International Journal of Social Science and Human Research
International Journal of Social Science and Human Research
International Journal of Social Science and Human Research
ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyse the impact of flexible work arrangements on the employee performance of employees
in private Egyptian universities in Alexandria, mediated by work-life balance (applied to the Arab Academy for Science,
Technology, and Maritime Transport). institutions to retain talented people, raise the efficiency of employee performance, and thus
raise the efficiency of institutional performance and competitive capabilities of organizations. The researcher used the descriptive
analytical method and the questionnaire as a tool for data collection, to measure the impact of flexible work arrangements (focusing
on reducing working hours, benefits provided to employees, work policies towards parenting) on the work-life balance, and the
extent of the impact of all this on raising the efficiency of employees' employee performance. A stratified random sample of 423
employees was used, and the data collected was analysed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. The findings revealed a
positive relationship between flexible work arrangements (reduced working hours, benefits provided to employees, and work
policies toward parenting) and employee performance, as well as a positive relationship between flexible work arrangements and
work-life balance, as well as a positive relationship between work-life balance and employee performance, and the researcher
recommends implementing such policies.The recommendations also include the need to review current labour laws before
legislators, and update them in line with contemporary technological development and the requirement to achieve a balance between
the requirements of life and work. This study also recommends the adoption of reducing working hours as one of the flexible work
policies offered by organisations to employees. The study concludes that flexible work arrangements and programmes are in fact a
competitive tool that organisations can use to increase loyalty, improve performance, achieve commitment and job satisfaction,
which enhances the organization's productivity.
KEYWORDS- FWAs (flexible work arrangements), reducing working hours, WLB (work-life balance), EP (Employee
performance)
INTRODUCTION
The business world is dominated in the current era by a group of strong trends such as globalization, digitization, and the increasing
importance of intangible assets, and then organizations and employees need more flexibility and adaptability in support of a culture
of productivity and for more progress and growth, which are the slogans raised by the most effective and successful institutions in
This is our time. However, with the recent Covid-19 disease, organizations were suddenly forced to change their practice and thus
find new solutions to challenges arisen in many areas of their operations Carneval and Hatak (2020), many organizations offer
flexible working hours to employees because of benefits of flexibility for both employees and organizations. Work-life balance has
shown its importance since the past decades, it has already been found that work-life balance is a major factor to improve employee’s
productivity which impact the overall performance of organizations positively Semlali and Hassi (2016). SOPs, organizational
environment, attitude of employers, and support of supervisors and managers are vital factors affecting work-life balance Haider
and Azmi (2019). Ghanem (2010) study uncovered the unawareness among individuals and organizations in the Egyptian society
of the importance of work –family balance compared with Western societies. Such findings highlight the importance of this study
and the urgent need to change the working hours convention stipulates the working hours should not exceed 8 hours/day and 48
hours/week (with some exceptions). However, the definition of long working hours in some countries depends on national
regulations, as many countries define standard working hours as 35-40 hours/week and 41 hours/overtime work week (Convention
No. 1 of the International Labor Organization), which was adopted by the ILO General Conference at its first session in October
(1919 AD), and its implementation began in June 1921 AD, and was renewed at the meeting of the International Labor Council in
LITERATURE REVIEW
I. Relationship between flexible work arrangements and Employee performance
It was shown in the study of Govender et al. (2018) that performance and flexible working arrangements have a strong positive
relationship, and the study found that flexible working arrangements enhanced employee retention and job satisfaction, which led
to increased productivity. There is a significant and positive relationship between flexible working arrangements and performance
in the workplace, as well as education, age, wages, quality of manager-employee relationships, years of experience, the area of the
market in which the workplace is operated, and competition are important factors and positively correlate with the tendency to
implement flexible working arrangements. Giovanis (2018). There is a positive relationship between the dimensions of the quality
of work life and the level of organizational commitment, and it was found that the variables affecting organizational commitment
are (material work conditions, work-life balance, wages and rewards, security, and job stability) Al-Biyari (2018). The roles of work
systems and procedures for human resources personnel contribute significantly to achieving outstanding performance for
individuals. Kharshi (2019).
