Proposed Topic

The study on impacts of work life balance issues on job satisfaction and employees performance
in UK airline industry: case study of British Airways.

Introduction
It has been proved by researchers of this field that employers and workers both are impacted
positively by work life balance (WLB) practices. Amongst these impacts are high productivity
levels, improved retention of employees and low rates of absenteeism. Better practices of WLB
give the workers advantage of a vigorous and rewarding lifestyle (Eaton, 2004). In the last
decade, the notion of organisational citizenship has come up. The workers passion performing
beyond work boundaries and completely sincere and devoted service to the organisation is shown
by this behaviour. Organisations formal method of performance appraisal cannot fir for the
rewards deserved by this behaviour. It has been claimed that employees organisational
commitment improves the organisations productivity (Batt and Valcour, 2003).

Aim and objectives

The aim of this proposed empirical study is to assess the impacts of work life balance issues on
job satisfaction and employees performance in UK airline industry. Case study of British
Airways is selected to perform this research with the aim to evaluate the organisations measures
to deal with the issues of WLB. The other objectives of the research are:
1. To critically review the literature and discuss the important aspects of work life balance.
2. To evaluate the impact of work life balance issue and impacts in airline industry.

3. To analyze the impacts of work life balance on employee satisfaction and work performance in
British airways.

Literature Review
After human resources development, social scientists have paid emphasis to the mutual infleucne
and interdependence of life and work (Casper and harris, 2008). This issue has gotten more
importance in this business perspective since with the 1980s

with the development of

organisations human resource divisions, and its inclusion in companies human resource policies.
These relaitively new terms of Quality Work Lide (QWL) and Work Life Balance (WLB) have
become a part of business literature since the 1990s. According to Lewis (2003), the issue of WLB
is currently considered for both females and males at all employment levels irrespective of their
family arrangements.
It has been observed that work schedules flexibility allows a positive impact on job satisfaction
and attitudes. It has been asserted by Aryee, Luk and Stone (1998), that through provision of
relaxed work hours, employee turnover can be decreased and organisational commitment
increased. The reduced working hours have been connected with enhanced job loyalty, satisfaction
and commitment (Casper and Harris, 2008).
According to Yasbek (2004), the more flexible structures and positively changed organisational
policies are of help in stress reduction in employees and becomes a vital factor for achievement
of organisational commitments. Achievement of balance in policies can be obtained by
redesigning work schedules and job descriptions so that family and work can be balanced by
employees (Secret, 2006). According to a research, the components discovered were flexible
work hours, less stress of targets, and dependent care (Thompson et al, 1999). More work

inefficiencies and psychological or physical abnormalities are created by work family conflicts
( Wood & de Menezes, 2008).

Conceptual Framework
Flexible work Schedules
Improved Work Performance
Family work balance

Organization priorities to
L

Job Satisfaction

Employees innate needs

Culture and work practices

Research Methodology
Positivism is proposed to be the approach most suitable for this research. The Positivist view is
in support of scientific creation of knowledge in society. The objective approach would be used
to conduct this research, which according to Leedy and Ormrod (2005), coverts apparent
measures to variables and observes these events from a wide population. Collection of
quantitative data would be done from hundred respondents form the UK based offices of British

Airways. Use of statistical analysis will be done for testing the assumptions formed in the
conceptual framework.

References
Aryee, S., Luk, V., & Stone, R. (1998). Family-responsive variables and retention- relevant
outcomes among employed parents. Human Relations, 51(1), 73-87.
Batt, R., & Valcour, P. M. (2003). Human resources practices as predictors of work- life
outcomes and employee turnover. Industrial Relations, 42(2), 189-220.
Casper, W. J., & Harris, C. M. (2008). Work-life benefits and organisational attachment: Selfinterest utility and signaling theory models. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72, 95-109.
Eaton, S. C. (2003). If you can use them: Flexibility policies, organisational commitment, and
perceived performance. Industrial Relations, 42(2), 145- 67.
Leedy, P. D., Ormrod, J. E. (2005) 8 th edition Practical Research: Planning and Design, New
Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp 136
Lewis, S. (2003). Family Friendly employment policies: A route to changing organisational
culture or playing about at the margins? Gender, Work and Organisation, 4(1), 13-24.
Secret, M. (2006). Integrating paid work and family work. Community, Work and Family, 9(4),
407-427.
Thompson, C. A., Beauvais, L. L., & Lyness, K. S. (1999). When work-life benefits are not
enough: The influence of work-life culture on benefit utilization, organisational
attachment, and work-life conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 392-415.
Wood, S. J., & de Menezes, L. (2008). Family-friendly management, organisational
performance and social legitimacy. Mimeo, Sheffield: Institute of Work Psychology,
University of Sheffield.

Yasbek, P. (2004). The business case for firm-level work-life balance policies: a review of the
literature. Labour Market Policy Group, Department of Labour.