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Abstract

The flexible working hours allows employees to focus on multiple roles in today’s competitive working environments. This arrangement has been widely practiced in order to create balance between work and lifestyle. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the flexible working hours and employees’ motivation. The survey questionnaires were used for data collection in this study. Meanwhile, both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data. The results indicated that the implementation of flexible working hours show a significant impact to the employees’ motivation in the XYZ Department. Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected. Therefore it can be concluded that there is a high positive correlation between flexible working hours and employees’ motivation. Through this study, opinions, suggestions and comments were discussed to enhance the effectiveness of the working system.
Asian Social Science; Vol. 9, No. 3; 2013
ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
208
A Study of Flexible Working Hours and Motivation
Abd. Rahman Ahmad1, Mohammad Talha Mohamed Idris2 & Mohd Hilmi Hashim1
1 Faculty of Technology Management and Business, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia
2 Faculty of Science, Technology and Human Development, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia
Correspondence: Abd. Rahman Ahmad, Faculty of Technology Management and Business, Universiti Tun
Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. Tel: 60-7-453-3952. E-mail: arahman@uthm.edu.my
Received: December 24, 2012 Accepted: January 21, 2013 Online Published: February 28, 2013
doi:10.5539/ass.v9n3p208 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n3p208
Abstract
The flexible working hours allows employees to focus on multiple roles in today’s competitive working
environments. This arrangement has been widely practiced in order to create balance between work and lifestyle.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the flexible working hours and employees’
motivation. The survey questionnaires were used for data collection in this study. Meanwhile, both descriptive
and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data. The results indicated that the implementation of
flexible working hours show a significant impact to the employees’ motivation in the XYZ Department. Thus,
the null hypothesis was rejected. Therefore it can be concluded that there is a high positive correlation between
flexible working hours and employees’ motivation. Through this study, opinions, suggestions and comments
were discussed to enhance the effectiveness of the working system.
Keywords: flexible working hours, motivation, job satisfaction
1. Introduction
Streamlining of working hour schedule and balancing between personal life and work is an essential issue in the
European Union countries especially in the United Kingdom since 1990s (Jones & Jones, 2011). This agenda has
attracted the attention of various parties, especially among motivational experts and politicians who agreed that
this issue should be discussed further in order to improve the balance between work and family. Indeed, the
flexible working arrangement practices leads to balance the job responsibility and children’s safety at home
especially for working mother (Michael, 2004). Furthermore, previous research proved that the flexible working
hours contributed to higher job satisfaction, motivation and employee engagement (Mc Nall et al., 2010).
Therefore, to increase the employee motivation towards the vision and mission, each organization needs to
emphasize on their staff welfare. Fynes et al. (1998), identified among the advantages gained by the staff through
the implementation of flexible working hours are the ability to reduce absenteeism, reducing stress, improving
staff moral and increasing staff motivation to work. As a result, the implementation of flexible working hours
schedule in Europe in both public and private sectors have contributed to balance the work and family
responsibility. By doing so, the staffs have more suitable time to cater responsibilities towards the family
including food, children safety and shopping without any stress (De Roure, 1995).
The flexible working hours consists of part time, overtime, long term leaves, job sharing, flexitime and shift
work (Chung & Tijdens, 2012; Jones & Jones, 2011). They also stated that the working time referring to the
degree of flexibility, gender equity, negotiation structure and diversity of working time. However, all staff must
be available at the work place within a time frame, such as within 10.00 am until 3.30 pm. Therefore by
implementing this system, employees may choose the suitable time to clock-in and clock-out, provided that the
total working hours in a day or in a week remains complied (Zulkifli et al., 2004). Subramaniam and
Selvaratnam (2010) pointed out that almost half of women employees in Malaysia faced difficulties of balancing
work and their family life. To this regard, the government and private sectors should take note of this issue
accordingly. This is because there is an increase in awareness of the quality work relationship for working
mothers.
The purposed of this research is to identify the relationship between flexible working hour schedule and staff
motivation in XYZ government agency. The hypothesis for this study is stated as follows:
H0: There is no relationship between flexible working hour schedule and staff motivation level.
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209
H1: There is a relationship between flexible working hour schedule and staff motivation level.
2. Literature Review
The impact from changes in economy, technology, social and lifestyle in today’s environments have boosted the
awareness of flexible working arrangements in an organisation. Evidence from the previous study indicated that
the competitive working environment and increasing workload had caused family and personal life being
neglected (Mary & Chris, 1998). Smith (1993) pointed out that working women should have balance between
tasks in the office and responsibility to the family especially on safety, health and children needs. Therefore,
Cook (1992) suggested that through the implementation of flexible working hour’s schedule, the responsibilities
over children’s safety and education will be more secured. This is due to the fact that they are able to engage for
a better coordination between work and responsibilities to the family. This statement is than further supported by
Emmott and Hutchinson (1998). They found out that the implementation of flexible working hours schedule
could increase and balance women’s responsibilities in work and family. It is a fact that children need love, food,
safety and parents’ attention to ensure that children lead to a normal life. This complies with Maslow’s theory of
motivation that emphasizes the aspects of safety, love, needs for food, esteem and self-actualisation that needs to
be fulfilled by individual in order to increase the motivation at work.
