and family and how it affects their work culture; to ascertain the extent to which institutional and organisational policies promote or hinder work-family balance and employee engagement amongst Bahrainis in the workplace, and; to assess the adaptive and coping strategies of Bahraini employees on their work-family balance and work engagement. In order to achieve these objectives, qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured indepth interviews with 50 Bahraini workers (male and female) across three major cities in Bahrain. Drawing on the data collected, two important contributions are made to the field of study. First, the study provides empirical evidence of the existing relationship between work-family balance and employee engagement in Bahrain. The findings illustrate how Bahraini employees define work-family balance and employee engagement as quality time and availability, autonomy and control, and as an integration of work and family domains. The findings also revealed how role expectations at work and home affect the ability of Bahraini employees to achieve work-family balance and employee engagement. In other words, there is an overarching relationship between individual roles and their ability to manage their work and family obligations, which includes being engaged. The findings highlight the various institutional and Organisational policies shaping the attainment of work-family balance and employee engagement amongst workers in Bahrain. The findings also reveal that Bahraini workers grapple with work-family conflict and struggle to cope with their job demands and family obligations. It further highlights the unique coping strategies adopted by Bahraini workers to deal with work-family conflict. Specifically, the impact of patriarchy on how men and women perform their duties and roles at work and home is discussed. In other words, the findings reveal that the masculinity features that play out in Bahraini society significantly impact the ability to achieve work-family balance and work engagement. Second, the study provides theoretical contributions by establishing the relationship between work-family balance and employee engagement. The study provides evidence that there is a positive relationship between WFB and employee engagement, given that employees who successfully manage the two domains tend to be satisfied with their jobs, translating into work engagement. For most in this study, such relationships could not be achieved due to several factors affecting work-family balance, especially the increasing job and family demands. More specifically, the study provides initial support for the job demand-resources model and its relevance to understanding work-family balance and employee engagement. It is evident from the findings that employees have increasing job demands, which often conflicts with the home demands (especially for women). Although the JD-R model focuses expressly on the relationship between job demand and job resources necessary to enhance employees’ productivity and performance, it overlooks the impact of family demands on the worker’s ability to perform work-related task. Despite having the necessary job resources, employees may be unproductive or disengaged if the resources needed for their non-work-related responsibilities are absent. Therefore, employees seek adequate job resources to deal with their job demands, as well as having sufficient home resources that help them fulfil their familial responsibilities.