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4-2 Final Project Milestone Two
IDS 402
SNHU
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The history lens has been used to critically evaluate the work-life balance issue by
laying emphasis on past experiences. The kind of work-life experience that people from
previous generations have had has been thoroughly researched. The impact of the issue on
the wellness of individuals as well as other social issues has been identified and critically
explored.
Interaction of Work-life balance with history lens and impact on social issues
The concept of work-life balance is nothing new. The topic is considered to arouse
the interest of individuals irrespective of the generation or age group to which they belong.
However, the concept has undergone a significant degree of change in recent times.
According to Researcher Gonzalez-Lopez, the work-life balance topic gained considerable
attention during the 80s. It was the period during which people started to become aware of
the work-life conflict as well as it’s interlink with stress and burnout of employees. e Due to
the considerable attention that the issue generated, organizations started to take initiatives and
measures so that the issues relating to work-life balance could be addressed in an effective
and efficient manner. During the 90s, most of the work-life balance initiatives typically
involved the introduction of family-friendly policies in organizational settings (Sánchez-
Hernández et al., 2019).
The definition of work-life balance varies from one generation to another. For
instance, for Baby Boomers, it was mainly associated with stability as well as security at
work. On the other hand, for individuals belonging to Generation X, work-life balance is
about work relations (Sánchez-Hernández et al., 2019). Researcher Smith has pointed out in
his study that in the past, work-life balance was typically considered to be a women’s issue.
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However, with the passage of time, the issue has been identified to be of high relevance for
each and every individual. Working men belong to Generation X, and Generation Y have
also understood that work-life balance impacts them as well as their quality of life (Smith et
al., 2016). Since the implication of work-life balance is considered to be diverse, it has a
considerable impact on other social issues as well. Researcher Dhas (2015) has claimed in
his study that the lack of work-life balance could diminish the morale and satisfaction level
of the employees and thus encourage them to quit their jobs. Thus, it has the potential to
give rise to serious social issues such as instability in the labor market, increase in
unemployment, etc. (Dhas & Karthikeyan, 2015).
Deeper insight into the issue
The history lens has helped to understand that work-life balance is a serious topic.
Work-life balance is considered to be a serious issue that has the potential to give rise to
other kinds of complexities and complications in the lives of the affected individuals. Singh
has argued that the lack of proper work-life balance could give rise to social imbalances in
the form of the aging population, delayed parenting of working professionals, a decline in
the labor supply, and a decline in fertility rate (Singh, 2019). The examination of the issue
through the history lens has revealed that poor work-life balance could serve as a catalyst
and impact the wellness and quality of life of individuals in varying ways.
Humanities Lens Analysis of Work-life balance
The work-life balance issue has been critically examined through the humanities lens.
Such an evaluation has helped to understand how the variables such as human behavior and
interactions might come into play and influence the lives of people and their relationships
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with others. The creative portrayal of the work-life balance problem in society has been
explored, and the underlying message has been captured.
Creative portrayal of the Work-life balance issue in the society
Both personal, as well as professional lives of a person play an integral role in
shaping the kind of life that he leads and the associations that he develops with others.
Researcher Simbula has argued that in both work and family setting, people develop
relationships that help them to function and carry out their respective roles (Gragnano et al.,
2020). The ability to strike a balance between work and personal life is vital as it has the
potential to influence an individual’s ability to interact and engage with others. For example,
the work-life imbalance could affect the relationship a man has with his wife or children.
Similarly, it could also take a toll on his health and affect his behavior in the work setting.
According to Tavassoli & Sunyer (2020), the impact of the lack of work-life balance is not
restricted to the professional setting of a person. The effect spills over to his entire life. For
example, it could lead to diminished job satisfaction, high levels of burnout, and conflicting
scenarios in the family setting (Tavassoli & Sunyer, 2020). The researchers have identified
in the study that a poor level of work-life balance could negatively affect the emotions of a
person and further hamper their ability to interact with their surroundings. Warren has
identified in his study that the concept of gig work is on the rise in the 21st century as it
promotes work-life balance. It offers the kind of flexibility, autonomy, and growth that the
professionals of the current times intend to have in order to balance their personal as well as
professional lives (Warren, 2021).
Interaction of the representation with personal and professional life
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The evaluation of the work-life balance issue through the humanities lens gives an
insight into the broad scope of the subject matter. The lack of proper work-life balance has
the potential to impact an individual in diverse ways. For example, it could lead to poor job
satisfaction and a low level of morale in the work setting. Additionally, it could also give
rise to serious health-related issues such as stress and burnout. Furthermore, the inability to
deal with the consequences of work-life imbalance could give rise to human behavior
complexities and challenges to establish meaningful relationships with others. In my personal
as well as professional life, the representation of work-life balance issues has a direct impact.
It could influence my satisfaction in the work setting, the relationships that I establish with
my colleagues, and the time that I spend with my family members.
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References
Dhas, M. D. B., & Karthikeyan, D. P. (2015). Work-life balance challenges and solutions:
overview. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 12(2).
Gragnano, A., Simbula, S., & Miglioretti, M. (2020). Work–life balance: Weighing the
importance of work–family and work–health balance. International journal of
environmental research and public health, 17(3), 907.
Sánchez-Hernández, M. I., González-López, Ó. R., Buenadicha-Mateos, M., & Tato-Jiménez,
J. L. (2019). Work-life balance in great companies and pending issues for engaging new
generations at work. International journal of environmental research and public health,
16(24), 5122.
Smith, D. N., Roebuck, D. B., & Elhaddaoui, T. (2016). Organizational leadership and work-
life integration: Insights from three generations of men. Creighton Journal of
Interdisciplinary Leadership, 2(1), 54.
Singh, A.(2019) Work life Balance: A social Issue in redefining Human Resource Paradigm.
Redefining the Human Resource Paradigm in Changing Cultural, Social and Economic
Environment, 197.
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Tavassoli, T., & Sunyer Torrents, A. (2020). Employee work-life balance, satisfaction and
burnout in Iran and Spain. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(3), 779-791.
Warren, T. (2021). Work–life balance and gig work:‘Where are we now’and ‘where to
next’with the work–life balance agenda?. Journal of Industrial Relations,
00221856211007161.
