The document summarizes a presentation on HR and middle managers' perceptions of work-life balance in Lebanese banks. It includes: 1) An outline of the presentation covering work-life balance models, research questions/methodology, results, discussion/conclusion, and limitations/recommendations. 2) Key results showing most participants experienced both positive and negative spillover, with negative spillover more apparent. Factors like job nature, relationships, gender, and character influenced spillover. 3) The conclusion that border theory best explains the findings, but could be fine-tuned, and recommendations to tailor policies to jobs and improve work atmospheres.

1. Exploring HR and Middle Managers’
Perception of Work Life Balance in
Lebanese Banks
Presented By Yara Abboud

2. I. The Five model WLB linkage models
II. Border theory
III. Research Questions
IV. Research Methodology
V. Results
VI. Discussion & Conclusion
VII. Limitations & Recommendations
Outline

3. Segmentation
Model
Spillover
Model
Compensation
Model
Conflict
Model
Instrumental
Model
The Five Work Life Balance Model Linkages.

4. Segmentation
• Work & Family are
distinct spheres which do
not affect each other
• Nowadays segmentation
is psychological since
work and life are closer
physically and
temporally.
Spillover
•Both work and family
spheres influence each
other in in either a
positive or negative way.
•- Work fatigue which
carries over to home life (
negative spillover)
•- Stimulation and
satisfaction at work is
carried home. ( positive
spillover)
Compensation
•What is lacking in one sphere
is compensated for in another.
•- A routine type of work is
compensated by a behavior of
partying all night ( reactive
compensation)
•- A routine type of work is
compensated by a major
community service role
outside of work
(supplemental compensation)

5. Conflict
•The high level of demand in
both work and family spheres
causes one to experience
significant overload and
conflict
•Could be: time based, strain
based, or behavior based. Ex:
•- A mother missing her son’s
important football game due to
work obligations ( time based
conflict)
•- Job burnout leading to
fatigue & depression. (strain
based conflict)
•- Switching between pragmatic
behavior to caring behavior at
home home ( behavior based
conflict)
Instrumental
Model
• Activities in one
sphere enable
success in another
•Consists of the
positive side of the
work/family
interface
•Ex: managers who
acquire negotiation
skills at work can
apply those skills
with their children
at home.

6. Positive Spillover
Enrichment
Transfer of gains from
one sphere to the
next has to be applied
in next sphere.
Enhancement
Spillover of positive
mood
Positive mood,
behavior , or skills spill
from one sphere to
the next; no definite
linking mechanism is
defined.
Facilitation
Transfer is similar to
enrichment; the only
difference is that the
benefit is applied to
the entire receiving
sphere.
Integration:
middle ground between separation of roles and overlap of roles. It is more
likely to take place when the individual sees the benefits of positive spillover
in each role. It’s primarily a voluntary action which is more likely to take
place when the work and family spheres are similar in nature or involve
similar tasks) i.e. when they are consistent with the employee’s preferences.

7. Spillover IntegrationSegmentation
Negative:
Like conflict
and
interference
Making sense of the five models
Compensation:
An intermediate
between negative
and positive
spillover
Positive:
Like Enrichment,
Facilitation, and
enhancement
Major Flaw is that it neglects:
- the impact of supportive work or family relationships in lessoning conflict
- the impact of individual’s identification with his/her home or work roles
- the influence of individual’s values on family and work roles

8. II. Border theory
Border keepers:
A spouse at home, a
mother in law, a
mother
Border Keepers:
Work supervisor,
work
acquaintances
Border crossers carry home issues to work: or maybe spouse calls
during work time; an accident at home may trigger carrying
worries to work and foster negative spillover; support and
encouragement from home may trigger positive spillover.
Border crossers carry work concerns or bring work
home; maybe clients call home. Transferred
worries will create negative spillover while a
transferred sense of accomplishment at work
creates a positive spillover
Extent of merge depends on: spillovers triggered by border keepers, as well as the degree of control
border crosser exerts over psychological borders. Spatial and temporal borders however are a function
of the more influential sphere, and are not as flexible as the psychological border. If the work and
family spheres are similar in nature, weak borders trigger balance; if different strong borders trigger
balance.
Work Sphere
Family Sphere

9. III. Research Questions
 RQ1: What is the main Work life balance linkage that
Lebanese bank HR and middle managers experience?
- How does the bank contribute to the quality of the spillover?
- How does family contribute to the quality of spillover?
- Which is more influential? Work or family?
 RQ2: How do they cope with WLB issues
- What values work/home do they identify with the most?
- How do their supervisors at home and at work help them with
such issues?

