Work-life balance: analysis and perspectives of female engineers

Abstract

A lot of research is devoted to studying the role and influence of work-life balance on all aspects of employee productivity, however, the low representation of female engineers in Kazakhstan shows a different picture, where the main problem is to achieve that very balance. Work-life balance is the process of balancing multiple roles of a person, in particular work and family, which is defined as a positive interaction without compromising any responsibilities. Using the results of unstructured interviews with 27 female engineers in Kazakhstan, an assessment was made of the level of work-life balance of women in the field of engineering, where there are a number of stereotypes about the "male" profession. There is a direct relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction, as well as between work-life balance and the commitment of women engineers to their profession. However, this study revealed some peculiarity between the respondents' answers about the existence of work-life balance in their lives and the real picture, where the main place is given to the very preference of women in choosing the main role for themselves at this stage of life. Ultimately, the results of the study highlighted the importance of further research into this issue and the implementation of a friendly work-life balance policy at the organizational level