he more effort there is and the development of flexible policies for human resource management, the more it motivates employees
to increase their productivity, improve the quality of their outputs, control time management in fulfilling work and life commitments,
increase focus, decrease health care costs and stress-related diseases, and increase worker loyalty, The organization is distinguished
by providing the best services and benefits to its employees, making it an attractive environment for customers and employees,
which contributes to increasing Employee performance. The purpose of Bear (2017) study was to study the relationship between
flexible working arrangements and work-family conflict and examined self-control as a moderator between the relationship between
flexible working arrangements and employees' experience of work-family conflict in a large technology company in San Francisco.
in the United States of America. The method used in this study is the descriptive analytical method, and the number of participants
included 172 employees, and the tool used in the study is the questionnaire by sending it to them via e-mail, and the response rate
was 28.6%. Participants with missing data were excluded, which led to the arrival of the final sample. To 149 participants from the
Bay Area chapter.
The results showed a positive relationship between the availability of flexible working arrangements, dedication, and sincerity, as
well as the use of flexible working arrangements. And the study of Hsu et al. (2019) studied the links between the effect of long
working hours and the balance between work and private life and job satisfaction mediated by occupational stress, and tested whether
controlling working time helps mitigate the effects of long working hours and occupational stress?
This study used the descriptive analytical method, and the tool used for measurement is the questionnaire, and the study population
consisted of (369) individuals. The results revealed that there is a significant correlation between long working hours, professional
tension, and work-life balance, as well as a relationship between occupational stress and work-life balance. and job satisfaction, and
the most important recommendations are the need to review labor laws to prevent excessive working hours and enhance working
time flexibility.
Based on the previous studies, the researcher can develop the first hypothesis, which is: H1: There is a statistically significant
effect between flexible work arrangements and the Employee performance. for employees in Egyptian private universities.
II. The relationship between flexible work arrangements (the independent variable), work-life balance (the mediating
variable)
Giovanis (2018) stated that flexible working arrangements provide employees with job control and autonomy, improve work-life
balance, and lead to increased productivity. The researchers explained how employees who view a supportive work culture within
their organisational culture are more likely to experience less work-family conflicts. choo et al. (2016). However, there is more
evidence that flexibility provides work-life balance, particularly during parenting, work-life balance, and gender equality, that the
marital status of an employee working in an organisation is important, and that telecommuting and flexible working do not benefit
employees who have a partner and/or a child, but only for individuals, according to Chung and Lippe (2018). Studying Deepika and
Elango (2020) This study aimed to provide a socio-economic overview and social support for female employees in the hospitality
industry in Chennai, India. The study is based on the descriptive analytical method. The tool used in the study is a questionnaire. A
number of (130) questionnaires were distributed. The results of the study show that more than a third of the respondents (39.2%)
suffer from a lack of work-life balance, and that less than a third of the respondents (26.0%) suffer from poor work. The study
by Martínez-León et al. (2019) has the purpose of investigating the impact of work-life balance practises on the financial outcomes
IJSSHR, Volume 04 Issue 10 October 2021 www.ijsshr.in Page 2730
Flexible Work Arrangements and Their Impact on the Employee Performance of Egyptian Private University
Employees: (A Case Study on the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport)
of Spanish auditing SMEs. Using survey data from 148 Spanish audit firms, a group of 535 Spanish SME audit firms was identified
from a database, Sistema de Análisis de Balances Ibéricos (SABI) Data A survey questionnaire was sent by phone or email to 148
(professional) references from different companies, and from the study findings, availability of WLB practises is fundamental not
only to policy makers and society, but also to organisational culture and human resource management practices. The study
recommends that senior managers should enhance certain WLB (time-reduced and flexible work practices) to enhance the financial
results of SME audit firms. As for the Al-Buhairi study (2018), it aimed to build a model that defines the framework that describes
and analyses the impact of applying work-life balance strategies on administrative performance, and the study sample was (314).