10. III. Research Methodology:
Interview, Sample Size 50
Women
48%Men
52%
18%
78%
4%
Single Married Divorced
Women
Men
0
5
10
15
20
Single
Married
Divorced
Women
Men
Gender Proportions and Marital Status of the
participants.
0 2 4 6 8
Bank 1
Bank 2
Bank 3
Bank 4
Bank 5
Bank 6
Bank 7
Bank 8
Bank 9 Men
Women

11. 30%
14%
4%
16%
4%
4%
28%
Participants' Professions
Branch Managers
Assistant Branch
Managers
IT leaders
HR leaders
Authorizers
Heads of recovery
and loans

12. 1. The Number
of working hours
2. The distance
from work to
home
3. The Bank’s
culture’s limited
flexibility
4. The Stress &
Fatigue
IV. Results:
Emerging Themes
5. The
Transferred
Mood
6. Lack of Time
7. The Need for a
Full weekend
8.

13. Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4 Bank 5
Headquarters
Official schedule
Regular:
8 am - 5:30
Saturday:
A manager has the right to take 2
Saturdays off per month without
any salary deduction; whereas
an employee who takes the
Saturday off gets deducted from
his/her overtime pay.
Summer: Managers can leave
twice a week at 2 pm.
Regular:
8 am- 5 pm
Saturday
Saturday yes/
Saturday no
policy.
Regular:
8 – 5 pm
Saturday
Saturday yes,
Saturday no policy.
Regular:
Short or long schedule.
short schedule : 8 -3 pm
Saturday:
8 – 1 pm
Long schedule: 8 -5 pm
Saturday policy: Three
Saturdays off per month;
one working Saturday from
8 -4 45pm
Regular:
8 am – 5 30 pm
Saturday: 8- 1 pm
Saturday yes, no
policy.
Summer:
Employee can leave
at 2 30 pm for one
whole month.
Branches
Official schedule
Regular:
8 am - 5: 30 pm
Saturday 8 am- 1 pm
One can leave at 2 pm once per
week. The fixed overtime is till 5
30 pm and is always paid.
In branches: Every branch
manager has the right to go out
at 2 pm on a Wednesday, while
for employees they agree and
everyday there’s someone who
leaves at 2 pm.
There are long
and short
schedules:
Assistant Branch
manager 8 – 2
pm.
Branch manager:
8 – 5 pm
Saturday: 8 – 1
pm
Regular:
8 am – 2 pm
Saturday: 8 -1 pm
Regular:
8 am- 3 pm
Saturday: 8 – 1 pm
Regular :
8 am – 5 30 pm
Saturday :
8 am – 1 pm
Can take two
Saturdays off per
months or instead
leave at 2 pm for 4
days per month.
Possible flex-
time or breaks
- For certain departments like
the HR you can go out once per
week at 2 pm.
-Lunch break is one hour.
two weeks after
maternity leave
to work from 8
to 2 pm.
Lunch break: 1
hour and 30 min
for managers .and
one hour for
employee.
Lunch break 30 min,
Flex time: 30 min ex: HR
deputy manager can come
8 30 and leave at 5:30 pm
or come at 8 am and leave
at 5 pm. Authorized leave
3 hours per week.
Lunch break one
hour
Theme 1: The number of working hours

14. Bank 6 Bank 7 Bank 8 Bank 9
Headquarters
Official schedule
Regular:
8 am – 5 pm
Saturday: only work
one Saturday per
month, and take
three Saturdays off
for those who work
till 5 pm.
Regular
8-2 pm
Saturday: 8- 1 pm
Regular:
8 am -5 pm
Saturday: Saturday
yes/ no policy.
Regular:
8 am- 4 pm
Friday : 8 – 2 pm
Saturday:
8- 1 pm
Saturday policy: 2
Saturdays off per
month
Branches
Official schedule
Regular :
8am- 2 pm
Saturday:
8 am – 1 pm
Regular
Same as above
Regular :
8 am – 3 pm
Saturday: 8 am – 1
pm
Regular: 8 am- 2 pm
Saturday: 8 am – 1 pm
Possible flex-
time or breaks
-Allow a mother who
has children less than
ten years of age to
leave at 3 pm (in
Headquarters).
-One hour lunch
break
Lunch break Lunch break 30 min or
one hour depending
on department.

15. Themes: 2, 3, 42.Distance&Traffic
• No
consideration of
manager when
transferring
• Parking issue
3.LimitedFlexibility
• humane in
case of
accidents
• Relationship
with manager
• Delegation at
Audi, BLOM
• 60% of sample: 27
% of men and
33% of women
asserted that
BALANCE is a
function of
PERSONAL
EFFORT.
4.Stress&Fatigue
• Experienced
by everyone
• Negative
effect on two
people only
in terms of
behavior.

