article · SA Journal of Human Resource Management
Women who balance employment, higher education, and motherhood face significant challenges in achieving work-life balance, particularly in non-Western settings. An investigation into the lived experiences of these working mothers shows that maintaining well-being relies on multiple intersecting support mechanisms. Crucial factors include workplace flexibility, assistance from colleagues, supportive supervisors, and structured daily routines. Support from family plays an essential part, with assistance from extended family members identified as the central factor enabling mothers to cope with competing demands. Based on these findings, employers are urged to establish family-friendly operational policies. These initiatives can enhance the well-being of staff while simultaneously supporting the professional training, growth, and career progression of female employees within organisations.
Many working mothers pursue education to advance their careers while handling domestic duties. Understanding the factors that help women sustain well-being across these overlapping roles provides employers with clear evidence to adjust management practices. Creating supportive workplace environments can foster gender equity and improve employee retention without forcing women to compromise their family responsibilities or professional development.
Human resource departments, workplace wellbeing consultants, and management teams can use these insights to design supportive employment policies and corporate training programmes. Because the findings are derived from qualitative interviews with a small sample, the research serves as early-stage guidance that organisations can adapt to draft specific flexible-working and retention initiatives aimed at female professionals.
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Orientation: In recent years, work–life balance has become one of the most important issues of interest to researchers and policymakers. Although women have been identified to be more at risk of work–life imbalance, little is known about the work–life balance pursuits of women who study in addition to their work in non-Western contexts. Research purpose: Drawing from the ecological system theory and the conservation of resources theory, this study explored the lived experiences of women who study in addition to their work to understand how they achieve work–life balance. Motivation for the study: The views of working mothers on how they strive to balance their work, studies and motherhood can influence the development and implementation of HR policies that empower women to climb the upper echelon of organisations. Research approach/design and method: Six respondents knowledgeable on the subject were recruited with snowball sampling and further interviewed. Main findings: Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed work flexibility, co-worker support, supportive supervisor, supportive family and programmed work–life as the main themes, which explained how working mothers maintained a sense of well-being. Cardinal amongst the themes was the synergistic role of extended family members. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations are encouraged to develop and implement family-friendly policies that can promote healthy well-being of its workforce whilst facilitating the training and development of women. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to work–family literature by providing empirical evidence from a non-Western context as previous research was predominantly conducted in Western contexts.
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DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1546
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