The study found that there is an imbalance between work and life, especially for women without men, and that the application of
work-life balance strategies leads to improving the level of effectiveness of the administrative performance of managers in Egyptian
government institutions. (Teleworking - Part-time work - Job sharing - Stressed work week - Providing health care to managers and
their families - Giving managers childcare and parental leave).
Based on the previous studies, the researcher can develop the first hypothesis, which is:H2: There is a statistically significant
effect between flexible work arrangements and the working life balance.
III. The relationship between work-life balance and Employee performance
Bataineh (2019) study aimed to study the impact of life-work balance and happiness at work on Employee performance and
concluded that work-life balance and happiness positively and significantly affect employee performance. Obiageli's (2015) study
examined work-life balance and employee performance to determine the extent of the impact of leave on service provision, and
concluded that it stimulates the employee's ability, and work-life balance is an important factor in increasing employee performance.
The results of the study by Mendis and Weerakkody (2017) revealed that there is a significant positive relationship and impact of
work-life balance on employee performance, as well as the role of family and demographics play an important role as controlling
variables to maintain an appropriate work-life balance in organizations.
The study of Wong et al. (2020) When evaluating the relationship between work-life balance ranking and Employee performance
and measuring it based on six perspectives including job motivation, employee attendance, employee recruitment, employee
retention, organizational commitment, and productivity, the results showed a positive relationship between work-life balance
ranking Life and organizational performance and the intermediate variables that influenced the relationship between work-life
balance order and organizational performance are gender, sector and employee hierarchy. The Effect of Supervisor Support and
Work-Life Balance on Employee Performance, Job Satisfaction, and Life Satisfaction Talukder (2018).
Successful implementation of flexible work arrangements can be a vital publicity tool for organisations, the principles of the
organization and how they manage the business internally are extremely important Ko and Kim (2018). The benefits of flexible
working arrangements for both employee and employer are clear, in terms of improved work-life balance and employee well-being,
to higher rates of productivity and performance, research by CIPD (Char Ted Institute for Professional Development) revealed these
benefits and was highlighted by Wells (2021). Flexible working is a common and respected practice around the world today, and
flexible working practices are typically implemented to give employees a degree of choice about how much (operational flexibility),
when (time flexibility) and where (location flexibility) they should work, helping them strike a balance Satisfactory between work
and life as such, one would not expect implementing flexible work to intensify work.) Kelliher and Anderson (2010; Opatha (2009).
As a result, there is a growing interest in implementing flexible work arrangements in organizations to help employees balance
responsibilities Work and family Baeza et al. (2018).
Based on the previous studies, the researcher can develop the first hypothesis, which is: H3: There is a statistically significant
effect between the work-life balance and the employee performance.
IV. Work-life balance mediates the relationship between flexible work arrangements and employee performance.
The study De Sivatte et al. (2015) examined the relationship between working life and organizational productivity and determining
whether it was mediated by working life programs. From two databases, and other archival data published in three international
surveys, hypotheses were tested using path analyses, and the data revealed that working life culture has no direct impact on work
productivity, but it has an indirect effect on it, through the availability of life programs The study found the importance of promoting
a culture of conducive work life and providing programs for work-life balance because it enhances work productivity.
A study Taşdelen-Karçkay and Bakalım (2017) indicated that the work-life balance scale as a mediating variable aims to develop
a measure of work-life balance for Turkish women and men. The sample was (274), and the second objective was to investigate the
mediating effect of work-life balance between work-family conflict, work-family conflict, and life satisfaction, in Study 2 and the
sample was (356). All studies indicated that the work-life balance scale It was valid and reliable Structural equation models
supported the indirect effects of work-family conflict and work-family conflict on life satisfaction through work-life balance.
