Quest Journal of Management and Social Sciences

Quest Journal of Management and Social Sciences Volume 5 Number 1 Jan-June 2023
ISSN Print: 2705-4527

Volume 5 Issue 1: 132-147

ISSN Online: 2705-4535
https://www.quest.edu.np

Quest Journal of
ISSN Print: 2705-4527
Management and
Social Sciences ISSN Online: 2705-4535
Web: https://www.quest.edu.np
ISSN Print: 2705-4527, ISSN Online: 2705-4535, https://www.quest.edu.np

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 2023

Editor in Chief
Prof. Subarna Lal Bajracharya, PhD

Managing Editors
Devid Kumar Basyal PhD
PUBLISHED BY Udaya Raj Paudel
Quest Research Management Cell
Quest International College Copy Editor
Gwarko Chowk, Lalitpur, Nepal Tikaram Poudel, PhD
P.O. Box: 286
Tel: +977-01-5447669/ 5421950 Assistant Editor
Email: info@quest.edu.np Purnima Lawaju
Webpage: www.quest.edu.np

Quest Research Management Cell

Quest International College, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal

Factors Influencing Employees’ Work-Life

Balance in Commercial Banks of Nepal:
Evidence from Structural Equation Modeling
Sadhana Basnet1, Niranjan Devkota2* , Krishna Dhakal1 , Vaibhav Puri3,
Udaya Raj Paudel1
1
Quest International College,
Pokhara University, Gwarko,
Abstract
Lalitpur, Nepal Purpose: Work-life balance is a phenomenon that has expanded worldwide
2
Research Management Cell, and has long been a contentious subject because of its significant impact on
Kathmandu Model College,
Tribhuvan Univeristy, Bagbazar, job satisfaction, time management, stress management, and other important
Kathmandu, Nepal areas of people’s daily lives. This study aims to assess factors influencing
3
Sri Guru Gobind Singh College
of Commerce, University of Delhi,
employees’ work-life balance in the commercial banks of the Kathmandu
Delhi, India Valley.
* Corresponding mail:
niranjandevkota@gmail.com Design/Methodology: We used descriptive and inferential statistics to
statistically assess the data collected through structured questionnaires in line
with the explanatory study design to examine the cause-and-effect connection.
Received: April 1, 2023 The Kathmandu Valley’s 264 commercial bank employees’ data are collected,
Revised: May 12, 2023 and structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to evaluate it. We used the
Accepted: June 22, 2023
5-point Likert scale as the primary data collection method in KOBO Toolbox.
Published: June 30, 2023
Findings: Findings reveal that most of the respondents working in the
commercial bank are female and have completed a master’s degree and above
How to cite this paper: educational level. The SEM result indicates that personal and organizational
Basnet, S., Devkota, N., Dhakal, K., predictors and life satisfaction significantly relate to work-life balance. In
Puri, V., & Paudel, U. R. (2023).
Factors influencing employees’ contrast, life satisfaction mediates between dependent variables (Work-Life
work-life balance in commercial Balance) and independent variables (i.e.personal predictors and organizational
banks of Nepal: Evidence from
structural equation modeling. Quest predictors).
Journal of Management and Social
Sciences, 5(1), 132-147. https://doi. Conclusion: There is no flexible time for work in commercial banks. The
org/10.3126/qjmss.v5i1.56299 study shows long working hours, whereas most employees face challenges
because of working conditions. Thus, commercial banks should reduce work
pressure, maintain a positive working environment, and discourage overtime
Copyright © 2020 by authors and
Quest Journal of Management
culture to improve work-life balance.
and Social Sciences. Recommendation: The study recommends schedule flexibility, reducing
This work is licensed under a workload and revising organizational policies to enhance work-life balance.
Creative Commons Attribution-Non
Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 Keywords: Work-Life Balance, Personal Predictors, Organizational
International License.
Predictors, Life Satisfaction, Structural Equation Modeling
https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ JEL Classification: E24, F68, G21, O25

Open Access

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 Basnet et al. Factors Influencing Employees’ Work-Life Balance in Commercial Banks of Nepal: Evidence from Structural Equation Modeling

