Balancing work and family: lived experiences of professional working mothers at institutions of higher education

Democratization in the education system and changes in social norms significantly expanded the roles of women in Malaysia. As the nation modernized, professional working mothers faced escalating demands, highlighting the necessity for a deeper understanding of the work-family dynamic. Balancing professional and domestic roles often resulted in work-family conflict, where competing demands were incompatible. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of professional working mothers at Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). In depth interviews were conducted with six (6) informants selected through the snowball sampling technique. The data were analyzed using Atlas.ti 9 and van Kaam method was modified, which included seven steps such as horizontalization, reduction and elimination, clustering and thematizing invariant constituents, validating themes, and constructing textual-structural descriptions. The findings revealed five themes related to lived experiences of the professional working mothers such as setting priorities, facing challenges and expectations, compromise, family management, and work management. The researcher provided several recommendations for future research that could be expanded including adopting qualitative phenomenological approaches to better capture nuanced experiences, promoting flexible workplace policies to support work-family balance, and developing tailored mental health interventions focusing on emotional regulation, self-care, and stress management. These findings provide crucial methodological and practical insights, contributing to future research and the development of effective support systems for professional working mothers