WORK-LIFE BALANCE, EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CAREER GROWTH: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE
WORK-LIFE BALANCE, EMPLOYEE WELLBEING, INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CAREER GROWTH: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Salah Abdirahman Farah - University of Nairobi, Kenya
Prof. Mercy Gacheri Munjuri - Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
This study sought to review the influence of employee wellbeing and individual characteristics on the relationship between work-life balance and career growth. To establish the relationship between the variables, the study was anchored on segmentation theory, spillover theory and career development theory which were discussed in detail. Work-life balance is defined as a person's involvement and pleasure in work and family. To achieve work life balance, time, involvement and satisfaction actors must be balanced against one another to resolve conflict and enhance welfare. Employee well-being comprises of the positive physical, psychological, and social aspects of work that contribute to the overall quality of life which is the professional's holistic state of mental, emotional and physical health of an individual. This can be achieved by creating a friendly and flexible work environment. Individual characteristics is a set of distinctive and exceptional characteristics that may establish the identification of a human individual and the personal characteristics and specifically the quality of a person who takes part in a conduct which is relevant morally that leads to form the real nature of a person. Individual characteristics frequently influence one's work-life balance and career path. Individuals' mental health and job happiness are influenced by their psychological characteristics, values and cognitive ability. Career growth is a lifelong learning for job advancement and adaptation which requires staying current, learning new skills, and adapting to changing job duties and responsibilities. Moving up the internal career ladder, seeing advancements within the organization, and so gaining greater responsibility and possibilities for education development. The study reviewed existing literature and concluded the following: work life balance has a positive correlation with career growth. Employee well-being is significantly and favourably correlated with career growth. Individual characteristics of value, ability, interest and attitude are positively associated with career growth. The study further concludes that the impact of work life balance, employee well-being and individual characteristics on career growth remain inconclusive, with inconsistencies in existing research. From the reviewed literature, none of the studies covers all the four variables, but rather two or three of the variables at one time. Therefore, there is need to study the joint impact of work life balance, employee well-being and individual characteristics on career growth.
