work life balance and employee retention: Study on garment

workers of Northwest province, Sri Lanka

Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................3
2. Problem Identification.........................................................................................................................4
3. Problem Justification...........................................................................................................................4
4. Research Problem................................................................................................................................4
5. Research objectives.............................................................................................................................5
6. Literature Review................................................................................................................................5
6.1 Work Life Balance...........................................................................................................................5
6.2 Employee Retention........................................................................................................................6
6.3 Work Life Balance and Employee Retention...................................................................................6
7. Research methodology........................................................................................................................7
7.1 Conceptual Framework....................................................................................................................7
7.2 Variables of Research......................................................................................................................8
7.3 Hypothesis.......................................................................................................................................9
7.4 Operationalization...........................................................................................................................9
7.5 Research Sample..............................................................................................................................9
7.6 Data type and data collection techniques.......................................................................................10
7.7 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................10
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................12
 1. Introduction
Today’s business organizations, which are working within the scope apparel business, are
struggling to assure and get competitive benefit over its competitors. Because of the
globalization in whole world, apparel industry is also effect, it is because the safety of the USA
quota is now less beneficial for Sri Lanka. Now Sri Lanka is competing with the world's highest
garment-manufacturing countries. As China, with a well-developed accessories industry and
having ability to boost youth with skills easily is major competitor. But a highly devaluation of
currency create threats for it and hence provide protection of this industry in Sri Lanka
(Gnanayudam & Dharmasiri, 2017).

Liyanage & Galbena (2014) identify that those organizations which deliver its own industrial
product put huge focus on how to get complete benefit over the competition among current and
fresh firms. Barney (1991) explain that there are three types of resources that bring competitive
edge, including a) human capital resources, b) organizational capital resources and c) human
capital reserves. Further it is elaborated that the employees are unique tangible asset for any firm.
Thus, retention of workers is a key to get expected success by organization. Alkandari &
Hammad (2009) argued that the gaining of HR has been shown to be greatest to the progress of
the organization’s motives and purposes.

While dealing issues related to retention of workers as Kumara & Fasana, (2018), mentioned that
turnover is primary and alarming feature for organizations. Karatepe & Sokmen (2006) defined
turnover as the dangerous process in which workers left their serving organization and need to be
replaced as soon as possible. Mobley et al., (1982) identify no. of elements related to turnover
such as; tenure, age, satisfaction with overall work, job content, commitment and intentions to
remain on the job. These all factors are negatively related with worker’s turnover. Rosse &
Miller (1984) found that, more specifically, lack of feeling of satisfaction with job related factors
like salary, work content and career opportunities are also related with turnover.

Sri Lankan central bank statutory report (2010) revealed that the garment companies remained in
competition due to improved quality, increased productivity and diversification etc. According to
Kelegama (2005) garment industry of Sri Lanka making life of nearly 1.2 million people, highly
prosperous. Dheerasinghe (2009) narrated “330,000 real employment or 5 per cent of country’s
total real employment” is also due to this sector. Furthermore, the lack of experienced labor
along with high rate of job quitting leads to generate main challenges for Sri Lankan garment
industry (Dheerasinghe, 2009). Karatepe & Sokmen (2006) enlist that job quitting create high
training cost, separation cost, hidden cost and replacement cost for any firm (Liyanage &
Galbena, 2014). Thus, it creates bad impact on the profit ratio and the productivity ratio of the
firm. So this study mainly aims on generating an insight that what practices can help in retention
of employees.

2. Problem Identification
Today work-life challenge has become an increasingly persuasive and alarming point for
employers and employees. Managing a good WLB, given its complicated nature, is a more
difficult for employees, mostly in the garments sector. In reply to these challenges, employers
have showed new practices for employees related to good work-life balance managemen.
Furthermore, it’s a reality that garments sector of Sri Lanka is exposed to the high rate of
attraction, low employee commitment level and have stressed job environment (Shankar, et al.,
2016). There are some elements of work interfere with the interpersonal life which create an
imbalance. This has targeted organizations to look beyond the current HR initiatives. So, this
research will contribute to find the effect of WLB on employee retention in Northwest province
of Sri Lanka.

3. Problem Justification
Businesses put keen focus on providing WLB practices which helps workers in enjoying their
work and remain committed due to work-life balances. It is proved that WLB is must for creating
emotional, cognitive and psychological comfort for employees, which bring organizational
effectiveness (Jaharuddin & Zainol, 2019). Furthermore, conflict between work and life caused
very high stress that bring greater level of turnover from employees, as well (Kumara & Fasana,
2018). Retention level of workers is explained as the one of the alarming issues faced by the
garment sector of Sri Lank (Fernando, 2019). Hence, this research is aimed to know the WLB
practices for employees working in garments field and its relation to employee intentions to
retain with existing organization.