In line with the continuous improvement initiative to uplift the service delivery system to the public, flexible
working hour’s schedule which is also known as Staggered Working Hours (SWH) has been implemented in the
Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur commencing 1st May 1998. In fact, the government has agreed for the SWH
to be extended to all agencies in the Federal Government throughout the country. The key objective of this policy
is to increase the service quality and extend service duration to the public. In order to ensure the effectiveness of
SWH, the characteristics of employees’ satisfaction and motivation at work should be addressed accordingly. As
such, employer should play an important role in determining employee satisfaction, comfortability and welfare.
Cushway (1994) argued that the implementation of flexible working hours is an effective stage to increase
productivity without increasing the work force.
2.1 Trend in Flexible Working Hours
Zanten (2007), the Head of Diversity and Inclusiveness Shell International pointed out that the flexible working
hours is the best and most suitable option to be implemented in the company. Furthermore, he also mentioned
that Shell is fortunate to be one of the world’s largest companies that value environment and allows more space
for women to achieve a balanced life as well as plan for women to occupy 20 per cent of senior executive
positions in the company (Berita Harian, 2007). In the UK labour market for example, the flexible working hours
is spreading widely (Jennifer & Jean, 2009). Currently, the Malaysian Government’s has taken effort to extend
the unpaid leave for women employees in the public sector for taking care of children from currently 90 days to
the maximum of five years. It has been agreed in the Cabinet meeting to give opportunity and extra time for
women employees to raise their children without having to quit their job. This recent decision enables female
staff to focus on bringing up children in line with the government’s desire to provide attention to elementary
education (Utusan Malaysia, 2007).
2.2 Elements of Motivation
Kreitner and Kinicki (2001) defined the motivation as a psychological process that continuously raises
motivation, direction and voluntary actions towards achieving goals. Maslow argued that in every individual
lives there are five hierarchical essential needs: (1) physiological; (2) safety; (3) social; (4) esteem; (5) and
self-actualisation. Furthermore, he later divided the needs into lower level and higher level of needs. The lower
level of needs consists of physiological, safety and social whilst higher level of needs includes esteem and
self-actualisation. Managers should understand these psychological processes if they want to be successful in
leading the staff towards achieving the organisational objectives. Herewith, the few elements of motivation:
1) Rewards: Everyone strives to achieve a good living. With rewards such as salary, bonus, annual leaves,
pension, etc.
2) Personal objective: Human is driven to work by personal reasons and needs such as to gain basic human
needs (self-preservation) which drives people to strive for their security reasons.
3) Recognition and sense of belonging: Normal human has the desire to feel needed, recognised and accepted by
the society.
4) Love: When a person loves himself, his family and his employer, this will then motivates him in anything he
does. He will utilise all the will power and strength to accomplish the task.
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5) Working hours: Suitable working hours are needed by the employees to have a balance between working
hours and time to be spent with family and personal matters at home. The employee will feel more motivated if
time spent with children at home is extended.
3. Methodology
In this study, the first step employed in the questionnaire designed as suggested by Churchill (1979) is to define
the domain of construct. In the words of Frazer and Lawley (2000), the researcher first needs to consider the
information to be included in the survey, what should be excluded from the survey and what information should
be best obtained. As proposed by Churchill, Frazer and Lawley, the previous literature review was used as a
principle to develop the questions. In this study, the criterion for selecting the population were carefully designed
to include the positions occupied in XYZ Department. Questionnaires were sent to participants by direct visit. In
order to reach the target population represented in this study, the researcher compiled a contact list with names,
designations, telephone numbers and email addresses. The researcher used these contact details as references for
data collection and strategies to increase the response rate. A number of 41 questionnaires were distributed to the
staff of XYZ Department. The items used were based on Likert scale to facilitate the data analysis. All questions
featured were guided by the research objective. In this research, the researcher plan like to study the relationship
between flexible working hour schedule and staff motivation level in XYZ Department. It aimed to test the
hypothesis of the relationship between the variables and the set hypothesis. Flexible working hour is the
independent variable while staff motivation level is the dependent variable.
Meanwhile, in data analysis strategy, the researcher used both descriptive and inferential statistics. According to
Chua (2006), inferential analysis in quantitative research is suitable for this research as a survey will be
conducted to gain further response. Correlation analysis was performed to find out the relationship between the
two variables. According to Sekaran (2003), correlation test is able to provide confirmation on the relationship
between these two variables, that is, the flexible working hour schedule and staff motivation level. This method
provides the relationship between these variables from the perspectives of direction, strength and significance of
relationship. Correlation analysis is able to portray the strength of the relationship between two variables
analysed, those are, dependent variable and independent variable.
Test conducted from the field indicates that the alpha value for SWH was 0.752 whilst alpha value for motivation
level is at 0.762, followed by the value for the relationship between flexible working hour schedule and staff
motivation level was at 0.780 and resulted to total alpha value was at 0.862. This pilot study was conducted to 10
staff at XYZ Department in which after obtaining the confidence interval of 0.7 then the set questionnaires were
distributed to the actual respondents.
