Work–life balance, well-being and work engagement: The case of working mothers in Namibia

Orientation: Working mothers play a key role in an organisation’s success. However, with conflicting responsibilities from the work and home contexts, their well-being and work engagement usually suffer. It is against this background that the relationship of work–life balance (WLB) on well-being and work engagement of working mothers in Namibia is investigated. Research purpose: To investigate the relationship between WLB and well-being (emotional, psychological, social and career well-being) among working mothers in Namibia, as well as the relationship between WLB and the work engagement of working mothers in Namibia. Motivation for the study: Working mothers in Namibia customarily carry the sole responsibility of child rearing; they must balance two responsibilities, negatively affecting their well-being (emotional, psychological, social and career well-being) and their work engagement. An imbalance can discourage optimal performance and decreases efficiency and productivity. Research approach/design and method: The study utilised a quantitative approach with a correlational research design with a sample of 166 working mothers in the Khomas and Otjozondjupa regions in Namibia. Main findings: The correlation results reveal that when work life balance is low, working mothers well-being and their work engagement is also negatively affected. Work/personal life enhancement (WPLE), one dimension of work life balance, was uncovered to have a significantly positive relationship with all dimensions of well-being. Practical/managerial implications: Recommendations geared towards combined efforts from working mothers, managers and their employing organisations to enhance the WLB of working mothers are made. Contribution/value-add: The findings provide organisations with foundational information that is crucial for interventions development catered towards work life balance for employees.