Work-Life Balance: Do First Year Graduates have it?

Abstract

Work-life balance is an important topic that is worthy of study and is becoming increasingly popular among researchers. There is a lack of knowledge contributing to the work-life balance issues for new graduates. This study seeks to explore how graduates in their first year of post-university study, experience work-life balance.

An interpretive methodological approach was taken to this study. A qualitative method of semi-structured interviews was used to engage with first year graduates who were in their first year of work post-university. Data was collected through recording and transcribing. Thematic analysis was used to understand how new graduates in their first year of work perceive the relationship between work and non-work life.

The results suggest that first year graduates perceive that they have a good work-life balance. Specific to this group of first year graduates was that their primary concern in their non-work life was socialising and leisure activities. The major influence on their work-life balance was their enjoyment of the structure that work provided to their work-life balance compared to university. They had a tendency to segment rather than integrate their work-life balance. However boundary management activities suggested significant interaction occurred between their work and non-work life. This suggested that there was significant overlap in both positive and negatives ways in both directions between work and non-work life. Their work-life balance was also largely connected to their career goals and aspirations for travel. They were willing to sacrifice their non-work time to be more successful in the future through a long-term perspective of delayed gratification.