4. Findings
4.1 Demographic Analysis
Table 1 demonstrated the results based on respondents demographic. From the 41 sets of questionnaires
distributed, only 38 sets were completed and returned. Overall, the majority of the respondents’ age ranged from
26 to 30 years old (39.5%) followed by 31 to 40 years old (29%). The remaining of 10.5 per cent ranged is
between the age of 21 to 25 years old and another 21 per cent is 41 years old and above.
Table 1. Demographic analysis
Ite
m
Frequenc
y
Percentage %
A
ge
21-25
26-30
31- 40
41 and above
4
15
11
8
10.5
39.5
29.0
21.0
Gende
r
Male
Female
12
26
31.6
68.4
M
arriage Status
Single
Married
11
27
28.9
71.1
Total 38 100
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As for gender, 68.4 per cent were female and 31.6 per cent were male. Marriage status showed that the majority
of the respondents were married (71.1%) and 28.9 per cent were still single.
Mean Score Analysis
This sub section analysed all items in the questionnaire including relationship between flexible working hour and
staff motivation level. Mean score values for all items were calculated and tabulated in Table 2.
Table 2. Mean score distribution analysis on relationship between flexible working hour and staff motivation
level in department XYZ
No. Item Description Mean
score
1 I feel comfortable with the implementation of SWH compared to the normal working
schedule.
3.97
2 Selection of suitable working shift (WS) allows me to spend more time with my family. 3.82
3 Selection of suitable working shift (WS) allows me to sort out my personal matters at home
without interrupting working hour.
3.97
4 I have ample rest time to be with my family by selecting the suitable working shift (WS). 3.87
5 Implementation of SWH is able to increase my service quality to the customer. 3.84
6 I feel stressed at work when my responsibilities and my children’s welfare and safety at home
are neglected.
3.71
7 I feel SWH helps me from being late to office. 3.87
8 I feel that service to customer will be affected if staffs are late to work. 3.92
9 I feel that tardiness issue can be reduced through the implementation of SWH in all
departments in the government sector.
3.84
10 I have high commitment to come to work through the implementation of SWH. 3.87
11 In my opinion high commitment among staff is important in strengthening the public sector
system.
3.92
12 My motivation level at work can be increased through SWH. 3.87
13 Staff motivation level can be increased through the implementation of new policy by the
government such as SWH.
3.71
14 In my opinion more time spent with the family may increase my motivation level at work. 3.82
15 I found that the implementation of SWH provides more time for the customer to deal with the
government.
3.82
Average Mean Score 3.85
As indicated in the table above, the highest mean score was at 3.97. There were two items scored similarly in the
questions on ‘I feel comfortable with the implementation of SWH compared to the normal working schedule and
Selection of suitable working shift (WS) allows me to sort out my personal matters at home without interrupting
working hour’. The lowest mean score was at 3.71 which were also being scored by two questions those are ‘I
feel stressed at work when my responsibilities and my children’s welfare and safety at home are neglected’ and
Staff motivation level can be increased through the implementation of new policy by the government such as
SWH’. Subsequently, the average mean score was derived at 3.85. In conclusion, the respondents from the XYZ
Department benefited from the implementation of SWH.
4.2 Inferential Analysis
Normality test
In order to identify the normally distributed data, a few tests can be performed by using Kolmogorov-Smirnow,
Skewness and Kurtosis. Data sample were tested to determine whether it is normally distributed.
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Table 3. Normality test
Table 3 above demonstrated that the normality test was at not significant value for Kolmogorov-Smirnov (a)
(p=0.125) and Shapiro-Wilk (p=0.473). Therefore, the data in this study is normally distributed as the significant
values for both Kolmogorov-Smirnov (a) and Shapiro-Wilk shown significant values of more than 0.05
respectively.
Correlation Test
Correlation test analysis depicts the strength of the relationship existed between dependent and independent
variables.
Figure 1. Relationship between independent and dependent variables
As shown in Figure 1, the relationship between dependent and independent variables is strong. Axis Y represents
staff motivation level as the dependent variable and X is the flexible working hour schedule being the
independent variable. A strong relationship is indicated by the plotted data that skewed towards the right side,
explaining the positive relationship.
Pearson correlation test
In this study, the correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the flexible working hours
and staff motivation.
Kolmogorov-Smirnov(a) Shapiro-Wilk
Statistic df Sig. Statistic df Sig.
.125 38 .139 .973 38 .473
33.544.55
Jadual_waktu_kerja_anjal
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Motivasi
Flexible Working Hours
Motivation
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Table 4. Pearson correlation test
Flexible Working Hour
Schedule
Staff Motivation
Level
Flexible Working Hour
Schedule
Pearson
Correlation 1 .841(**)
Sig. (2-tailed) . .000
N 38 38
Staff Motivation Level Pearson
Correlation .841(**) 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .
N 38 38
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
H0 ρ = 0
HA ρ 0
Sig = 0.000, rs = 0.841
According to table above the coefficient value is significant and is marked with the symbol (*). The results show
that all coefficient correlation was at the significance level of p=0.000 level. This result indicated that the
coefficient correlation value (ρ) is different from zero by subtracting H0 as the significance value is lesser than
0.01.