Ajayaghosh and Santhosh (2020) This study aims to understand what drives work life balance and how WLB affects employee
performance in selected commercial banks from the central region of Kerala, with the aim of analyzing the presence of WLB
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher used the quantitative method. The research studied and reviewed the literature reviews and analyzed them to reach
a comprehensive theoretical framework and accurate knowledge of the subject of the study in describing flexible work arrangements
and their impact on the Employee performance of employees. Averages, percentages, and statistical tests were used as one of the
analysis tools, and this approach is concerned with collecting data through measuring tools that are developed to have honesty and
reliability, then they are applied to the sample population, and the results are drawn and evaluated, and the following hypotheses
are tested:
Independent variable: The theoretical framework explains the entire study. For flexible work arrangements as an independent
variable, there are many programs and policies that must be considered, but in this study, we focus on three variables: (reduce
working hours - benefits provided to employees - work policies towards parenting).
Dependent variable: It is the Employee performance.
Mediator variable: work-life balance.
The controlling variable (moderator): It is represented in the demographic factors (gender - age - marital status - educational
qualification - number of family members - number of years of experience).
I. conceptual framework
From the above framework, the research hypotheses can be developed as following:
H1: There is a statistically significant effect between flexible work arrangements and the Employee performance. for employees
in Egyptian private universities. Three sub-hypotheses emerge from it as follows:
H1a: There is a statistically significant effect between reduce working hours and employee job performance.
H1b: There is a statistically significant effect between the benefits provided to employees and the job performance of
employees.
H1c: There is a statistically significant effect between work policies towards parenting and employee job performance.
H2: There is a statistically significant effect between flexible work arrangements and the work-life balance.
H3: There is a statistically significant effect between the work-life balance and the employee performance.
H4: work-life balance mediates the relationship between flexible work arrangements and the employee performance.
H5: Demographic factors affect the relationship between work-life balance and the employee performance of employees in
Egyptian private universities due to personal and occupational variables (age - gender - marital status - educational qualification -
number of family members - number of years of experience).
II. Population of the Study
consisted of faculty members at Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, who form (4500) faculty
members, at Egypt.
Dependent Independent
Estimate p R2
Variable variable
reduce working Employee -.002 .973
<---
hours performance
benefits provided to <--- Employee .215 ***
0.428
employees performance
Work policies <--- Employee .479 ***
towards parenting performance
It appears from Table 2 that the results are statistically significant, and the results indicated that the adjusted (chi)2 statistic or
weighted with degrees of freedom is 3.987, in addition to the Goodness of fit index of 0.900 and the Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index
0.859, and the Comparative fit index is 0.936, which are acceptable indicators; Because it is suitable for comparing the quality of
the scales with the difference in sample size from one study to another. The square root of the Residual Mean Square error - RMSEA
is 0.084, which is the value that expresses the number of errors in the model that cannot be explained, and it is an acceptable value
because it is less than 10%.
Table 4 shows the statistically significant results. The results indicated that the adjusted or weighted (chi)2 statistic with degrees
of freedom is 3.987, in addition to the Goodness of fit index of 0.900, and the Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index 0.859, Comparative
fit index of 0.936, which are acceptable indicators, because it is suitable for comparing the quality of the scales with the difference
in sample size from one study to another. The square root of the Residual Mean Square error - RMSEA is 0.084, which is the value
that expresses the number of errors in the model that cannot be explained, and it is an acceptable value because it is less than 10%.
Based on the previous results, H2: "there is a statistically significant effect between flexible work arrangements and the life and
work balance of employees in Egyptian private universities" is fully acceptable.
It appears from Table 6 that the results are statistically significant. The results indicated that the adjusted or weighted (chi)2
statistic with degrees of freedom is 3.165, in addition to the Goodness of fit index of 0.931, and the Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index
0.900, and a Comparative fit index of 0.965, which are acceptable indicators, because it is suitable for comparing the quality of the
scales with the difference in sample size from one study to another. The square root of the Residual Mean Square error - RMSEA
is 0.072, which is the value that expresses the number of errors in the model that cannot be explained, and it is an acceptable value
because it is less than 10%.
Based on the previous results, H3: "there is a statistically significant effect between the work-life balance, and the Employee
performance of employees in Egyptian private universities" is fully acceptable.