Introduction
Work-life balance is a significant concern for employees and organizations, which must deal with the
negative consequences of low morale, leading to low productivity and a high turnover rate (Khanna,
2017; Shakya et al., 2021). Increased job pressure, globalization, and technological innovation all
affect balancing work and personal life (Adhikari et al., 2021). According to Brough et al. (2020),
the work-life imbalance can affect organizational effectiveness, increasing absenteeism, high turnover,
decreasing productivity and conflict. Moreover, Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. (2020) describe work-life
balance as a worldwide phenomenon that has long been a major topic due to its enormous impact on
job satisfaction, time management, stress management, and other vital aspects of human creation.
In today’s fiercely competitive global marketplace, employees at all levels have higher expectations
for themselves and their organizations. Working longer hours and being available through cell phone
and laptop are just some of the expectations placed on them to provide results. This relentless focus
on outcomes often interferes with personal and family time, resulting in a lack of equilibrium in one’s
life (Khanna, 2017). Work-life balance is now widely accepted as a critical strategy for recruiting and
maintaining top talent and ensuring the long-term viability of human resources for most companies
(Rodríguez-Sánchez et al., 2020). Some firms incorporate work-life balance techniques into their
corporate culture and structure because of their expected favorable influence on employee productivity
(Shujat, 2011). Both businesses and workers benefit from a healthy work-life balance. Due to its dual
advantages, numerous businesses widely seek it after. In recent years, workplace and family role
enhancement studies have been more popular since they assist in maintaining a good work-life balance
(Hjálmsdóttir & Bjarnadóttir, 2021).
Work-life balance has been more crucial for commercial bank workers in recent years. This is attributable
to changes in family patterns, a growing distaste for long hours, globalization, and technological
progress (Mungania, 2017). It is a significant problem for bankers, and management must handle it
properly (Tabash et al., 2022). A higher burden reduces life satisfaction and might disrupt a good work-
life balance (Bakkeli, 2021). Due to Covid 19, several firms have instituted a work-from-home policy.
Employees encounter several obstacles because they find it difficult to convert their homes to offices
and perform official work from home.
It’s difficult to strike a good work-life balance in Nepal for various reasons, such as the importance of
money, gender norms, possible professional paths, and how one manages their time. However, social
scientists have recently started paying more attention to it, from the school level (Paudel et al., 2018)
to the workplace (Shakya et al., 2021). For organizations to be more productive, they must ensure
that their workers have a better work-life balance so that they can be more engaged at work in today’s
highly competitive business environment in the service business, where productivity is mostly based
on human capital rather than mechanical performance, the problem is even more critical. Employees
with a better work-life balance are well-known for their greater contribution to the company’s overall
development and success (Khanna, 2017). According to Devkota et al. (2022), Nepalese banks and
their workers should make major efforts to balance work and family life. Walia (2014) notes that
public-sector bank workers have a better work-life balance than private-sector bank employees.
Flexible work arrangements, flexible location, flexible leave arrangements, and childcare arrangements
are just a few work-life balance initiatives private sector banks must give their workers. According to
Obiageli (2015), commercial bank managers should emphasize work-life balance incentives to increase
employee performance. On the other hand, Ganapathi (2016) finds that work-life balance guidelines
and workload positively affect women workers’ job satisfaction in new private sector banks.
In recent years, the multi-faceted demand between work and family obligations has become more
crucial for commercial bank employees. This is due to demographic and workplace changes such as
changes in family structures, a rising aversion to the long hours of accepting culture, globalization,

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Basnet et al. Factors Influencing Employees’ Work-Life Balance in Commercial Banks of Nepal: Evidence from Structural Equation Modeling

and technological innovation (Mungania, 2017). Work-life balance is a critical issue among banking
professionals, so management must implement appropriate policies to address this issue for their
employees (Chaudhuri et al., 2020). A heavier workload adversely impacts life satisfaction and can
cause problems with a healthy work-life balance. Similarly, Rachmawati et al. (2021) concluded that
many businesses had implemented a work-from-home policy due to Covid 19. For both organizations
and employees, implementing work-from-home was very challenging. Employees faced numerous
challenges because o the changed work environment, and they could not perform all tasks from home.
Several questions are unanswered regarding the work-life balance of Nepalese commercial bank
employees. What are the factors influencing employees’ work-life balance in commercial banks? What
are the challenges of employees’ work-life balance in commercial banks? What is the managerial
solution for employees’ work-life in commercial banks? The study’s general objective is to assess
factors influencing employees’ work-life balance in commercial banks of the Kathmandu Valley by
identifying employees’ work-life balance challenges in commercial banks and highlighting managerial
solutions for employees’ work-life balance in commercial banks.
The study has the following sections. The research method describes the conceptual framework,
hypothesis creation, variable definitions, data collection and analysis procedures, and sampling
techniques. The following section presents the result of the study, including the socio-demographic
analysis, general understanding, factors influencing work-life balance, challenges and managerial
solutions, as well as inferential analysis and hypothesis testing. The last section concludes the study.