Table 5. Interpretation of coefficient correlation value
Coefficient Correlation Value (r) Interpretation
Less than 0.20 Very weak relationship
0.20 - 0.40 Low correlation
0.40 – 0.70 Moderate correlation
0.70 – 0.90 Strong correlation
0.90 – 1.00 Very strong correlation
Source: Chua (2006)
As indicated in the table above, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables are strongly
correlated (rs= 0.841). Generally, the value of r enables the percentage of differences in Y to be identified, as
described by its relationship with X, through 100r2. As such, if the derived coefficient is 0.841, then 70.73% [100%
(0.8412)] from differences in Y is the result of its relationship with X.
5. Discussion and Recommendations
The results from this research confirmed that the implementation of flexible working hour schedule contributed
to the staff motivation at XYZ Department. Hence, this study further supports the previous researches conducted
on the perspectives of female staff satisfaction through flexible working hour, which proved could increase the
motivation and satisfaction level of a family (Emmott and Hutchinson, 1998). Nevertheless, the implementation
of flexible working hour schedule allows staff to perform duties in a comfortable, peaceful and less stress
condition that can elevate staff motivation level. This study than further supports the previous research findings
indicated that there is relationship between the implementation of flexible working hour schedule and staff
motivation level at XYZ Department. Simultaneously, SWH enables the staff to balance between their obligations
at work and family matters at home. Following the conducted research, it is clearly indicated that the
implementation of SWH may give positive impact to married staffs. This is proven from Smith (1993) that
working women should have a balance between tasks in the office and her obligation towards the family
especially on safety issues, health and her children’s needs for food. In other research, Cook (1992) concluded
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that through the implementation of flexible working hour schedule the obligations towards children’s safety and
early education are more secured and both responsibilities at work and at home can be streamlined.
From another point of view, the implementation of SWH could also reduce the absenteeism and improve staff
moral and motivation level (Fynes at al., 1998). The mean score indicated in this study was more than 3
indicated that they agreed with the statement. This is due to the fact that SWH implementation enables staff to
choose the best time to clock-in and clock-out. They will have more benefit with the implementation of this
flexible time arrangement. For example, for the family employees they are able to find a more suitable time for
the needs of safety, health and kid’s education. From the research outcome, the basic needs such as staff needs
for meal and ample break time strongly influence ones motivation to work.
This study indicated that there is a relationship between flexible working hours schedule and staff motivation in
XYZ Department. As such, it is recommended for XYZ Department to increase staff motivation level through the
implementation of SWH by the Federal Government. In the meantime, the XYZ Department senior officers and
heads of department should provide brief information to the staff on SWH system in general to ensure they
understand the system thoroughly. This is for the reason that the results indicated showed there is still staff who
do not actually understand the implementation of SWH by the government. Apart from that, the Head of XYZ
Department should balance the number of staff for each Staggered Hour (SH) selections to ensure smooth office
operations especially the counter service for customers.
From the researcher’s opinion, XYZ Department staff should identify appropriate SH in order to allow staff to
have ample time with their family hence boost their passion and motivation to work. According to Riedmann
(2006), selection of suitable clock-in and clock-out time every day may give them ample time to be with their
family and able to meet the needs especially on safety, health and children’s needs for meal. Apart from that,
staff at XYZ Department should have high internal attributes such as self-discipline, responsible, trustworthy and
commitment towards their work to ensure effective implementation of SWH. This is because the comments
gathered from many respondents stated that without practicing these values all implemented policies and
strategies by the Federal Government may not be successful. As such, the employees need to play an important
role and give full cooperation to the employer to implement the SWH system successfully in the XYZ
Department.
Moreover the Federal Government should monitor closely the SWH implementation to ensure the effectiveness
of this policy. Apart from that, the government need to form a special committee to study the effectiveness of
SWH implementation throughout the Federal Government agencies in the nation. Through this committee, all
complications and problems voiced out by the staff can be addressed drastically to ensure the effectiveness of
SWH system implementation. Besides that, the Government should consider improvements on the SWH system
such as regular assessments on effectiveness of SWH implementation. For instance every department of the
Federal Government agencies must submit staff performance report for every six month. This approach will
assist the government to provide room for improvement in order to maintain the effectiveness of SWH system
implementation throughout the nation.
This study was conducted to achieve the set objectives. Future researchers may consider to:
1) Extended the research. Future researchers are expected to extend the study by increase number of samples.
With that, the findings shall be more accurate. Future researchers may use different method of sampling for data
collection
2) Make research comparison: This research may also be conducted by performing comparison between
relationship of Flexible working hour schedule and staff motivation level in XYZ Department and similar
parameters at the federal level. This is due to differences of motivation level for staff at different branches.
3) Extend the studied scope: Subsequently, the researchers may extend the scope of studies as it is not limited on
certain departments only.