VI. Testing the Fourth Hypothesis
Table 7 presents the results of the multiple regression test results for flexible work Arrangement and Employee performance. It was
found that there is a significant relationship between FWAs and EP. It can be seen from Table 7 that there is a significant effect of
WLB on EP. Therefore, WLB can play a mediating role between FWAs and EP, as there is a direct relationship between them and
EP.
it can be noted that H4 : "WLB mediates the relationship between reduce working hours, work policies towards parenting and
Employee performance" in a totality.
Whereas: “WLB mediates the relationship between benefits provided to employees and EP” in partially.
benefits
provided to .072 .045 .087 1.589 .113
employees
work policies
towards .219 .052 .236 4.175 .000
parenting
Work-life
.285 .040 .339 7.119 .000
balance
a. Dependent Variable:
Table 8: Analyzing the role of the mediator "gender" between WLB and EP
Unstandardized Standardiz
Variables Coefficients ed T Sig. R2
B Std. Coefficients
(Constant) 3.841 Error
.389 9.880 .000
WLB -.058 .112 -.069 -.516 .606
Table 9 shows a regression analysis of the median role of “educational qualification” between life-work balance and Employee
performance. The educational qualification does not mediate the relationship between life and work balance and Employee
performance, as its significance level for the interaction is greater than 0.05.
Table 9: Analyzing the role of the mediator "educational qualification" between WLB and EP
Unstandardized
Coefficients Standardized
Variables T Sig. R2
Coefficients
B Std.
(Constant) 1.741 Error
.392 4.441 .000
Table10: a regression analysis of the median role of “years of experience” WLB and EP.
Unstandardized
Standardized
Variables Coefficients T Sig. R2
Coefficients
B Std. Error
(Constant) 4.465 .457 9.777 .000
Table 10 shows a regression analysis of the median role of “years of experience” between life and work balance and Employee
performance. Years of experience mediate the relationship between work-life balance and Employee performance as the significance
level of the interaction is less than 0.05.
Table 11 shows a regression analysis of the role of the mediator “social status” between life-work balance and Employee
performance. Marital status mediates the relationship between work-life balance and Employee performance, as its significance
level for the interaction is less than 0.05.
Table 11: a regression analysis of the role of the mediator “social status” between WLB and EP
Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Variables T Sig. R2
B Std. Coefficients
Error
Table 12 shows a regression analysis of the role of the mediator “number of family members” between life and work balance and
Employee performance. The number of family members mediates the relationship between work-life balance and Employee
performance, as its significance level for the interaction is less than 0.05.
Table 12: Analysis of the role of the mediator " number of family members" between WLB and EP
Unstandardized
Coefficients Standardized
Variables T Sig. R2
Coefficients
Std.
B
Error
a. Dependent Variable
Table 13 shows the regression analysis of the role of the mediator “age” between work-life balance and Employee performance.
Age mediates the relationship between work and private life balance and Employee performance as its significance level values for
the interaction are less than 0.05.
Unstandardized
Coefficients Standardized
Variables T Sig. R2
Coefficients
B Std.
Error
(Constant) 4.192 .443 9.454 .000
a. Dependent Variable
Based on the previous results, H5: “affects the demographic factors on the relationship between work-life balance, and Employee
performance of employees in Egyptian private universities due to personal and functional variables (age, gender, marital status,
educational qualification, number of family members)”, is partially acceptable.
REFERENCE
1) Adnan, Bataineh, K., 2019. Impact of work-life balance, happiness at work, on employee performance. International
Business Research, 12(2), pp.99-112.
2) Ajayaghosh, D., & Thampi, S. P. (2020). Work Life Balance as a Tool to Predict Employee Performance in Select
Commercial Banks in Kerala. Our Heritage, vol. 68 issue1, 9252-9269.
