Relationship Between Work Life Balance Programs and Employee Retention in Consultancy Companies in Kenya: A Study of Consulting Firms in Nairobi County

Polycap Odhiambo1*, James Gitari2 & Lucinda Mugaa
1Master’s Student, Cooperative University of Kenya
2Chief of Department – School of Business and Economics, Cooperative University of Kenya
3Dean of Students, Cooperative University of Kenya, Kenya
*Corresponding Author – Polycap Odhiambo
DOI – http://doi.org/10.37502/IJSMR.2024.71202

Full Text – PDF

Abstract

This study evaluates the relationship of work-life balance programs on employee retention within consultancy firms in Nairobi County, Kenya, focusing on firms primarily engaged in labor outsourcing. The objectives include examining the effects of wellness programs, hybrid working models, parental leave, and medical schemes on employee retention. The target population consists of 809 employees from four consulting firms in Nairobi. Using the census sampling method and Yamane formula, a sample size of 267 was determined, with 274 respondents participating. Data was collected through a structured quantitative survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multilinear regression via the Jamovi analysis system, validated using Microsoft Excel. The study identified significant correlations between work-life balance programs and employee retention, providing insights for developing strategies to enhance employee well-being and organizational performance. This research contributes to academic literature and the development of tailored work-life balance programs in Kenya.

Keywords- Work-life balance, employee retention, consultancy firms, wellness programs, hybrid working models, parental leave, medical schemes.

