Abstract

The study tried to investigate the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intentions of female university teachers in Lahore city across public and private sectors. Correlational research was selected as a research design. All the female teachers of public and private sector universities of Lahore city are considered as the population of the study. Proportionate stratified random sampling was used to select the sample. Strata were formed on the basis of designation. The sample size of teachers in public sector universities was 249, and the sample size of teachers in private sector universities was 201. A questionnaire was developed by Carlson, Kacmar, & Williams (2000) was used to measure work-family conflict. The measurement of turnover intention was addressed by using the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) developed by Roodt, (2004). Multiple Regression was applied to explore the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the two groups, such as the nature of institutions and marital status. It was concluded that there is a significant relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intentions of female university teachers.

Key Words

Work-Family Conflict, University, Teachers, Lahore, Turnover Intention

Introduction

Work-family conflict has been accepted as a major problem for today’s life (Grandey, Cordeiro & Crouter, 2005). It became a matter of high concentration both in the literature and practices (Piotrowski & Vodanovich, 2006). Work-life conflict is a type of contact where stresses emerging from work and family areas are mismatched with each other in certain ways (Kossek et al. 2001). It is considered as a type of interlinked problem with the demands of family and works at the same time; in some aspects, these domains are incompatible with each other (Cinamon, Weisel & Tzuk 2007; Voydanoff 2002).

Higgins et al. (1992) categorize this conflict into two forms. 

1. Work-to-family conflict: This category of conflict happens when workloads prohibit workers from fulfilling their family responsibilities, for instance, long working hours, work pressure and so on. 

2. Family-to-work conflict: family to work conflict happens when family duties cause loss of work efficiency. 

Bi-directional work-family conflict is usually characterized as a kind of stress, which happens when the demand from the job and family areas are in conflict such an extent so as that work obstructs family and family obstructs work (Porter & Ayman, 2010). 

Work-family conflict can be produced by two main aspects. First, the practical aspect:  in which the problems arise by planning conflicts and time crises when a single person cannot be present at a particular time at two different locations. Second, the perceptual aspect: In which the feeling of being surrounded, the pressure of work or stress of several roles (Higgins & Greenhaus, 2006).

Rapid changes in the requirements at the workplace have undesirable consequences such as strain, lesser fitness, conflicts, absenteeism and turnover intentions (Ahmad, 2008; Lingard et al., 2007; Netemeyer et al., 2005; Tuzun, 2007).) Turnover among the workers is one of the major problems for any organization and have long-term effects. It has been observed as a severe issue predominantly in the field of HRM (Hassan, 2014). Windom et al. (2019) added that Employee turnover turned into a foremost concern for several organizations these days, and elevated employee turnover have a destructive effect on an organization, especially if the left workers are high performers. Lacity, Lyer and Rudramuniyaiah (2008) believed that turnover is the deliberate conduct of the employee to leave the organization. It is dealing with employees’ opinions about quitting an association (Gnanakkan, 2010). Cohen (1997) expressed that WFC can be a cause of leaving the job as it aggregates strain and pressure, which cause disappointment at the workplace and home. Feelings at the work environment can be felt at home because workers think that it is tough (1) to be inattentive even not at work and (2) modify their emotions and behaviours in a small gap between the two positions (Powell & Greenhaus, 2006). In addition, workers occasionally get it is hard to neglect the work that should be done at the place of work although they are at home (Cordero et al., 2009).

WFC or FWC are related to undesirable results. The foremost outcome of adjusting work and family duties is the intent to leave the organization (Porter & Ayman, 2010). Thus, the major reason for employee turnover can be the work-family conflict. Therefore, many organizations are trying friendly-family strategies to retain the talented labor force. When employees face work-family conflict, they have a propensity for leaving the organization to avoid the work-family conflict (Andres, Moelker, & Soeters, 2012).




Statement of the Problem

Work-family conflicts have received a lot of consideration from academics and researchers because these are affecting the work environment and homeplace activities. In the organizational setting, extra work causes more pressure on workers; therefore, they leave, particularly during a critical incident. Emotional tiredness leads to more turnover intention (Otis & Pelletier, 2005). In Pakistan, women involvement in the workforce has improved rapidly (Mirza, 2015). In Pakistani society, there are various roles designated to females. Females who work outdoor have to perform additional duties and face many challenges (Gallup, 2009; Ruqia et al., 2015; Tazeen et al., 2011). This research aimed at understanding if work-family conflict notably contributes to elevated intentions to quit the organization. It tried to explore the relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female university teachers of private and public sectors.




Objectives 

The objectives of the study were:

• To find the relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female university teachers.

• To find the difference in the level of WFC faced by female university teachers on the basis of demographic variables (nature of institution; public and private, and matrimonial status). 




Hypotheses

Ho: There is no significant relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female university teachers.

Ho: There is no significant difference in work-family conflicts faced by female teachers of private and public universities.

Ho: There is no significant difference in work-family conflicts faced by married and unmarried female teachers.