16. Theme 5:
Transferred Mood
• In general calm
• 22% carry worries home; 40%
said they carry them home
sometimes
• 38% said they don’t carry worries
home; these were more
experienced, or had a very +v e
character.
Mood
Women
52%
Men
48%
Carrying worries home
always or sometimes
Women
42%Men
58%
Never Carrying worries
home

17. Theme 6:
Lack of Time for Family
No
time
for
Family
40%
Time
for
Self
60%
Percentage of participants having no time for Family
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Bank 1
Bank 2
Bank 3
Bank 4
Bank 5
Bank 6
Bank 7
Bank 8
Bank 9
No time for family

18. Theme 6:
Lack of Time for Self
Women lacking time for self:
24% of sample
Men lacking time for self:
10% of sample
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Single
lacking
time for
self
Married
lacking
time for
self
Proportion
Total of
Singles 9
Total of
Married 39
Total of
divorced 2

19. Theme 7: The Need for a full weekend
34%
22%
12%
10%
22%
Change What?
All Saturdays off Changing benefits
flexi- time// flexibility Changing schedule
Nothing

20. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Saturdays
off
Change in
benefits
flexi- time//
flexibility
Change in
schedule
Nothing
Change What?

21. 60%
28%
8%
2% 2%
People Skills
None
Organization//
prioirtization
Seeing things from
a different angle
Analytical skills
Theme 8:
Transferred Skills

22. Spillover
• -ve & +ve are happening
simultaneously, but – ve is more
apparent.
• The amount, extent and direction
depends on nature of the job,
relationship with manager, gender,
age + experience and marital status
+ character.
VI. Discussion & Conclusion
RQ1. What is the main Work life balance linkage that
Lebanese bank HR and middle managers experience?
Results fall mostly in line with border
theory

23. - How Lebanese Banks’ policies contribute to:
 Positive Spillover
through:
 Annual Administrative leaves
 Marriage leaves, Maternity leaves
 Educational allowances, Family
allowances , Housing & Transportation
allowances
 Annual increases of 3% for those in
the management cadre
 Rewarding high performance through
monetary and nonmonetary means.
 Negative Spillover
through:
 Long working hour schedules
 Transfer policies that don’t take into
consideration the distance from home
to work
 Slow promotions;
 Slow moves to action: example they
have still not finalized or implemented
the grading scheme even though they
commended the idea five years ago.
 Rewarding is slow

24. • Mainly it is more positive;
• We only witnessed a negative spillover in terms
of heightened stress experienced by working
mothers who had toddlers, or kids to tutor at
home when they came back from work.
Spillover from family to work
Work is the more influential Sphere
- How does family contribute to the quality of spillover?
- Which is more influential? Work or family?

25. Married men rely on their wives.
Married women with children tend to organize themselves
more by buying all the grocery in the weekend, preparing the
meal plans. Some but not all had a housekeeper and a tutor
for their children. For those who didn’t have a housekeeper
and a tutor , strain based conflict was more obvious than
with others.
Single women in their prime 30s experienced strain, yet their
families were there to provide a listening ear. Only one
showed signs of reactive compensation by going shopping
after work
RQ2: How do they cope with WLB issues?

26. Single and divorced men between
the ages and 40-50 relied on friends
and acquaintances, yet frustration
was apparent especially if they
weren’t living with someone
Old people in their 50s whose kids
were adults didn’t have much of a
problem; they had more time on
their hands to pursue their hobbies
like gardening, shopping etc…

27. • Negotiation is more a function of
influence, then identification
• When psychological borders are not
properly controlled identifying with two
spheres does not lead to WLB.
• Time spent at work is more important
than role salience in determining
balance. Role salience only helped lesson
the frustration but was not enough to
promote balance.
Fine tune
border
theory
Making Sense out of it all

28. Family Sphere
Mother, spouse,
children
Work Sphere
Bank
Atmosphere
Supervisors,
acquaintances
• Positive spillover: in terms of enrichment transfer
of skills from home to work;
Negative spillover in terms of strain based
conflict if accident happens at home
Enrichment, or Enhancement > Conflict
Overall –ve spillover
Negative spillover: time based & strain based conflict
Positive spillover: enrichment, i.e. transferred people
skills , & enhancement ( positive mood spillover)
Conflict > Enrichment
Overall +ve spillover
Coping Mechanism
Reactive compensation
or supplemental
compensation
Making Sense out of it all: Adapted Version of Border Theory

29. Limitations & Recommendations
• Limitations: number of singles in study
• Recommendations:
- Tailor WLB policies to job’s nature; provide appropriate flexi-time
according to nature of the job
- Train staff on how to not carry negativities home
- Revise the transfer policy
- Train managers on how to create positive atmosphere in the workplace;
and on how to empathize with employees
- Host wellness clubs at convenient times+ make sure to encourage
participation
- Clearly define & implement the new grading scheme
- Reconsider working schedule; Eliminate Saturday Shifts
- Allow for job sharing; or even compressed work week