Research Methods
Conceptual Framework
This study reviewed several theories to understand factors influencing employees’ work-life balance
in commercial banks in the Kathmandu Valley. We reviewed role theory (Biddle, 2013), conflict
theory (Medler et al., 2008), life satisfaction theory (Sirgy & Lee, 2018), job strain theory (Collins
et al., 2005), and social exchange theory (Talukder, 2018). Role theory is a sociological and social
psychology viewpoint that holds that the majority of daily actions are performed within the socially
determined categories, based on the observation that individuals behave in predictable ways and that
an individual’s conduct varies depending on their social standing and other variables (Biddle, 2013).
Similarly, the conflict theory sees social and economic structures as tools in the battle between groups
or classes, used to sustain inequality and the ruling class’s supremacy. Human conflict is passed down
from generation to generation and from parent to child worldwide (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Zedeck and
Mosier (1990) explained work and family were incompatible spheres due to competing responsibilities,
as per the conflict theory. Likewise, Karasek introduced the job strain model, which primary focus is
on job task structure and work organization. This theory argues that jobs with similar demands or
expectations might differ significantly in terms of the level of stress or conflict created by the extent
of control that an individual has over stressful situations and focuses on understanding the factors that
contribute to stress perception and identifies two key operational forces: role demands and control
(Gilbert-Ouimet et al., 2011).
The study has used the life satisfaction theory, a combination of bottom-up and top-down theory.
Bottom-up theories of life satisfaction are founded on the concept that total life satisfaction is the
sum of its components. According to these theories, we are satisfied in various areas of life, including
jobs, relationships, family and friends, personal growth, health and fitness. Our pleasure in these
areas constitutes our total happiness (Sabir et al., 2019). On the other hand, top-down theories assume
that pleasure in particular domains of life is essentially a result of overall life satisfaction, which is
determined mainly by personality characteristics (Michaels, 1989). According to these theories, your
level of happiness with life impacts particular aspects of your life, both in person and professionally

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predictable ways, and an individual’s conduct varies depending on their social standing and other
variables (Biddle, 2013).
This study reviewed several models to understand the relationship between factors influencing work-life
balance. The model by Jahng (2019) examines whether male and female teenagers’ life satisfaction is
influenced by inconsistent parenting through the mediation functions of other individual-related factors
such as self-esteem and behavioral control. Likewise, Fakunmoju et al. (2016), in their study of life
satisfaction and perceived meaningfulness of learning experience among first-year traditional graduate
social work students, revealed that stress and support are key variables to consider when analyzing first-
year conventional social work graduate students’ life satisfaction and learning experience. Moreover,
Sirgy and Lee (2018) discussed work-life balance: an integrative review that presented an integrated
view of work-life balance by including two main dimensions: work-life involvement and non-work-life
engagement. Similarly, Lee and Sirgy (2018) develop a metric for large-scale quality-of-life surveys to
establish the theoretical foundations for a new formative work-life balance measure.
Figure 1 Conceptual Framework