Literature Review

WFC as a type of role conflict where demands from job and family are reciprocally irreconcilable was described by (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Trachtenberg et al. (2009) pointed out that WFC is a term to demonstrate the contest between the role of one’s professional and private lives. Greenhaus and Powell (2006) explained that work-family literature had been subjugated by a perception of conflict.

Conflict can be of different types based on behaviour, time, or strain (Slan-Jerusalim & Chen, 2009). Time-based conflict arises when time dedicated to one position creates it tough to put in the other position. Related factors include work hours, unnecessary additional time, and uneven work changes (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985).

The strain-based conflict arises when stress or strain is practised in one job or task enforce into another job or task, causing the symptom of exhaustion, impatience, and sadness (Greenhaus et al., 1989). For instance, Unpleasant occasions happening to a person at work lead to unsatisfied desires within the job, tiredness, strain, and dissatisfaction, creating it challenging to lead a satisfying family life (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985).

Lastly, behaviour-based conflict arises where particular behaviour necessary in one job is irreconcilable with expectations of behavioural patterns within the other job (Greenhaus et al., 1989). Consequently, if an individual cannot deal with behaviour suits to the requirements of different roles, he likely practices conflict involving the roles (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Because of these kinds of conflict, numerous unfavourable consequences probably happen either in family life or in the work environment.

Moreover, Cinamon and Yisrael (2002) argue that these conflicts arose when work responsibilities or tasks interfere with family responsibilities or tasks. On the other side, these conflicts are interconnected where general time devoted or spend on work responsibilities and then pressures of family interfere or influence with the job.

Work to family conflict arises when work impedes family life, such as job stress, overload work, rigid working hours, international travelling etc. (Cinamon & Yisrael, 2002). Family to work conflict arises while family responsibilities impede work like attending to young kids, eldercare responsibilities and unsupportive family members (Kinnunen & Mauno, 1998; Valk & Srinivasan, 2011).

Work-family conflict has many negative effects like low job efficiency, higher stress, high level of organizational stress, lower commitment, low life satisfaction and high level of turnover intentions (Cohen, 1993; Post et al., 2009). s. One of the major consequences to generate equilibrium within work and family requirements is the turnover intentions. Turnover intention is identified as an individual’s volunteer intention to quit the job or organization (Mobley, 1977). Riley (2006) found a positive connection between turnover intention and work-family conflict. It is also established that WFC and FWC have a positive relation with turnover intentions inferring that both family and work problems may persuade workers to leave the job (Allen & Armstrong, 2006).

The major available research on work-family conflicts are conducted in the European context (Philip et al., 2004). Developing countries faced negligence (Joplin et al., 2009) and studies conducted in western countries could not be generalized to developing countries due to their social and cultural differences (Spector et al., 2009). Now the studies conducted in developing countries are trying to fill the gap (Wharton & Blair-Loy, 2006). This study is also an attempt in this regard.

Research Methodology

Research Design

Correlational research was chosen as the study was quantitative. Correlation research explains the extant relation between two variables (Gay & Airasian, 2008).  




Population 

Female teachers of private and public universities of Lahore were the population of the research. There were approximately twenty-nine universities in Lahore (18th October 2019), according to the website of the Higher Education Commission.




Sample

The sample was selected through Proportionate stratified random sampling. Strata were created by dividing the respondents according to their designation (Lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor). Thirty percent of the members were chosen randomly from each stratum. Thus, the number of teachers from public universities was 249 and from private universities was 201 in the sample.   




Instruments

Demographic information (institute name, the nature of institute and marital status) was collected through a general information sheet. Questionnaires were used to assess the variables WFC and turnover intentions.




Work-Family Conflict 

A questionnaire constructed by Carlson et al. (2000) was utilized. It has eighteen items, assessed on 5 points Likert-type scale, with two directions: a) conflict in the result of work obstructs family (WIF), b) conflict as a result of family obstructs work (FIW) and six dimensions: time-based WIF and FIW, strain-based WIF and FIW, behaviour-based WIF and FIW.  




Turnover Intention Scale

The turnover intention was addressed by Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) developed by Roodt, (2004). TIS consisted of 15- items. It was a 5-point Likert-type scale. 




Reliability   

Reliability was checked by Cronbach’s Alpha. Both questionnaires were reliable as the value of Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.89 and 0.74 for WFC and turnover intentions, respectively.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Ho: There is no significant relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female university teachers. 

 

Table 1. Relationship of WFC with Turnover Intentions  

Model	R	R Square	Adj. R Square	Std. Err. of Estimate
1	.719a	.517	.510	8.54705

Predictors: (Constant), BBFIW, TBFIW, TBWIF, SBWIF, BBWIF, SBFIW                                 

 

Table 1 shows that fifty-one percent variance is explained in the turnover intention by the predictor variable work-family conflict (R square = .517* 100 = 51.7). In this table, R square .517 displays the variance in turnover intention.

