Abstract:
The previous two decades have seen increased interest in work-life balance (WLB), which has, latterly, become an essential symbol of an individual’s well-being and happiness and it refers to the lack of equilibrium between one’s career and other roles in life. WLB has been identified as a challenging problem for female professionals since educated women who participate in professional work has increased more than previously and finding an optimal work-life balance is an open issue that is yet to be resolved in academia. Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in modern work life, and psychological studies have shown that understanding and controlling emotions play a significant role in gratifying one’s life and work environment. Role conflict is the conflict between the two roles, work and family, and it is inevitable because both pull in opposite directions. Therefore, this study examined the WLB and identified the impact of EI and role conflict over the WLB, which can be used to reduce or overcome this problem. Similarly, this study examines the moderating effects of perceived family support and perceived supervisor support on the relationships between role conflict, emotional intelligence, and work-life balance. The survey was conducted among 116 female academics in the state Universities in Sri Lanka. The constraints were measured through a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed through the SPSS 22 analysis tool. The empirical data supported that the relationship between emotional intelligence, role conflict, and work-life is significant. Perceived supervisor support has moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and work-life balance. Further, the perceived family support also moderates the relationship between role conflict and work-life balance. In conclusion, it could be stated that there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work-life balance and a negative relationship between role conflict and the work-life balance of female academics in state universities in Sri Lanka.
