Uncovering Work-Life Interference among Australian Muslim Men: Implications for Human Resource Management

Abstract

Work-life interference is a significant workplace issue that has substantial human resource management implications. The goal of this study is to expand our understanding of the work-life interference experienced by Muslim men who are a significant ethno-religious cultural minority in Australia and New Zealand. Muslims have distinct cultural and religious values, which suggest that they may have different experiences from the mainstream Australian and New Zealand population. This raises questions about the applicability of work-life policies and programs to this population and underscores the importance of understanding their experiences from a human resource management perspective. Data collected from 301 men using survey questionnaires indicate that participants experience low levels of interference and the pattern is similar to that found among workers from societies known to uphold collectivistic cultural values. In accordance with workers in such societies, job demands a stronger predictor of interference than work hours, which raises doubts about the effectiveness of work-life policies such as flexible work options around working hours. At a broader level, the research highlights the need to re-think the policies designed to facilitate work-life balance among workers who have different cultural and religious beliefs than the mainstream population.