Work-life balance policies, job satisfaction and productivity of female academic staff in state-owned Universities of South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Extant studies suggested dwindling research outputs as well as teaching inefficiency among female academic staff in Nigerian Universities, hence this study examined work-life balance policies (WLBP), job satisfaction and productivity of female academic staff in State-owned Universities of South-West, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the influence of WLBP on the job satisfaction of female academic staff of State-owned Universities in South-West, Nigeria; ascertain the influence of WLBP on the productivity of female academic staff; evaluate the influence of job satisfaction on the productivity of female academic staff; examine the moderating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between WLBP and the productivity of female academic staff and ascertain the differences in the perception of the female academic staff on WLBP, job satisfaction and productivity based on the demographic characteristics. Survey research design was adopted to study WLBP, job satisfaction and productivity of female academic staff in State-owned Universities of South-West Nigeria. Six State-owned Universities were purposively selected from the existing ten based on the year of establishments. The study sampled seven hundred and six (706) female academic staff in the selected State-owned Universities. Data were gathered with the aid of a structured questionnaire and an interview guide. Data analysis was carried out with both descriptive statistical tools (frequency, percentage, bar chart, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistical tools, partial least square regression ({PLS-SEM}, and Kruskal Wallis Test). Specifically, objective one to four were analyzed using PLS-SEM while objective five was analyzed using Kruskal Wallis Test. Findings showed that all the proxies of WLBP (leave policies {Tval = 3.591, p=.000}, dependent care policies {Tval = 2.996, p=.001}and employee assistance programmes {Tval = 4.310, p=.000}) were found to be significant predictors of job satisfaction among female academic staff; all the proxies of WLBP (leave policies {Tval = 5.500, p=.000}, dependent care policies {Tval = 3.965, p=.000}and employee assistance programme {Tval = 4.783, p=.000}determine the productivity of female academic staff; job satisfaction contributes significantly to the measures of productivity (research outputs {Tval = 9.495, p=.000} and teaching efficiency {Tval = 7.256, p=.000}of female academic staff; job satisfaction moderates the relationship between WLBP and productivity of female academic staff at (R2=0.593, t-statistics=2.006, P-value =0.000); and it was established that there is no significant difference in the perception of the female academic staff on WLBP, job satisfaction and productivity with age at (χ2= 4.826, p=0.000, rank (χ2= 7.838, df=5, P=0.04),education (χ2= 5.873, P=0.000), marital status (χ2= 6.369, P=0.05), and experience (χ2= 8.401, P=0.000). The study concluded that WLBP do have a significant effect on job satisfaction and productivity of female academic staff of the selected State-owned Universities in Nigeria. Also, job satisfaction has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between WLBP and productivity of Female academic staff. The study recommended the formulation and effective implementation of WLBP in State-owned Universities of Nigeria so as to increase job satisfaction and boost productivity of female academic staff.