Occupational stress and work-life balance in the public sector in Saudi Arabia The WritePass Journal

Occupational stress and work-life balance in the public sector in Saudi Arabia Introduction Occupational stress and work-life balance in the public sector in Saudi Arabia ). This research found that culture and religion, health insurance and transportation are considered unique factors to the female employees in Saudi Arabia. The women who worked in the education sector all recognized their work as being culturally acceptable. Part of this sector necessarily includes academic employees, however education generally refers to primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, whereas the current study proposes examine the academic field as a whole rather than isolating this to traditional forms of academics in the form of teaching. In contrast, women who worked in the medical field stated they did not always feel comfortable because they do work in the same space as male colleagues. Arguably, when one moves towards more advanced levels of academic employ, this lack of comfort becomes more pronounced as the employment moves away from being matriarchal (lower levels of education dealing with children and adolescents have been noted to respond better to females).   In Saudi Arabia, many in these fields do not have health insurance whereas most of them suffer from the issue of transportation. In terms of family and personal lives, Saudi women workers do not consider childcare centers as important as entrusting their maids or nannies with their children and therefore, most Saudi women workers bring maids to care for their children whilst they are at work. In addition, some Saudi women are not satisfied with their work hours especially when work hours surpass lunch hours or work occurs at night. Finally, Saudi women workers can find help at home either from husband, mother or maid and this may reduce work family conflict that Saudi working women face. Based on the findings of these previously conducted research papers, it is evident that this is a relevant gap in the current knowledge on occupational stress. The proposed research aims to further the current field of knowledge by conducting a specific inquiry into these factors as they relate to academic employment. If one considers the importance of education as a foundational pillar of society and development, adopting appropriate organizational behavior to mitigate organizational stress and therefore improve academic outcomes is an important and relevant study for sociological and corporate purposes. This research therefore aims to use the underlying theoretical considerations of organizational stress and the difficulties of establishing and maintaining a work-life balance to study the effects of the unique Saudi experience on female academic employees in the public sector. To current knowledge, there have been no similar studies undertaken in this field and therefore the gap in knowledge is evident. By understanding the unique factors of this situation, helpful recommendations for the adjustment of organizational behavior of academic institutions can be made to mitigate these stresses and improve overall organizational efficiency. Research Design Methodology The methodology proposed for the research is qualitative in nature, where the researcher aims to gain an understanding of the human behavior and the reasons that govern this behavior. The hypothesis of this research will be founded in academic literature sourced from a variety of secondary sources and thereafter supported by empirical evidence in the form of interviews conducted with relevant study participants. Thereafter this qualitative data will be analyzed in order to conclude recommendations and findings as to the nature of occupational stress and the work-life balance in the public sector for female academic employees. Proposed Structure The current research proposal has given a broad overview of the issues to be covered in the research, which will be conducted according to the following proposed structure: Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study 1.1 Saudi Arabia Context 1.2 Religion and culture 1.3 Work by gender Chapter 2: Methodology Chapter 3: Considerations of Occupational Stress 3.1 Introduction to the study of occupational stress. 3.2 Stresses and strains experienced by academic employees: A literature review 3.3 A empirical study of stresses and strains experienced by academic employees Chapter 4: Considerations of Work-Life Conflict 4.1 Work-Family Conflict 4.2 Hours of Work 4.3 Females Concentrated in Narrow Fields 4.4 Work-Life Balance 4.5 The Importance of Work-life Balance for Women 4.6 Organizational Response to Work-life Issues Chapter 5: Female Academic Employment in the Public Sector in Saudi Arabia 5.1 The nature, predictors and outcomes of work-life conflict in academic employees in the public sector Chapter 6: Discussion Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion Modern challenges to traditional ideas of organizational structure, behavior and culture have an important place in modern academic literature. Through understanding the particular circumstances in a geographical region such as Saudi Arabia, as well as the challenges facing these employees, one can begin to develop a conceptual framework for streamlining organizational objectives and maximizing the performance of these employees. The current research therefore proposes to undertake a study which examines these factors through understanding of the relevant theoretical considerations, as well as the factors particular to this sector and geographical region. References Al-Dehailan, Salman Saleh  (2007)  The participation of women in Saudi Arabias economy: Obstacles and prospects.Doctoral thesis, Durham University Alqahtani, S. (2006) The Education in Saudi Arabia critical view (1ed.). Riyadh, KSA. Bahkali, W. (2012) The Issues of Work Life Balance for Saudi Women Workers: A dissertation. 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