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Article
Publication date: 4 November 2013

Adem Sav, Neil Harris and Bernadette Sebar

– The purpose of this paper is to explore work-life conflict and work-life facilitation among employed Muslim men, a growing ethno-religious minority in Australia.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore work-life conflict and work-life facilitation among employed Muslim men, a growing ethno-religious minority in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is guided by the interpretive paradigm and is qualitative in nature. The primary data collection method was semi-structured in-depth interviews and 20 participants participated in the study.

Findings

Australian Muslim men experience both work-life conflict and facilitation simultaneously; however, facilitation is reported more frequently. Work flexibility, work and family support, and religiosity promote work-life facilitation. In contrast, workload and work hours lead to feelings of conflict, with workload being the stronger antecedent. Importantly, religious values and beliefs are an underpinning influence on participants’ experiences.

Research limitations/implications

The study is conducted with a small sample and hence, lacks the power to generalise findings to the broader Muslim male population.

Practical implications

There is a strong need to modify the traditional western models of work-life conflict and facilitation and workplace policies designed to assist workers when dealing with minorities, such as Australian Muslims. By including religion, the research offers a fresh voice to work-life research and encourages to think about the salience of other life domains beside family, an issue of great concern within the work-life literature.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies to focus on Australian Muslim men and explore how religion fits into the current understanding of work-life balance.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

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Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Adem Sav, Neil Harris and Bernadette Sebar

– This study explores how Australian Muslim men cope with potential conflict and achieve feelings of balance between their work, family and religious roles.

1263

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores how Australian Muslim men cope with potential conflict and achieve feelings of balance between their work, family and religious roles.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is guided by the interpretive paradigm and is qualitative. Data is collected from participants via semi-structured in-depth interviews (n=20) and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Personal coping strategies (e.g. making permanent changes and time management) seem more effective in coping with immediate conflict and achieving work-life balance as opposed to external ones (e.g. supervisor support). Although some of the strategies mirror existing research, their extent of use and reasons for usage by Muslim men are different. Muslim men use these strategies in a preventive manner to actively achieve work-life balance rather than just cope with episodic work-life conflict.

Research limitations/implications

The study is conducted with a small sample and the findings may not be generalizable to non-practising Australian Muslim men. To date, research has not clearly articulated how people who do not experience work-life conflict, make decisions to achieve balance. This study has a positive look at a negative issue by indicating that workers can go beyond coping with conflict and explore avenues to achieve work-life balance. The findings underscore the importance of preventive coping in achieving work-life balance and caution researchers about investigating how people cope with immediate work-life conflict only.

Originality/value

In addition to work and family roles, this study focuses on religious commitments, with religion being a largely overlooked concept within the work-family coping literature.

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