4. Research Problem
This study is aimed to determine effect of work life balance on retention of workers in garments
sector of Sri Lanka that are working in Northwest province. Hence, this study is attempting to
answer the below question;

 Whether work life balance practices can make an effect on retention of garment workers
in Northwest province of Sri Lanka?

5. Research objectives
The main objective is;

 To identify the impact of work life balance practices on retention of garment workers in
Northwest province of Sri Lanka

Specific Objectives of this study includes following;

 Explore the level of work-life balance and intention to retain with organization among
employees of the garment workers in Northwest province of Sri Lanka

 To determine the relationship between WLB and employees’ retention among garment
workers in Northwest province of Sri Lanka

 To identify the most significant WLB factor that affect the employee retention among
garment workers in Northwest province of Sri Lanka

6. Literature Review

6.1 Work Life Balance

WLBcan be defined in many ways and the simplest definition is “the extent to which individuals
are equally involved in and equally satisfied with their work role and their family or personal
role”. It is the term used to describe practices in getting balance between employees’ family
demands (life) and work life demands (Sumanarathna & Samarakoon, 2019).

1. Work Interference with Personal Life (WIPL)

According to Greenhaus & Beutell (1985), work life conflict occurs when there are too many
responsibilities of work and home imbalance of the life of an employee (Netemeyer et al.,
(1996). Byron, (2005) originated that work related variables had a greater effect on turnover
intention (TI) than on FIW variables.

2. Personal Life Interference with Work (PLIW)

Family role on work role conflict is an inter role variance where the participation of individual in
the family role make him rigid to work effectively within work role demands (Dixon &
Bruening, 2005). Such as, family care responsibilities create hindrance with work related
responsibilitie that brings stress, poor health and turnover (Punyawansa & Rathnaweera, 2018).
Mostly family demands involve caring and completing needs of married employee’s children.
Rothausen & Gray (1999) stated that number of dependent children is an objective meter of the
level of family demands. Furthermore, it was revealed that married one’s experience of FWC is
higher than single one’s.

3. Work Personal Life Enhancement (WPLE)

WPLE explains how these two factors i.e. work and life play their role to enhance each other
(Punyawansa & Rathnaweera, 2018).

6.2 Employee Retention

Retention is defined as “the ability to hold onto those employees you want to keep, for longer
than your competitors” (Johnson, 2000). Frank, et al. (2004) classify retention as “the attempt by
an employer to keep advantageous workers in order to meet business objectives”. Moreover,
Mengel (2001) distinct retention as an organization’s efforts to maintain in employment those
employees of whom the organization has a constructive evaluation, who would generally only
leave the organization through intentional resignation.

6.3 Work Life Balance and Employee Retention

Retaining key workers is important for any organization to succeed in long-run (Bahar, et al.,
2020). According to Bahar, et al. (2020) there are various matters for a business with factors of
employee retention. In addition to that, some other issues of firms such as time required for
training and its investment, loss of knowledge, in secure coworkers and a searching a new
candidate is costly. In response to this, managers have executed HR policies & practices to
keenly diminish preventable and unwanted turnover of employees (Holtom, et al., 2008).
Oladapo (2014), has mentioned in his study that previous decade is identified due to shortage of
talent at workplace due to which firms focus on retaking talented employees with them. Hence,
Retention of talented workers is a strategic tool for many firms that bring competitive advantage.
Frank and Taylor (2004), have argued on some factors like engagement of workers, culture of
firms, their leadership play significant role retaining top talent. When examining the relationship
between WLC and turnover intentions, Noor & Maad (2008), found that these variables are link
directly with each other. However, the findings of Tariq, et. al (2012), in the study of work-
family conflicts exhibit conflicting results as compared to the prior studies of Noor & Maad
(2008). It shows weak association between WLC and employee retention for public & private
sector employees in Pakistan. The results entailed that people are not ready to depart their
existing jobs though the work-family conflict is there (Tariq, et. al, 2012). Silim & Stirling
(2014) have argued that flexible work arrangements can gain more employment and better
consistency between qualification and job skills when considering women and mothers. Further,
Gamage & Jayatilake (2019) identify that flexible arrangement of doing work help worker feel
comfortable and that increase retention level among employees by giving them relief in their
stress level and make them more committed with their organization (Kumara & Fasana, 2018).
Jaharuddin & Zainol (2019), showed that restructuring the workplace is a better way to solve the
family work conflict. It can be done by shortening the workweek of every worker in order to fog
the disparity between uneven time periods. Another way he has mentioned is to provide flex time
or shorter work hours to people with family responsibilities. The company benefits are
consistently associated with functional flexibility and work life balance supports (Shankar, et al.,
2016). Employees demand for work life balance arrangements from employers for childcare
concerns. Work load has a direct relation with employee turnover intention, Employees think of
leaving the job when they are overburdened (Fernando, 2019). In short, as explained by Alsam,
et al. (2013) that those workers who comforted with imbalance in life and work, leave
organization soon as compared to other. Therefore organization use such polices to insure high
level of retention from employees side. Hence, it can be said that it these two variables strongly
linked with each other specially with reference to in garment industry (Kumara & Fasana, 2018).