6. Conclusion
Nowadays, the concept of flexible working arrangements is becoming very common as well as universal
strategies to be implemented in government and private organisation. The changes of workplace and job today
may result in enhancing the employees work satisfaction and motivation. Consequently, it is important for the
organisation to provide more attention on this policy. In addition, the organizations should also perceive the
implementation of the flexible working arrangement from a broader perspective. This is because the studies of
alternating working hours portray impact on work life conflict and health.
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... However, time boundary flexibility is increasing, which makes it more convenient for employees to transition or switch between different roles (Rau & Hyland, 2002). This kind of arrangement has been widely adopted to enable employees to juggle the obligations of other roles amid fierce career competition, promoting work-life balance (Ahmad et al., 2013), thereby reducing stress and improving employee well-being (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014). "Compressed hours refers to work fewer (or no) hours some days, and longer hours on other days (Gottlieb et al., 1998)", a compressed workweek is a common form of this arrangement, which has a positive impact on emotion regulation, physical health and reducing absenteeism (Bambra et al., 2008; Deery et al.,2017; Paje et al., 2020). ...
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Introduction: Work-life imbalance has emerged as a critical challenge in knowledge-intensive industries, necessitating systemic interventions. Global organizations increasingly adopt flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to enhance employee satisfaction and performance. However, flexible work arrangements may be a double-edged sword; their impact on well-being requires further exploration, particularly in technology-driven professions. Objectives: This study examines FWAs' impact on Chinese programmers' subjective well-being (SWB), aiming to:1) quantify their subjective well-being levels under flexible work arrangements policies; 2) assess the association between flexible work arrangements and subjective well-being; 3) compare differential impacts of flexible work arrangements types (e.g., flextime, telecommuting) across subjective well-being (emotional, psychological, social). Methods: We conducted a random online survey of programmers in five core cities in China known for rapid technological innovation and development in the Internet and high-tech industries field. 625 valid survey data were used for multiple linear regression analysis to explore the relationship between flexible work arrangements and subjective well-being. Results: The findings indicate that Chinese programmers exhibit a high level of subjective well-being (mean = 3.8). Among its dimensions, emotional well-being has the highest perceived level (mean = 3.85) compared to the social and psychological dimensions. Flexible work arrangements significantly enhance subjective well-being through compressed work hours (β = 0.086), telecommuting (β = 0.089), part-time (β = 0.252), and job-sharing (β = 0.22), whereas the effect of flexitime is not statistically significant. Overall, flexible work arrangements contribute positively to the subjective well-being of Chinese programmers, with part-time exerting the most substantial influence, followed by telecommuting. Conclusions: Flexible work arrangements with flexible tasks and flexible locations are more conducive to the improvement of employees' subjective well-being than simple flexible time arrangements. Therefore, this study recommends that authorities and organizations prioritize employees' demands for task-oriented flexibility and location autonomy when optimizing workplaces, while preserving access to traditional office-based models. Such a balanced approach mitigates risks associated with excessive flexibility—including mental health deterioration, social isolation, and weakened organizational belongingness—by allowing self-determined transitions between structured collaboration and independent work modes.
... However, time boundary flexibility is increasing, which makes it more convenient for employees to transition or switch between different roles (Rau & Hyland, 2002). This kind of arrangement has been widely adopted to enable employees to juggle the obligations of other roles amid fierce career competition, promoting work-life balance (Ahmad et al., 2013), thereby reducing stress and improving employee well-being (Shagvaliyeva & Yazdanifard, 2014). "Compressed hours refers to work fewer (or no) hours some days, and longer hours on other days (Gottlieb et al., 1998)", a compressed workweek is a common form of this arrangement, which has a positive impact on emotion regulation, physical health and reducing absenteeism (Bambra et al., 2008; Deery et al.,2017; Paje et al., 2020). ...
Article
Introduction: Work-life imbalance has emerged as a critical challenge in knowledge-intensive industries, necessitating systemic interventions. Global organizations increasingly adopt flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to enhance employee satisfaction and performance. However, flexible work arrangements may be a double-edged sword; their impact on well-being requires further exploration, particularly in technology-driven professions. Objectives: This study examines FWAs' impact on Chinese programmers' subjective well-being (SWB), aiming to:1) quantify their subjective well-being levels under flexible work arrangements policies; 2) assess the association between flexible work arrangements and subjective well-being; 3) compare differential impacts of flexible work arrangements types (e.g., flextime, telecommuting) across subjective well-being (emotional, psychological, social). Methods: We conducted a random online survey of programmers in five core cities in China known for rapid technological innovation and development in the Internet and high-tech industries field. 625 valid survey data were used for multiple linear regression analysis to explore the relationship between flexible work arrangements and subjective well-being. Results: The findings indicate that Chinese programmers exhibit a high level of subjective well-being (mean = 3.8). Among its dimensions, emotional well-being has the highest perceived level (mean = 3.85) compared to the social and psychological dimensions. Flexible work arrangements significantly enhance subjective well-being through compressed work hours (β = 0.086), telecommuting (β = 0.089), part-time (β = 0.252), and job-sharing (β = 0.22), whereas the effect of flexitime is not statistically significant. Overall, flexible work arrangements contribute positively to the subjective well-being of Chinese programmers, with part-time exerting the most substantial influence, followed by telecommuting. Conclusions: Flexible work arrangements with flexible tasks and flexible locations are more conducive to the improvement of employees' subjective well-being than simple flexible time arrangements. Therefore, this study recommends that authorities and organizations prioritize employees' demands for task-oriented flexibility and location autonomy when optimizing workplaces, while preserving access to traditional office-based models. Such a balanced approach mitigates risks associated with excessive flexibility—including mental health deterioration, social isolation, and weakened organizational belongingness—by allowing self-determined transitions between structured collaboration and independent work modes.
