Predictive Role of Work-Life Balance and Work Alienation Dimensions on the Work Engagement of Bank Employees
The study examined work-life balance, work alienation dimensions as predictors of work engagement, and the moderating role of workplace spirituality of bank employees. The problem of having a lower level of work-life balance and feelings of work alienation dimensions have left bank employees with lower levels of work engagement. Workplace spirituality was introduced to strengthen the work-life balance to boost the work engagement of bank employees. Workplace spirituality was also introduced to weaken the alienation feelings of bank employees as an attempt to boost their work engagement. The participants were 443 bank employees drawn from 34 commercial banks located in the three commercial cities of Asaba, Sapele and Warri. The ages of participants ranged from 25-42 years, mean age of 31.72 and a standard deviation of 5.40. The participant’s ranks were Assistant Banking Officers, Banking Officers, Senior Banking Officers and Assistant Managers. Only professional bank employees participated in the study and the educational qualifications of the participants were Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlational design using Pearson r moment correlation and hierarchical linear regression analysis to test the hypotheses managed by SPSS version 23. Analysis of the beta coefficient showed that Work-life balance predicted work engagement at, β= .25, p<.01, therefore the first hypothesis was accepted. The Powerlessness dimension of work alienation predicted employee engagement at β= .18, p<.01, and the meaninglessness dimension of work alienation on employee work engagement behaviour at, β= -.22, p<.01. In contrast, the self-estrangement dimension of work alienation predicted work engagement at, β= .14, p<.01, therefore the second hypothesis and its sub-dimensions were also accepted. The moderation result revealed that workplace spirituality did not moderate the relationship between work-life balance and work engagement at, β= -.01, p>.01. The third hypothesis was thus rejected. Workplace spirituality did not moderate the relationship between the work alienation dimensions and work engagement at, β= .01, p>.01, therefore the fourth hypothesis and its sub-dimensions were rejected. The findings imply that the presence of work-life balance will increase the work engagement of bank employees therefore, the higher the work-life balance, the higher the work engagement of bank employees. Also, work alienation dimensions will hinder the work engagement of bank employees in Delta State, therefore, the higher the work alienation dimensions the lower the work engagement of bank employees. It is recommended that the banking sector creates policies targeted at strengthening the work-life balance of bank employees and policies that reduce the presence of work alienation dimensions of powerlessness, meaninglessness and self-estrangement in driving up the work engagement behaviour of bank employees. The findings of this study have revealed an intriguing relationship between work-life balance, work alienation dimensions and work engagement of bank employees in Delta State, in that when work-life balance increases, work engagement increases and when the powerlessness, meaninglessness and self-estrangement dimensions of alienation increase work engagement decreases and vice-versa. Understanding this relationship will guide the policies governing the organisational culture of banks in Delta State in implementing and enforcing policies geared towards a balanced work-life and significantly reduced feelings of powerlessness, meaninglessness and self-estrangement dimensions of alienation.