Impact of family facilitation and work facilitation on work-life balance of female library professionals in Bangladesh
Mashiat Tabassum, S.M. Zabed Ahmed
Library Management, Vol. 46, No. 3/4, pp.205-221

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of family facilitation (FF) and work facilitation (WF) on work-life balance (WLB) of female library professionals in Bangladesh.

A survey questionnaire was distributed to female librarians identified through various professional networks. The questionnaire included demographic questions and scale items measuring satisfaction levels regarding FF, WF and WLB. Ordinal regressions were utilized to analyze the effect of demographic and job-related factors on WLB. Moreover, structural equation modeling was applied to assess the proposed relationships among FF, WF and WLB.

A total of 158 female librarians participated in this study. Participants expressed satisfaction with family support and colleague relationships but had moderate to low satisfaction with work flexibility and compensation for extra work. Their WLB satisfaction was also found to be moderate. The results of ordinal regressions revealed significant associations between several demographic and work-related factors and different levels of WLB. The results of the structural equation model showed a significant impact of family and work facilitations on WLB. It also revealed the significant indirect effect of FF on WLB through the mediation of WF.

This is the first study to assess the influence of FF and WF on WLB among female library and information science professionals in Bangladesh. The study findings emphasize the need for implementing policies and practices to improve their WLB.