... Flexible work schedules enhance motivation and job satisfaction. Ahmad and Idris (2013) advocate for flexibility while cautioning about health and worklife balance effects. Schultz (2021) highlights the productivity and well-being benefits of aligning work hours with circadian rhythms. ...
Conference Paper
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Employee motivation is a crucial factor in maximising productivity and staff satisfaction, particularly within data centres. This research provides actionable insights for data centres like ABC Data Centre to enhance employee motivation. By implementing tailored motivational strategies based on the study's findings, data centres can improve employee satisfaction and productivity, ultimately contributing to organisational success. This research also contributes to the broader understanding of employee motivation in the context of the Sri Lankan data centre industry, offering a foundation for future studies and practical applications in similar settings. The significance of this research lies in its focus on the under-researched Sri Lankan data centre industry, characterised by a limited number of large-scale data centres with comprehensive infrastructure and security features. By examining the relationships between employee motivation and various factors, this study aims to provide valuable insights that can help develop effective motivational strategies tailored to the specific data centre environment. The study focused on a limited set of motivational variables, potentially overlooking other significant factors in the data centre environment. Future studies should aim for broader sampling, incorporate qualitative methods, explore a wider range of variables, consider alternative methodologies, and adopt longitudinal designs to enhance understanding in this field. The research employs a positivist perspective with a deductive approach, utilising a mono-APIIT INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE-2024 225 method quantitative design and adopting a cross-sectional framework. The primary data was collected through online employee surveys, which included standardised questionnaires to gather systematic data on quantifiable aspects such as the frequency of employee feedback sessions, opportunities for professional development, work schedule flexibility, and initiatives promoting work-life balance. The methodology ensured high participation rates and a comprehensive understanding utilising probability sampling technique. The findings were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman rank correlation and multiple regression to examine the hypotheses. Results indicated significant correlations between motivational strategies and employee satisfaction and productivity. Specifically, the frequency of feedback sessions with supervisors and flexibility in working schedules initiatives were identified as key motivators. Conversely, the availability of professional development opportunities did not significantly influence overall motivation levels. Although there was a positive association between incentives and rewards and employee motivation, the relationship was not statistically significant, suggesting that these alone may not sufficiently drive motivation
... From this study, we identified that Flexible work arrangements act as an interplay between career progress and motivation. Ahmad (2013) analyzed that flexible working hours had a direct relationship with employee motivation. FWA helps the employee to concentrate on the education of children and family responsibilities. ...
Article
Full-text available
This is an Open Access Journal / article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. All rights reserved. Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) have gained prominence as a contemporary approach to shaping work dynamics and fostering job satisfaction among employees. This study focuses on investigating the impact of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) on job satisfaction within selected Information Technology (IT) organizations in Bengaluru, India. As organizations evolve in response to dynamic changes, embracing FWAs has gained significance as a strategy to enhance employee satisfaction and work-life balance. This study employs a descriptive research methodology, utilizing questionnaires and interviews for data collection. A convenience sample of 88 respondents from IT organizations in Bengaluru is analyzed. The study employs statistical analysis, including Pearson correlation coefficient calculations, to establish a significant positive relationship between FWAs and job satisfaction. The findings reveal that employees who have access to flexible work arrangements report higher levels of job satisfaction The results suggest that when employees have control over their work schedules and locations, their satisfaction levels increase. Further study can be done on specific job roles or industries to understand how the impact of FWAs on job satisfaction varies across different professions. ABSTRACT RESEARCH ARTICLE
... They desired a say in decision-making and professional growth. Ahmed et al. (2013) found that a lack of professional development programmes in Pakistani government-run universities prevents teachers from using up-to-date teaching strategies. This lack of professional development has a direct impact on students' ability to make meaning of their learning. ...
Article
This qualitative study studied how public sector faculty members perceive and affect student motivation, as well as the impact of classroom atmosphere and practices. Data was gathered through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with lecturers, and focus group interviews with students from batches I and II of four different departments of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU), Nawabshah. Thematic analysis revealed that instructors were demotivated owing to limited professional development possibilities, poor social standing, and lack of decision-making power. The instructors were extrinsically motivated by salary, job stability, and reduced working hours. However, classroom observations revealed a lack of spirit and enthusiasm in their activities. Students' focus group interviews expressed unhappiness with professors' instructional approach and lack of motivation. Recommendations drawn from findings include elevating public sector university teachers' prestige in society, encouraging teacher engagement in decision-making, and providing professional development opportunities. Teachers should use several ways to motivate students and improve learning outcomes.