Personal Life
Predictors Satisfaction

Work-Life
Organizational
Balance
Predictors

Source: Modified from Sirgy and Lee (2018)s

Sirgy and Lee (2018) explain that the personal predictor and organizational predictor are the
independent variable. On the other hand, life satisfaction as a mediation and work-life balance are
dependent variables, the relationship with each other is mentioned by creating the hypothesis.
Hypotheses Formulation
Personal Predictors and Work-life Balance
A variety of personal factors influences work-life balance. According to research, individual
characteristics and cultural values are personal predictors that affect work-life balance. Work-
life balance is influenced by various individual characteristics, including job involvement, family
involvement, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and coping style (Sharma & Kamal, 2020). Work-life
balance is also affected by an individual’s cultural values. Individualism affects the separation of
work and family responsibilities, power distance affects supervisory support for work-life balance,
masculinity affects workplace competition, and uncertainty avoidance moderates the impact of work-
life conflict on overall life happiness (Sirgy & Lee, 2018).
H1: Personal predictors positively and significantly affects work-life balance.
Organizational Predictors and Work-life Balance
Institutional factors such as job characteristics and organizational support are also antecedents of work-
life balance. Work-life balance is impacted by various job characteristics, including job demand, time
pressure at work, job autonomy, role ambiguity, and scheduling flexibility, as per research. Work-life
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balance is affected by numerous organizational support programs aimed at supporting employees better
manage work and life responsibilities. Many of these initiatives are aimed at improving work-life
balance. Examples of organisational support programs include flexible work arrangements, part-time
work, childcare assistance, parenting resources, eldercare resources, health programs, family leave
policy, other services, and social support at work (Sirgy & Lee, 2018).
H2: Organizational predictors positively and significantly affect work-life balance.
Life Satisfaction and Work-life Balance
People’s life satisfaction increases when organizations implement a work-life balance policy. On
the other hand, the link between work–life balance and life satisfaction is not obvious. According to
cross-sectional analysis, establishing a work-life balance policy improves both men’s and women’s
life satisfaction. Increased life satisfaction requires an institutional design that appropriately
accommodates both men’s and women’s work-life balance. In developed countries, work-life balance
is a key contributor to people’s life satisfaction: Increased work-life balance, in terms of time allocated
to leisure and personal care, might improve both men’s and women’s life satisfaction (Noda, 2020).
H3: Life satisfaction positively and significantly affects work-life balance.
Personal Predictors and Life Satisfaction
Many individuals and communities have made it a priority to improve people’s life satisfaction. An
individual’s self-esteem mediates the link between greed and life satisfaction (Li et al., 2018).
H4: Personal predictors positively and significantly affects life satisfaction.
Organizational Predictors and Life Satisfaction
The relationship between positive organizational practices and life satisfaction was mediated by
psychological capital. Positive organizational practices and psychological capital are important for
employee life satisfaction. Life satisfaction and hope predicted positive organizational practices in the
public sector. Overall psychological capital and life satisfaction in the private sector predict beneficial
organizational practices (Paudel et al., 2018). To summarize, good organizational practices were
associated with life satisfaction and psychological capital in both public and private sector employees,
although the characteristics of the linkages differed (Dirzyte & Patapas, 2022).
H5: Organizational predictors positively and significantly affect life satisfaction.
Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction
Life satisfaction is a a mediator between work-life balance and personal and organizational predictors.
H6: Life satisfaction mediates the relationship between Personal predictors and Work-life balance.
H7: Life satisfaction mediates the relationship between Organizational predictors and Work-life balance.
Table 1 Observed variables and their description
Variable
Construct Observed Variables Explanation
Notation
*Personal life WLB1 My personal life suffers because of work.
*Work life WLB2 My work suffers because of my personal
life
Work-Life Balance Personal Matters WLB3 I find it hard to work because of personal
(WLB) matters
Life Difficult WLB4 My job makes my personal life difficult
*Personal Needs WLB5 I neglect personal needs because of work
*Personal Activities WLB6 I miss personal activities because of work

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Variable
Construct Observed Variables Explanation
Notation
Difficult to Balance WLB7 I find it difficult to balance work and non-
work activities.
* Job Involvement PP1 I am able to identify my job and actively
participate in it.
Job Importance PP2 My job provides goals to work toward
each day and an income to support me
financially.
Personal Predictors Family Involvement PP3 My family supports me in social,
(PP) emotional, physical, academic, and
occupational growth.
Conscientiousness PP4 I wish to do my work or duty well and
thoroughly.
*Neuroticism PP5 Sometimes while working, I have faced
unknown situations.
Freedom OP1 My bank gives me the freedom to work
in a way that suits me.
Autonomy OP2 My bank provides a level of autonomy to
create my own schedules.
Right to Choose OP3 My bank gives me the right to choose
Organizational
when to begin, where to work, and when
Predictors (OP)
to stop working.
*Part Time OP4 My bank offers part-time work
arrangements.
*Manage roles OP5 My bank arranges for employees to
manage multiple roles at work.
Perfect LS1 My life is almost perfect in most ways.
Condition LS2 The conditions of my life are excellent.
Satisfied LS3 I am satisfied with my life.
Life Satisfaction
(LS) *Important LS4 So far, I have gotten the important things
I want in life.
*Nothing LS5 If I could live my life over, I would
change almost nothing.
Note: The items including WLB1, WLB2, WLB5 and WLB6 from construct 1; PP1 and PP5 from
construct 2; OP4 and OP5 from construct 3; LS4 and LS5 from construct 4 were dropped after
performing Confirmatory and Explanatory Factor Analysis, and these items value remains below 0.5.
Study Area and Population
This study is conducted in the Kathmandu Valley, Bagmati Province, Nepal (see Figure 2). The latitude
of tehKathmandu Valley lies between 27° 32’ 13” and 27° 49° 10” north and longitudes 85°11’ 31” and
85° 31’ 38” east and is located at a mean elevation of about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above sea level
(Pant & Dangol, 2009). Kathmandu Valley comprises three districts, namely, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and
Bhaktapur (Rimal et al., 2017), which cover an area of 899 square kilometres, whereas the area of the
Valley as a whole is 665 square kilometres.
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Figure 2 Study Area