References

  • Ahmad, R., Nawaz, M. R., Ishaq, M. I., Khan, M. M., & Ashraf, H. A. (2023). Social exchange theory: Systematic review and future directions. Front. Psychol, 1-13. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1015921.
  • Ahmed, V., Olanipekun, A., Opoku, A., & Sutrisna, M. (2022). Understanding reliability in research. In Validity and Reliability in Built Environment Research (pp. 3-15). Routledge.
  • Ajayi, F. A., & Udeh, C. A. (2024). Combating burnout in the IT Industry: A review of employee well-being initiatives. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(4), 567-588.
  • Akinyi, E. (2022). Influence of employee breaks on employee motivation in Rongo university, Kenya.
  • Amah, O. E., & Ogah, M. (2021). Work-life integration in Africa: A multidimensional approach to achieving balance. Springer Nature.
  • Arpino, B., & Luppi, F. (2020). Childcare arrangements and working mothers’ satisfaction with work–family balance. Demographic Research, 42, 549-588.
  • Aruldoss, A., Kowalski, K. B., & Parayitam, S. (2021). The relationship between quality of work life and work-life-balance mediating role of job stress, job satisfaction and job commitment: evidence from India. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 18(1), 36-62.
  • AU Commission. (2021). Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. African Union.
  • Bharath, M. (2023). Something beyond paycheque to boosting employee retention: evidence from a South Indian hospital. Vilakshan-XIMB Journal of Management, 20(1), 114-129.
  • Brough, P., Timms, C., Chan, X. W., Hawkes, A., & Rasmussen, L. (2020). Work–life balance: Definitions, causes, and consequences. Handbook of socioeconomic determinants of occupational health: From macro-level to micro-level evidence, 473-487.
  • Chebet, L. N., & Awino, M. (2023). Effect of Work life balance on Employee Performance in Trans Nzoia County Government, Kenya. Journal of Business, Economics and Management Research Studies, 1(1), 1-8.
  • Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (2019). Constructing validity: New developments in creating objective measuring instruments. Psychological Assessment, 31(12), 1412–1427. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000626.
  • Ehiedu, V., & Priscilla, I. C. (2022). Effect of corporate diversification strategies on the financial performance of industrial goods in Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 4(8), 293-305.
  • Ganiyu, I. O., Fields, Z., Atiku, S. O., & Derera, E. (2020). Measuring the effectiveness of work–life balance strategies in the manufacturing sector. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(1), 1-10.
  • Geoff, Whitting (2024). Work-Life Balance Statistics for 2024: A Global Perspective. https://hubstaff.com/blog/work-life-balance-statistics/
  • 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.
  • International Labour Organization. (2021). The Future of Work: A Global Perspective on Work-Life Balance.
  • Irawanto, D. W., Novianti, K. R., & Roz, K. (2021). Work from home: Measuring satisfaction between work–life balance and work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Economies, 9(3), 96.
  • Johnson, A. H., & Cook, B. G. (2019). Preregistration in single-case design research. Exceptional Children, 86(1), 95-112.
  • Kabui, P. N. (2023). Work Life Balance And Employees’job Performance In Commercial Banks In Nyeri County, Kenya (Doctoral Dissertation, Kenyatta University).
  • Kamwenji, R. W., Ngugi, P. K., & Kamaara, M. (2022). Work-Life Balance Benefits and Employee Performance in the State Corporations in Kenya. Human Resource and Leadership, 2(1), 38-46.
  • Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  • Lindemann, M. (2021). Slow History. The American historical review, 126(1), 1-18.
  • Maria Van Deman (2023). https://officeinsight.com/concurrents/the-90000-hour-challenge-finding-our-why-in-the-daily-grind. (November, 2023).
  • Mathew, O., Jeremiah, K. M., & Ursulla, O. (2021). Influence Of Work-Life Balance Practices On Teachers’levels Of Job Satisfaction In Public Secondary Schools In Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Pedagogy, Andragogy and Heutagogy in Academic Practice, 2(2), 79-97.
  • Muasya, G. (2023). Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives of Work-Life Balance Research and Practices: A Case of Kenya. In Work-Life Balance in Africa: A Critical Approach (pp. 87-108). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
  • Nii Laryeafio, M., & Ogbewe, O. C. (2023). Ethical consideration dilemma: systematic review of ethics in qualitative data collection through interviews. Journal of Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Technology, 3(2), 94-110.
  • Nwagbara, U. (2020). Institutions and organisational work-life balance (WLB) policies and practices: Exploring the challenges faced by Nigerian female workers. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 12(1), 42-54.
  • Ogomegbunam, O. A. (2023). Work-Life Balance Practices And Employees’performance: A Correlational Survey Of Commercial Banks In Delta And Bayelsa States, Nigeria. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 5(3), 158-174.
  • Ola, O. O., John, W. O., Simeon, O. A., & Mutiu, O. A. (2019). Impact of work life balance on the social life of workers living in Lagos metropolitan borders. Annals of Contemporary Developments in Management & HR (ACDMHR) Vol, 1, 50-59.
  • O’Neill, B. (2022). Sample size determination with a pilot study. PLoS One, 17(2), e0262804.
  • Orwa, P. A. (2023). Relationship between work-life balance practices and employee performance in Homa bay county teaching and referral hospital, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation).
  • (2020). The Future of Remote Work.
  • Terng, L. C., & Ahmad, N. (2021). The Relationship Between Human Resource Management Practices and Employee Performance. Research In Management Of Technology And Business, 2(1), 123-136. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.30880/rmtb.2021.02.01.009
  • Turley, R., Roberts, S., Foster, C., Warner, N., El-Banna, A., Evans, R., … & Scourfield, J. (2022). Staff wellbeing and retention in children’s social work: Systematic review of interventions. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(3), 281-309.
  • Varga, S., Mistry, T. G., Ali, F., & Cobanoglu, C. (2021). Employee perceptions of wellness programs in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(10), 3331-3354.
  • Waworuntu, E. C., Kainde, S. J., & Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and performance among millennial and Gen Z employees: a systematic review. Society, 10(2), 286-300.
  • Werner, S., & Balkin, D. B. (2021). Strategic benefits: How employee benefits can create a sustainable competitive edge. The Journal of Total Rewards, 30(1), 8-22.
  • Wood, J., Oh, J., Park, J., & Kim, W. (2020). The relationship between work engagement and work–life balance in organizations: A review of the empirical research. Human Resource Development Review, 19(3), 240-262.
  • World Health Organization. (2022). WHO guidelines on mental health at work. World Health Organization.
  • Yusoff, M. S. B., Arifin, W. N., & Hadie, S. N. H. (2021). ABC of questionnaire development and validation for survey research. Education in Medicine Journal, 13(1).
  • Zaman, S. S. Y. K., Arokiasamy, L., & Abd Hamid, Z. (2021). A study on factors influencing employee retention in the pharmaceutical industry in Malaysia. Electronic Journal of Business and Management, 6(1), 81-89.