 

Table 2. Results of Multiple Regressions

Model	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Regression Residual	34577.334 32362.063	6 443	5762.889 73.052	78.887	.000
Total	66939.398	449

Dependent Variable: TIS_a Predictors: (Constant), BBFIW, TBFIW, TBWIF, SBWIF, BBWIF, SBFIW_b               

F ratio is used to test the credibility of the measures in shaping a good fit of the model.  P-value .000 < .05, shows a good, fitted model.

 

Table 3. Analysis for Coefficients

Model	Unstandardized    Coefficients  B	Std. Error	Standardized Coefficients Beta	T	Sig.
1               (Constant)  Time-based WIF  Time-based FIW  Strain based WIF  Strain based FIW  Behaviour-based WIF  Behaviour based FIW	-.729 .744 1.705 1.347 .772 -.724 .839	2.553 .263 .217 .208 .250 .226 .245	.153 .275 .328 .169 -.167 .194	-.286 2.826 7.876 6.475 3.086 -3.199 3.421	.775 .005 .000 .000 .002 .001 .001

a.     Dependent Variable: TIS        

 

Table 3 shows the beta weights and statistical significance. The values of significance showed that all the factors of WFC (time based WIF, p = .005; time based FIW, p = .000; strain based WIF, p = .000; strain based FIW, p = .002; Behaviour based WIF, p = .001; Behaviour based FIW, p = .001) have significant relationship of WFC with turnover intention of female teachers in the universities of Lahore. Beta weights for six predictive variables were (time based WIF= .153, FIW = .275; strain based WIF = .328, FIW = .169; Behaviour based WIF = -.167, FIW = .194). The value of beta indicates that all the factors of WFC have positive relation with turnover intentions of university teachers except behavior-based WIF. Thus, significant and positive relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female teachers in the universities can be observed.

H_o: There is no significant difference in the levels of WFC of teachers of private and public universities.

 

Table 4. Difference in the Levels of WFC of University Teachers of Public and Private Sector

Nature of Institution	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Private Public	201 249	59.8905 64.4618	12.86382 15.12927	3.463	448 446.775	.001

 

Above table illustrates the result of independent sample t-test. Result indicates significant difference in the levels of WFC faced by female teachers of public and private universities (t = 3.463 > 1.96, p = .001 < .05).  It is evident that public university teachers experience more WFC than private university teachers as the mean value of private sector university teachers is 59.89 while public sector is 64.46. Significant difference found in the levels of WFC of female teachers in public and private sector universities.

H_o: There is no significant difference in WFC of married and unmarried female teacher.

 

Table 5. Difference in WFC faced by Unmarried and Married Female Teacher

Marital status	N	Mean	SD	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)
Married Unmarried	192 258	61.60 63.03	15.230 13.617	-1.049	448 384.674	.295

Table 5 illustrates the outcome of independent sample t-test. The result indicates no significant difference in WFC faced by married and unmarried female teachers (t = -1.049 < 1.96, p = .295 > .05). Therefore, the above null hypothesis is accepted.

Conclusion

Work family conflict is a major problem faced by preponderance of workers and has negative consequences such as absenteeism at work, fatigue, and turnover intentions. The present study examined the relationship of WFC with turnover intentions of female university teachers. It was concluded that there was a significant relationship of WFC with turnover intention of female university teachers. If work-family conflict increases the employee’s turnover intentions also increases and there was a significant difference in WFC faced by female teachers of private and public universities. It was also concluded that public sector university teachers experience more work-family conflict than private university teachers. According to results, there was no significance difference in WFC faced by unmarried and married female teachers. 

Discussion

The study was carried out to examine the relation of WFC with turnover intentions of university teachers. The results revealed that WFC and turnover intentions are significantly related with each other. Research carried out by Boyar et al. (2003) and Haar (2004) illustrated the similar result in which WFC has a significant relationship with turnover intentions and all WIF and FIW dimensions were significantly related with turnover intentions. Research conducted by Anderson, et al., (2002) and Greenhaus, et al., (2001) showed strong support for WFC influencing turnover intentions. Similarly significant correlation was also indicated between WFC and turnover intention by Cohen (1997) and Powell and Greenhaus (2006). Alvin (2013) also explained the significant positive correlation between WFC and intentions to leave the job.

The results revealed no significant difference between WFC faced by married and unmarried female teachers. Similar results revealed by Erdamar and Demirel (2014). They carried out research on WFC; they showed no difference by marital status. 

Recommendations

There are few suggestions to lessen the WFC and turnover intentions of teachers. Teachers may endow with training and workshops to manage their problems and keep the balance between work and family lives. It may also decrease the turnover intentions. To get in detail information about WFC and to examine the duties of female teachers at home, a qualitative study can be carried out. Provisions can be made available to the female teachers such as childcare services and moldable working hours. Teachers can be supported with the provision of resources important to accomplish the requirements of the job. It may result in lesser WFC and turnover intentions. 

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