Work-life harmony in Singapore : a case study on advantage consulting.

• Main Authors: Low, Yue Wen., Tan, Xue Li., Lim, Sandra Pei Xian.
• Other Authors: Stewart Lloyd Arnold
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51548
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Work and life are closely related; while employees need their jobs to earn the resources to support their personal needs, personal needs can affect employees’ ability to perform their jobs as well. Therefore, Work-Life Harmony is sought after not only by employees, but also by the government and organizations. However, in Singapore, due to the fast-paced economy, challenges will be faced in the provision of work-life initiatives for employees who are undertaking multiplying work-life conflicts. Our research study examined the types of work-life strategies and practices that have been successfully implemented by a business consulting Small-Medium Enterprise. Qualitative research was employed and methodologies such in-depth semi-structured interviews and card sort techniques were used for data collection. Thematic analysis was then used to analyze our data. Our research study has shown four important findings: (1) Supporting Work-Life Harmony for employees does not necessarily mean that quality of work will be compromised, (2) Organizations have to consider the nature of their business when designing their work-life strategies, (3) Alignment of an organization’s structure, culture and practices are crucial factors for the success of an organization’s work-life practices, (4) Demands for Work-Life Harmony increases with age. Overall, organizations should help employees in achieving Work-Life Harmony as it can provide organizational benefits like financial returns through improved employee productivity and reduced turnover rate.