... The first alternative consists in flexible hours, meaning that for a range of time (e.g. from 9 am to 10 pm) workers must be available for work, and they can clock in and out whenever they deem appropriate as long as all staff meets the working hours agreed upon by contract (Ahmad et al., 2013). This way, women can leave work for reasons such as to pick up their children from school to bring them home or leave in case their child becomes ill. ...
Research
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The Spanish tourism sector is one of the strongest and most prosperous in the country, therefore we will put a focus on it to find out whether it is representative of the situation of the labor market and workforce in Spain as a whole. We will deal with data regarding the pay gap, type of contracts and the feminization of work for both tourism sector workers and for Spanish workers in general, in order to reflect the patterns of gendered differences in work in the sector and the country. We find that: Firstly, gendered differences in the tourism sector reflect the reality in the Spanish labor market. Secondly, the decreased feminization of work is partly related to the flexibilization of work. Third, the wage gap greatly depends on the proportion of women working part-time. Fourth, most women working part-time are not taking care of children. Fifth, there has been an increase in full-time working women in the Spanish hospitality subsector. Subsequently, we will advocate for better work contracts for women, as well as give alternatives to the conciliation of motherhood and work that do not require that women work part-time, such as flexible work hours and free daycare.
... Based on research by Gunawan et al. (2020) states that flexi-time affects employee work-life balance, which means that employees who undergo work with a high flexi-time system dominate, then employee work-life balance will also be high and vice versa. The results of another study by Ahmad et al. (2013) show flexi-time influences work-life balance because it allows employees to focus on various roles in today's competitive work environment. According to Clark (2000), flexibility facilitates integration between work and family, which allows employees to cope with the fluctuating demands of family domain factors, which can increase job satisfaction and time at work. ...
Article
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This study investigates the mediating role of work-life balance and job satisfaction on the effect of flexi-time on employee performance in public hospitals in East Java, Indonesia. Quantitative analysis was used for data analysis and questionnaires as a data collection technique were disseminated online using Google Forms to 112 employees with census techniques. Data analysis using SEM-PLS with the help of SmartPLS application. The results show that flexi-time has a significant effect on employee performance. Directly, work-life balance encourages employee performance improvement. Job satisfaction also has a significant effect on employee performance. Flexi-time can directly increase work-life balance and job satisfaction. Work-life balance and job satisfaction act as partial mediations on the effect of flexi-time on employee performance.
Chapter
This chapter investigates the influence of flexible working schedules affect the productivity and skill development of polyvalent workers. A thorough literature analysis guided the creation of a questionnaire that was given to 153 polyvalent workers as a sample. The gathered data was subjected to statistical analysis in order to determine how flexible work schedules affected worker productivity and skill development. The results show a strong correlation between flexible work schedules and increased productivity and skill development among employees. Furthermore, it was discovered that these results were significantly impacted by flexible working hours. Flexible schedules can help multitasking employees, who are skilled in a range of jobs, improve their productivity and further develop their skills. Companies that use polyvalent labour are encouraged to think about adopting flexible work schedules as a way to improve worker productivity and abilities.
Article
Purpose Evidence for the availability and utilisation of family-friendly work conditions (FFWCs) in Malaysia has not been comprehensively reviewed. Whether persistent inequities are due to poor employer provision of work conditions or low employee uptake remains unknown. This scoping review to assess the scope of available evidence for availability and utilisation of specific FFWCs among women in Malaysia, and synthesise reported findings. Design/methodology/approach This scoping review used Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and twenty-two articles were reviewed. Findings Flexible work hours, telecommuting/work from home, staggered work hours, childcare centres proximal to workplaces, and childcare subsidies were reported as most commonly available work conditions. Available leave varied across organisations and sectors in provision of payment and duration. Flexible work hours, leave, and childcare centres proximal to workplaces were the conditions most used by employees. However, the validity of observed availability and utilisation of work conditions in Malaysia is questionable, due to inconsistencies in the specificity and range of work conditions assessed and heterogeneity of samples. Practical implications National monitoring of the accessibility and uptake of FFWCs is required to guide investment decisions about family-friendly policy initiatives to effectively advance gender equity in the Malaysian labour force. Originality/value This scoping review provides the first comprehensive synthesis and summary of the availability and utilisation of FFWCs in Malaysia. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2024-0103
Book
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Introduction (This book is in Malay language): This is the 2nd edition of the first book of a five book series entitled “Research Methods and Statistics”. Research Methods is a practical guide that covers all aspects of research methodology. It is a useful teaching and learning tool for courses related to research at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This book can also be used as a reference by researchers when they are conducting and reporting their research. Concepts are explained in detail with examples to enable readers to carry out confidently each stage of the research process. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter to help readers reinforce their understanding of the topics covered in the chapter. (Number of pages: 346) Content: Chapter 1: Introduction to Research, Chapter 2: Research Ethics, Chapter 3: Literature Review, Chapter 4: Research Design, Chapter 5: Experimental Study, Chapter 6: Quasi-experimental Study, Chapter 7: Survey Study, Chapter 8: Field Study, Chapter 9: Case Study, Chapter 10: Action Study, Chapter 11: Historical Study, Chapter 12: Probability Sampling Procedures, Chapter 13: Non-probability Sampling Procedures, Chapter 14: Measurement in Research, Chapter 15: Index, Scales and Specific Measurement Procedures, Chapter 16: Pilot Study, Chapter 17: Research Instrumentation, Chapter 18: Format of Writing Research Report.
