The determinants influencing employee work-life conflict among secondary school teachers in Machakos District, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the determinants influencing employee work-life conflict among secondary school teachers in Machakos District, Kenya. Specifically, it focused on rewards, i.e. comfort ability with the current pay, agitation for better pay and underperformance as an outcome of poor pay, and how it influences work life conflict. Further, family demands, such as family pressure which may be seen through absence from work and underperformance, and its influence on work life conflict was also studied. Work demands, viewed through the bulk of work, number of working hours, and work overloads was considered as a variable influencing employee work life conflict. Work groups, manifested through propagation of grapevine, suspicions and backbiting, as well as group loyalty was considered and its contribution to employee work life conflict. Gender biasness, which may refer to the roles linked to maleness or femaleness, was also subjected to a study, as its influence on employee work life conflict among Secondary School Teachers in Machakos District, Kenya was sought. Descriptive survey method was used to conduct the study. The study comprised of 127 teachers selected through stratified random sampling from the total population of 550 teachers. These were from Central, Kalama and Muvuti Divisions. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Multiple regression analysis was applied on the data to establish the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The analysis was done using the SPSS (version 15). The study found out that work reward, family demands, and work demand and gender biasness influenced work life conflict among secondary teachers in public schools in Machakos District, Kenya. Therefore the study recommends that school management and the relevant Ministry of Education Departments should address the issue of rewards and compensation, provide guidance to the teachers so as to overcome family issues and pressures, reduce the work loads, regulate work groups and ensure proper implementation of gender policy.