Work-Life Balance among Men and Women: A Psychological Perspective - A Narrative Review
Abstract: Work-life balance is a multidimensional psychological and social experience shaped by the relationship between paid employment, personal life, and family responsibilities. Gender is often examined as a factor in this relationship, yet evidence does not support assuming that men or women universally experience greater work-family conflict. This narrative review synthesises foundational theories and selected research on work-family conflict, work-family enrichment, perceived stress, gendered unpaid care work, and organisational resources. Greenhaus and Beutell?s framework identifies time-based, strain-based, and behaviour-based conflict, while the transactional model of stress and coping explains how appraisal and perceived resources influence responses to demands. Meta-analytic evidence suggests that average gender differences in work-family conflict are often modest and depend on contextual factors, including parental status, job conditions, and the direction of conflict. International labour reports show that unequal unpaid care responsibilities can shape opportunities, time pressure, and recovery, without determining every individual?s experience. Research from India adds context-specific evidence but varies in occupation, sample, and measurement. The review argues that work-life balance should be understood through an intersection of gender, caregiving, work hours, schedule control, supervisor support, and coping resources. Organisations should prioritise predictable scheduling, fair workloads, inclusive flexibility, and accessible caregiving support. Future research should use transparent sampling, appropriate validated instruments, and designs that distinguish association from causation. This paper is a narrative review of published literature and does not report new participant data.
Keywords: work-life balance; work-family conflict; perceived stress; gender; caregiving; organisational support
How to Cite?: Akila Devi R, "Work-Life Balance among Men and Women: A Psychological Perspective - A Narrative Review", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1906-1908, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261026153235, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261026153235