With a population of around 1.47 million people, Kathmandu Valley is located in the country’s central
part and serves as the country’s capital (Aksha & Emrich, 2020). Due to a lack of infrastructure
development and services in other regions of the nation, the Kathmandu Valley has become a hub
for many business and service activities (Nepal, 2020). Being the capital city of Nepal and one of the
only regions with the highest population concentration, research on employees’ work-life balance in
Kathmandu Valley gives better and more factual results.

Sampling Technique and Sample Size Determination

Several sampling techniques are widely used in market research so that researchers do not have to
survey the entire population in order to obtain useful information (Azzalin, 2017). The study uses
the non-sampling technique as the total population is not known. Under this sampling technique,
researchers opted for convenience sampling for sample collection. The sample size was calculated by
using the formula n = N*X / (X + N – 1), where X = Zα/22 *p*(1-p) / MOE2, and Zα/2 is that the critical
value of the traditional distribution at α/2 (e.g., for a confidence level of 95%, α is 0.05 and also the
critical value is 1.96), MOE is that the margin of error, p is that the sample proportion and N is that the
population size. The sample size is 258. This study also added a non-respondent error of 5%. Thus, the
final sample size needed in this study is 271, but due to COVID-19, only 264 was collected.

Research Instrument, Data Collection and Data Analysis

The structured questionnaire has been developed and devised to survey the employee work-life balance
of Nepalese commercial banks in the Kathmandu Valley. It uses the 5 Likert scale from 1 to 5 for the
construct, where (1= = strongly disagree) and (5 = strongly Agree). To measure the factors influencing
employees work-life balance in commercial banks in commercial banks of Nepal, 4 constructs were
used, i.e. work-life balance (7 items), personal predictor (5 items), organizational predictor (5 items), and
life satisfaction (5 items). The researchers have linked questionnaires to meet the objectives mentioned
above in the study. The primary data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis, which
included structural equation modelling (SEM) based on several latent constructs. Software such as
KOBO Toolbox, Microsoft Excel, and SPSS AMOS (version 22) and SPSS (version 21) were utilized
for data analysis, while Microsoft Excel was used for data entry and tabulation.

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Results and Discussion

Socio-Demographic Characteristics
The socio-demographic characteristics of the surveyed respondents (264) are presented in this section
from Kathmandu’s commercial banks. The findings show that the majority of the respondents are
female (150) aged between 25-30, where the least of the respondents fall under the 20-25 age group
and are unmarried (50.76%), where the majority of the respondents have a Master’s and above degree
(59.09%). It shows that educated women, who are considered to be part of the younger generation
(Devkota et al., 2018), make up the majority of employees in commercial banks in the Kathmandu
Valley. Furthermore, it clearly shows that most people are educated, which ultimately leads to a positive
way of balancing work and family life. Similarly, the majority of employees were Junior Assistants
(24.24%); meanwhile, the least of the respondents were Senior Managers (0.38%). This study reveals
that most of the respondents in commercial banks were Junior Assistants (see Table 2).
Table 2 Socio-demographic characteristics
Variable Category Frequency Percentage
Male 114 43.18%
Gender
Female 150 56.82%
20-25 14 5.30%
25-30 131 49.62%
Age 30-35 57 21.59%
35-40 41 15.53%
40 and Above 21 7.95%
Master and above 156 59.09%
Education Level
Bachelor 108 40.91%
Unmarried 134 50.76%
Marital Status
Married 130 49.24%
Trainee Assistant 11 4.17%
Junior Assistant 64 24.22%
Assistant 59 22.35%
Designation Senior Assistant 45 17.05%
Supervisor 35 13.26%
Junior Officer 17 6.44%
Others 33 12.51%
General Understanding of Work-life Balance
The findings replicate that employees have to work 6 days a week, spending 8-10 hours/day. Likewise,
most commercial banks do not provide flexible time for work, whereas only a few said their workplace
has provided flexible time for work. The study reveals that workplaces do not provide flexible time for
commercial bank employees. In this research, the majority of the respondents (55.68%) discloses that
the distance from their home to the office (two-way) is 30 minutes to one hour, and a few respondents
(0.76%) reveals that it takes one and a half hour. Likewise, the result of the respondent shows they
utilize their leisure time for various activities at home, such as cooking, cleaning, etc. The majority of
them (82.95%) involve in cleaning and dusting, (49.62%) the respondent enjoys cooking and the rest
of the respondent love to take care of children, studying and travelling etc.
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Factors Influencing Work-life Balance in Commercial Banks

