Effect of combining professional work and tertiary education on the quality of workers’ work–life and skillful-knowledge acquisition in a developing economy

Purpose The study investigated the complex dynamics of employees balancing professional responsibilities with academic pursuits and its impact on the qualities of their work–life balance as well as their acquisition of academic knowledge and skills. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 575 workers who are also graduate students and analyzed using both factor analysis and the structural equation modeling approaches. Findings Specific factors exist that inform the high cognitive demand associated with workers’ engagement in professional work and academic activities, which has consequential effects on the qualities of their knowledge and skills acquisition and work–life balance. The coping strategies they use for enhancing such qualities also have varied levels of effectiveness, which range from high to marginal. Research limitations/implications The study provides insight on how the combined work and study activities of workers can be designed to enhance the quality of their work–life balance and academic knowledge and skill acquisition, and also the effectiveness of the coping strategies they can use to enhance such qualities. Practical implications The study provides educators and policymakers pedagogic and human-oriented insight that they can practically use to manage the physiological-coping and psychological-coping capabilities of professional workers to enhance the qualities of their work–life balance and knowledge skill acquisition. Originality/value The study provides new knowledge regarding factors that manifest challenges in workers’ aspirations to combine professional work and tertiary academic activity and how to enhance the quality of their work–life balance and knowledge and skill acquisition.