3) Baeza, M. A., Gonzalez, J. A., & Wang, Y. (2018). Job flexibility and job satisfaction among Mexican professionals: A
socio-cultural explanation. Employee Relations, 40, 921-942. doi:10.1108/ER-12-2016-0236
4) Bear, k. (2017). The Relationship Between Perceptions and Actual Use of Workplace Flexibility and Employee
Engagement. Master’s Theses,4787, San Jose State University, USA.
5) Carnevale, J.B. and Hatak, I., 2020. Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human
resource management. Journal of Business Research, 116, pp.183-187.
6) Choo, J. L., Desa, N., & Abu Hassan Asaari, M. (2016). http://sass.sciedupress.com Studies in Asian Social Science Vol.
3, No. 1; 2016 Published by Sciedu Press 21 ISSN 233Flexible Working Arrangement toward Organizational Commitment
and Work-Family Conflict. Studies in Asian Social Science, 21-36.
7) Chung, H., & Der Lippe, T. (2018). Flexible Working, Work–Life Balance, and Gender Equality. Social Indicators
Research, 1-17.
8) De Sivatte, I., Gordon, J.R., Rojo, P. and Olmos, R., (2015). The impact of work-life culture on organizational productivity.
Personnel Review.
9) Deepika, S., & ELANGO, S. (2020). Work Life Balance–The Need of The Hour. Our Heritage, 68(1), 7236-7242.
10) Ghanem, Abdelnasser, (2010).” Acritical of work-Family Conflict Among Egyptian Academics” (A Case Study),
Nottingham Trent University and Southampton Solent University, U.K.
11) Giovanis, E. (2018). The relationship between flexible employment arrangements and workplace performance in Great
Britain. International Journal of Manpower, 51-70.
12) Govender, L., Migiro, S.O. and Kyule, A.K., (2018). Flexible work arrangements, job satisfaction and performance. Journal
of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 10(3 (J)), pp.268-277.
13) Haider, M. and Azmi, F.T. (2019). A Review of Literature Work Life Balance and Job Satisfaction Journal of General
Management Research, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 65–77.
14) Hsu, Y.Y., Bai, C.H., Yang, C.M., Huang, Y.C., Lin, T.T. and Lin, C.H., 2019. Long hours’ effects on work-life balance
and satisfaction. BioMed Research International, 2019.
15) International Labour Organization, (2019). International Laboure Organization, ILO Working Conditions Laws Database,
International Laboure Organization, Geneva (2017).
16) Ko, E. J., & Kim, S. S. (2018). Intention to use flexible work arrangements: The case of workers in Korea and gender
differences in motivation. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31, 1438-1460. doi:10.1108/JOCM-01-2018-
0001
17) Martínez-León, I.M., Olmedo-Cifuentes, I. and Sanchez-Vidal, M.E., (2019). Relationship between availability of WLB
practices and financial results. Personnel Review.
18) Mendis, M.D.V.S. and Weerakkody, W.A.S., 2017. The impact of work life balance on employee performance with
reference to telecommunication industry in Sri Lanka: a mediation model. Kelaniya Journal of Human Resource
Management, 12(1), pp.72-100.
19) Obiageli, O.L., Uzochukwu, O.C. and Ngozi, C.D., (2015). Work-life balance and employee performance in selected
commercial banks in Lagos State. European journal of research and reflection in management sciences, 3(4).
20) Semlali, S., & Hassi, A. (2016). "Work–life balance: how can we help women IT professionals in Morocco?". Journal of
Global Responsibility, 7(2), 210-225. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-07-2016-0017
21) Talukder, A.K.M., Vickers, M. and Khan, A. (2018), "Supervisor support and work-life balance: Impacts on Employee
performance in the Australian financial sector", Personnel Review, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 727-744. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-
12-2016-0314
22) Taşdelen-Karçkay, A. and Bakalım, O., 2017. The mediating effect of work–life balance on the relationship between work–
family conflict and life satisfaction. Australian Journal of Career Development, 26(1), pp.3-13.
23) Wells-Lepley, M., Thelen, L. A., & Swanberg, J. (2015). Supervisors’ use of flexibility as a strategic management tool:
Prevalence and predictors. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 18(1), 31-53.