The different variables are used to measure to work-life balance, the variables such as personal
matters, life difficulty and difficult to balance are used to measure the work-life balance as (40.53%) of
respondent disagree that they find it hard to work as their personal life also matters for them, (39.39%)
also disagree that their job makes personal life difficult. Likewise, (40.91%) of respondents disagree
that balancing work and non-work activities is difficult. Thus, most commercial banking employees
disagree that they have a work-life balance. Likewise, personal predictors such as job importance,
family involvement, and conscientiousness are used. The results reveal that (39.39%) agree that their
job provides a goal to work on a daily basis and supports them financially. (17.42%) disagree their
family supports them in social, emotional, physical, academic, and occupational growth. Likewise,
40.53% of the respondents agree that they wish to do their work or duty well and thoroughly.
Similarly, the variables such as freedom, autonomy and right to choose are used in the organizational
predictors. The result indicates that the majority (55.30%) of the respondents disagree that their bank
gives them the freedom to work in a way that suits them. Likewise, few (16.29%) respondents agree
that their bank provides a level of autonomy to create their own schedules. Similarly, the majority
(54.55%) of the respondents disagree that their bank gives them the right to choose when to begin,
where to work, and when to stop working. This indicates that organizational predictors are important
in balancing employee’s work-life and family life. Likewise, Life Satisfaction (how people express
their emotions and feelings (moods) and how they feel about their future orientations and alternatives)
includes explanatory variables such as perfect, condition, and satisfied. The result revealed that the
majority (40.91%) of the respondents agree, their life is almost perfect in most ways; they agree the
condition of their life is excellent. 52.65% feel that they are satisfied with their life.
Figure 3 Overall discussion of variables

Work-Life Balance Challenges and Managerial Solutions in Commercial Banks

The study finds the challenges faced by commercial bank employees as they reveal that they faced fewer
challenges in their working conditions as (24.24%) of respondent feel that the challenges sometimes
occur, and (0.38%) feel they have never faced challenges due to working conditions. According to
the respondents, the challenges in work-life balance are due to seasonal changes (5.68%), auspicious
festivals (40.53%), changes in government laws (6.06%) and at the time of strikes (3.03%) and such
challenges are high due to others factors like due to quarter end pressure, change in office circulars
(2.27%). Likewise, the major challenges faced by employees are: unable to manage friends and family
gatherings (40.15%), high level of stress (25.76%), unable to continue academic and other activities
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(12.12%), problems in family relationships (3.03%), and others (moderate level of stress) (0.38%).
Devi and Nagini (2013) reveal in their study that employees find their jobs more challenging, and
if these challenges are not managed properly, stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction with their jobs
may result. Moreover, (98.86%) of respondents believe that the challenges are manageable through
the flexible schedule (85.61%), employee health and awareness programs (51.52%), encouraging
vacation (40.53%), leave policies (28.541%), encouraging team building exercises (14.39%), and
others (1.89%).
Likewise, this study also revealed that Schedule flexibility (32%), Reduction of unnecessary pressure
(60%), Discouraging overtime culture (45%), Support from family as well as flexibility in the workplace
(32%), Positive working environment (32%), Practice self-compassion (40%), Proper management of
time by employees for the family as well as for work etc. (35%) are some management strategies
that commercial bank can use to balance work-life culture (see figure 4). A study by Goyal and Babel
(2015) suggests that work-life balance policies and initiatives invest in an organization’s productivity,
absenteeism reduction, enhanced customer service, improved health, flexible working, and a satisfied
and motivated workforce, particularly in the banking industry.
Figure 4 Managerial Solution