7. Research methodology

7.1 Conceptual Framework

 This framework elaborated regarding relationships present on particular research to be
studied later on through empirical evidences (Dickson, 2018). Hence, based on literature
provided evidences, following diagram elaborates in pictorial form.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Work Life Balance

1. Personal Life Interference
with Work (PLIW)
2. Work Interference with Employee Retention
Personal Life (WIPL)
3. Work Personal Life
Enhancement (WPLE)

Figure 7.1: Conceptual Framework

7.2 Variables of Research

Variables drawn based on literature are WLB and employee’s intention to retain with
organization, which are explained below to operationalize these.
Dependent variable
Hong et al. (2012) explains employee’s involves an organization effort keep its employees for
longer time period.
Independent Variables
WLB is defined as, integration between the work and life, that should not be interfering
with each other (Jaharuddin & Zainol, 2019). Its three dimensions are adopted for this
study which are described below:

 Work Interference with Personal Life (WIPL): This dimension explains factors related
to work that create effect on an individual’s family and personal life (Punyawansa &
Rathnaweera, 2018).
 Personal Life Interference with Work (PLIW): Second dimension explains the impact
of factors related to personal life on employee work Life (Punyawansa & Rathnaweera,
2018).
 Work Personal Life Enhancement (WPLE): Third dimension explains how these two
factors i.e. work and life play their role to enhance each other (Punyawansa &
 Rathnaweera, 2018).

7.3 Hypothesis

Hypotheses formulated for this study in order to know the effect of WLB on employee’s
intention to retain within garments firms of Northwest province of Sri Lanka, are given below:

H0: WLB has no significant effect on employee’s intention to retain.

H1: WLB has significant impact on employee’s intention to retain.

H1a: Work Interference with Personal Life (WIPL) has significant impact on employee’s
intention to retain with organization.

H1b: Personal Life Interference with Work (PLIW) has significant impact on employee’s
intention to retain with organization.

H1c: Work Personal Life Enhancement (WPLE) has significant impact on employee’s intention
to retain with organization.

7.4 Operationalization

Operationalization of variables of this research is given below

Table 7.1: operationalization of the study

Concept Variable Measurement

WIPL
Work Life Balance Questionnaire adapted by Punyawansa & Rathnaweera
(2018)
PLIW
Questionnaire adapted by Punyawansa & Rathnaweera
(2018)
WPLE
Questionnaire adapted by Punyawansa & Rathnaweera
(2018)

Employee Retention Intention to retain Questionnaire adapted from Kundu & Lata (2017)

7.5 Research Sample

Top 10 garment firms that are functioning in the northwest province of Sri Lanka will be chosen
to take sampling units. To choose this sample, probability sampling technique particularly,
proportionate stratified simple random sampling method will be used to draw sample, because it
is more efficient than the SRS. The individual unit of analysis is considered, including officer
level employees.

Sample size will be calculated based on the rule of thumb i.e. by multiplying the total no. of
items in questionnaire by 10 (Munro, 2012). So the sample of this study is as follows.

18*10= 180

7.6 Data type and data collection techniques

1. Data type

Among two data collection methods i.e. a) primary data and b) secondary data, researcher will
use primary data. Furthermore, nature of data can be of two types, including a) qualitative and b)
quantitative data (Pickell, 2019). For this study, researcher conducted the quantitative research to
measure the effect of WLB and employee’s intention to retain.

2. Data collection tool

close-ended questionnaire will used for collecting data. Following sections are there in
developed questionnaire of this research.

Part A: Demographic profile including information related to gender, age, marital status, income
and experience.

Part B: Questions related to variables of this research i.e. WLB and Employee retention on
Five-points Likert scale method.

7.7 Data Analysis

Gathered quantitative data will be analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS)
software 20.0 for descriptive statistics. And structure equation modelling technique will be used
by IBM AMOS for finding the answer to the hypotheses. Therefore, for this study, researcher
provides descriptive and inferential statistics, along with checking the goodness of fit indices.

Descriptive statistics will describe regarding the demographic profile of respondents. This can
be elaborated via using some tables (including; mean, min & max values, SD and skewness) and
graph (including; histogram, pie & bar charts etc.) to present the information in a comprehensive
way.

Goodness of fit indices will be used to assure the reliability of the data and validity of the
instrument.

 For checking reliability, Cronbach Alpha will be used. Its value near to 1 is considered
good fit.
 For checking validity of instrument, CFA will be used in which few criterions will be
assessed to assuring validity. These criterions could be GFI, AGFI, RMSEA, Chi
Square/df, CFI etc.

Inferential statistics comprised on correlational analysis and path analysis.

 Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient will be used that will help to understand the nature of
the relationship between two variables.
 Path analysis yield the coefficient that describe strength of the relationship and
significance value that will help the acceptance and rejection of the null hypothesis.
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