Article
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Working time flexibility comprises a wide variety of arrangements, from part-time, overtime, to long-term leaves. Theoretical approaches to grouping these arrangements have been developed, but empirical underpinnings are rare. This article investigates the bundles that can be found for various flexible working time arrangements, using the Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work–Life Balance, 2004/2005, covering 21 EU member states and 13 industries. The results from the factor analyses confirmed that working time arrangements can be grouped into two bundles, one for the employee-centred arrangements and second for the employer-centred arrangements, and that these two bundles are separate dimensions. We also tested the stability of the factor analysis outcome, showing that although we find some deviations from the pan-Europe and pan-industry outcome, the naming of the components as flexibility for employees and flexibility for employers can be considered rather stable. Lastly, we find three country clusters for the 21 European countries using the bundle approach. The first group includes the Northern European countries along side Poland and Czech Republic, the second group the continental European countries with UK and Ireland, and lastly, the southern European countries with Hungary and Slovenia.
Article
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Constituting nearly half of the labour force, Malaysian women sometimes face the issue of balancing work and life which is quick becoming a major concern among most dual career families. As a result of this phenomenon, family friendly policies at the work place is becoming a challenge for the employers to provide. Family friendly policies which commonly refers to policies that enable employees to balance the demands of paid work and personal life can be in the form of workplace flexibility or work time flexibility. Even though family friendly policies are not gender bias, generally female employees are more affected by it as they try to juggle work, home and the family. This study which is based on a primary survey, first tries to assess how family friendly are some of the work places in Malaysia. The more common modes of family friendly policies were identified based on focus group discussion. This study concentrates more on family friendly policies in terms of work time flexibility. It further sets out to investigate how interested are the employees with regards to some of the modes of family friendly policies offered by the employers. Finally, the paper concludes with discussions on the implications of family friendly policies on work life balance. The study shows that there are many work places in Malaysia which have implemented various family friendly policies but there still exists a gap between employee's practical needs and the availability of family friendly policies.
Article
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The authors examined the relation between the availability of 2 popular types of flexible work arrangements (i.e., flextime and compressed workweek) and work-to-family enrichment and, in turn, the relation between work-to-family enrichment and (a) job satisfaction and (b) turnover intentions. In a sample of 220 employed working adults, hierarchical regression analyses showed that work-to-family enrichment mediated the relation between flexible work arrangements and both job satisfaction and turnover intentions, even after controlling for gender, age, marital status, education, number of children, and hours worked. Thus, the availability of flexible work arrangements such as flextime and compressed workweek seems to help employees experience greater enrichment from work to home, which, in turn, is associated with higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intentions. The authors discuss the implications for research and practice.
Article
This paper examines flexible wo rking in the workplace using case studies from four different European companies, in three countries. This detailed evidence shows that while flexibility is a major challenge to managements, trade unions and employees, the results are more acceptable to these groups when certain practices are followed. These include its introduction and maintenance through the careful provision of information and consultation with workers, and dealing with flexibility as a process rather than as a one-off cost-cutting exercise. Identifies the implications of this work for managements, trade unions and employees.
Article
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to, first, explore flexible working as an important but under‐researched dimension of equality and diversity (E&D) and, second, contribute to employment relations debates by exploring organisational perspectives on flexible working and how these connect with business strategies and the regulatory context. Design/methodology/approach In depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 E&D managers in ten public and private sector organisations. Interviews explored the role of E&D managers in the construction of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) and drivers underpinning them. Findings Flexible working was most evident as a significant field of E&D practice where E&D was linked into business strategy and was well resourced. The key roles of E&D managers in relation to FWAs were policy innovation and monitoring. Four organisational rationales for FWAs were identified from the data. These were FWA constructed as: an individual employee benefit; a means of improving operational effectiveness; an integral part of organisational strategy; and as a means of addressing structural social inequalities. Research limitations/implications While the sample is small, the research is of value to both researchers and policy makers, offering insights on an under‐researched area of E&D policy and practice. Practical implications This paper outlines different rationales for flexible working and shows how some organisation are able to develop flexible working policies that are more equitable and effective than other organisations. Originality/value The originality lies in the use of E&D managers as informants of organisational approaches to FWAs, which to date has been under‐researched in terms of its connection with E&D policy and practice.
Wanita Berhenti Bekerja Kerja Lebih Banyak Hadapi Kesukaran
  • Utusan Malaysia
Utusan Malaysia. (2007). Wanita Berhenti Bekerja Kerja Lebih Banyak Hadapi Kesukaran. September 12. p 19.
Balancing Work and Flexible Working: Employer Benefit from Flexible Working
  • H Smith
Smith, H. (1993). Balancing Work and Flexible Working: Employer Benefit from Flexible Working. Department of Social and Family Affair.