Inferential Analysis
The data is summarized using the mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis. The mean and
standard deviation of the responses are in the range of 2.4924 to 3.6818 and 0.85277 to 1.12444,
respectively; skewness and kurtosis of each variable fall within the range of -1 to +1.
Likewise, exploratory factor analysis using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and varimax rotation
is done using SPSS (version 24), which helps identify the elements that influenced the underlying
link between the variables. The applicability of the data should be checked using KMO and Bartlett’s
test before considering it. The result indicates that The KMO value is 0.842, which meets the 0.60
minimum requirement (Bertsch, 2012). Bartlett’s test of sphericity shows that the p-value is 0.000<
0.05, indicating that there is a sufficient correlation. Similarly, for common method bias, Harman’s
single-factor test is used to determine whether the first extracted factor explains more than 50% of the
variance in the results of an EFA analysis (Aguirre-Urreta & Hu, 2019). The result indicates that the

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overall variation for a single factor in this study is 45.540 %, less than 50%, indicating that the study
does not show common method bias.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Measurement Model

CFA is used to test for the goodness of fit, and measures like CMN/DF, RMR, RMSEA, GFI, IFT, TLI,
and CFI were used to examine the goodness of fit. Based on the result, CMN/DF is 2.352, RMR is
0.036, RMSEA is 0.072, GFI IS 0.931, IFT is 0.974, TLI is 0.965, and CFI is 0.974. This study has an
excellent model fit as all the indicators lie under the criteria of CMN/DF<5, RMR<0.08, RMSEA<0.08,
GFI>0.80, IFT>0.90, TLI>0.90, and CFI>0.90 required for good fitting (Blunch, 2012).
A measurement model is utilized to implement SEM in order to test construct validity. As indicated in
Table 3, convergence validity and discriminant validity were used to confirm the data’s reliability and
validity. For the data to demonstrate convergence validity, it should satisfy the condition of CR>0.70 and
AVE>0.50. Similarly, for the data to demonstrate discriminant validity, it should satisfy the condition
of AVE >MSE and the square root of AVE > correlation. The finding of this study demonstrates both
convergence and discriminant validity as it satisfies the criteria mentioned above (Tables 3 and 4).
Table 3 Reliability and Validity
Factor Cronbach’s
Construct Indicators CR AVE MSV
Loading Alpha
PP2 0.873 0.940 0.941 0.841 0.338
Personal Predictors PP3 0.925
PP4 0.881
OP1 0.903 0.935 0.938 0.836 0.469
Organizational Predictors OP2 0.932
OP3 0.838
LS1 0.820 0.881 0.887 0.724 0.338
Life Satisfaction LS2 0.886
LS3 0.799
WLB3 0.728 0.838 0.838 0.633 0.469
Work-Life Balance WLB4 0.771
WLB7 0.757
Table 4 Latent Construct Correlation
PP OP LS WLB
PP 0.197
OP 0.250 0.914
LS 0.581 0.226 0.851
WLB 0.422 0.685 0.387 0.795
Table 4 shows the latent construct correlation between variables, and shows that every variable is
correlated with each other, implying there is no issue of normality, validity and reliability in datasets.

Mediation Analysis
The study investigates whether the mediating variable has a significant impact on the independent
and dependent variables. To demonstrate the mediation relationship, the Sobel Test was used. The

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mediation analysis shows direct and indirect effects on the model. In this study, two mediation analyses
have investigated, such as PP->LS->WLB and OP->LS->WLB. This research also aims to determine
whether full or partial mediation exists. The p-value in the mediation fulfills the criteria of P value <
0.05, which indicates that life satisfaction plays the mediating role between work life balance (WLB)
and both personal predictors (PP) and Organizational predictors (OP).
Table 5 Result of indirect effect on the sobel test examining the mediating relationship
Mediating Effect Test Statistic p-value Decision
b Sb
PP  LS  WLB A 0.410 0.179 0.072 2.423 0.0077 Supported
Sa 0.038
OP  LS  WLB A 0.231 0.199 0.052 2.782 0.0054 Supported
Sa 0.057

Test of Hypothesis
Table 5 shows that H1, H2, H3, and H4 are all accepted, showing a significant relationship. On the other
hand, H5 is rejected, which leads to the conclusion that there is an insignificant relationship between
the variable in the respective hypothesis. The degree to which a variable contributes to the transmission
of change from a cause to its consequence is measured by mediation analysis. The influence of the
mediating variables was evaluated using the Sobel test. After doing the Sobel test, it shows that p
≤0.05, which revealed that the mediating variable, life satisfaction has a mediating influence on the
relationship between the independent variable (Personal predictors and Organizational predictors) and
the dependent variable (Work life balance).
The regression analysis, variable analysis, and assessment of the normality pattern are all studied using
SEM in the inferential section of the study. Four factors are investigated based on latent variables
in relation to observed variables. The model’s fitness criteria demonstrate fitness. The result gives a
CMIN/DF of 2.352(2.3523) for X2 /df (CMIN/DF). The p-value for a meaningful relationship between
latent and observable variables was less than 0.10. The significance level of all hypotheses (p-value) in
this analysis is less than 0.10, implying that they are highly accepted. As all hypotheses of contingent
factors are eliminated, this suggests that all independent variables used in this study significantly affect
all hypotheses of contingent factors.
Figure 5: Structural Model

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Table 6 Path Estimates For Structural Model

Hypothesis
Hypothesis Estimate SE. C.R. P
result
H1 : Personal predictors  Work-life balance .154 .054 2.855 .004 Significant
H2 : Organizational predictors  Work-life balance .630 .065 9.621 *** Significant
H3 : Life satisfaction  Work-life balance .169 .081 2.083 .037 Significant
H4 : Personal predictors  Life satisfaction .377 .044 8.475 *** Significant
H5 : Organizational predictors  Life satisfaction .074 .049 1.508 .132 Insignificant

Discussion and Conclusion

Discussion
To establish and test the relationship between the variables in this study, we used the reliability test
and multiple linear correlations. Personal predictors, organizational predictors, and life satisfaction
all have a significant impact on work-life balance. Hypothesis 1 and 2 show that the personal and
organizational predictors impact work-life balance. The study by Kim et al. (2021) reveals that personal
factors significantly impact work-life balance. This study implies that personal predictors and cultural
values influence work-life balance, where job participation, family involvement, conscientiousness,
neuroticism, and coping style are all factors that influence work-life balance. Moreover, institutional
variables can influence work-life balance, including job quality and organizational support. Job
demand, time pressure at work, job autonomy, role ambiguity, and scheduling flexibility all impact
work-life balance.
Similarly, the supported hypothesis H3 states that there is a significant relationship between Life
satisfaction and Work-life balance which indicates that when companies establish a work–life balance
policy, people’s life satisfaction rises. On the other side, there is no evident link between work-life
balance and life satisfaction (Arunika & Kottawatta, 2017). According to a cross-sectional study,
creating a work-life balance strategy promotes life satisfaction for both men and women. Increased life
satisfaction necessitates institutional design that considers both men and women’s work–life balance.
Work-life balance is a crucial contributor to people’s life satisfaction in industrialized countries:
Increased work-life balance, in terms of leisure and personal care time, may improve life satisfaction
for both men and women (Noda, 2020). Similarly, hypothesis H4 shows the significant relationship
of the personal predictor with life satisfaction, which shows that many individuals and localities have
priorities to improve their life satisfaction. According to Li et al. (2018), grit and life happiness have a
mediation role in individual life. Finally, hypothesis H5 shows that the organizational predictor does not
show a relationship with life satisfaction. In a similar study conducted by Dirzyte and Patapas (2022),
psychological capital mediated the link between positive organizational practices and life satisfaction,
where positive organizational practices and psychological capital influence employee life satisfaction.
In conclusion, good organizational practices were linked to life satisfaction and psychological capital
in public and private sector workers, while the relationships’ features varied.
Conclusion
With the immense influence on job satisfaction, time management, stress management, and other
important areas of people’s daily lives, work-life balance is a phenomenon that has spread worldwide
and has long been a hot issue. The study tries to find out the factors that influence work-life balance in
commercial banks, further, it tries to find out the challenges they have faced as well as the solutions to
mitigate such challenges. The result indicates that the employees faced high levels of stress, unable to

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manage the family and friends gatherings. The Banking sector needs to implement a flexible schedule,
positive work environment, discouraging overtime culture, and encouraging vacation and leave policies
are some solutions suggesting improving work-life balance. The study validates all confirmatory factor
analysis criteria as it shows the result KMO>0.5 (i.e. 0.842) and BTS < 0.000 after running Bartleet
and KMO, and there is no concern with validity. According to Sirgy and Lee (2018), life satisfaction
is happiness due to the satisfaction with a job, friends and family, personal growth and satisfaction in
health and fitness. The result of the study shows that personal predictor, organizational predictors, and
life satisfaction has a significant relationship with work-life balance as well as personal predictor has a
significant relationship with life satisfaction. Mediation analysis has shown the mediation relationship
between variables and demonstrates that the life satisfaction has a mediating role with personal and
organizational predictor and work-life balance.
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