Cross-cultural impact of work–life balance on health and work outcomes

In this chapter we describe some of our recent work–life balance research conducted between regional groups within the Asia-Pacific area. The research component of this chapter explores the applicability, testing and extension of theories of organizational behaviour from Western to non-Western contexts. More specifically, we explore the relevance of the work–life balance construct to workers and societies who may have different competing priorities. In this chapter we first discuss the numerous definitions and measures of the work–life balance construct. We present data from some of our recent research testing a new measure of work–life balance amongst 11 421 workers sampled from China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. We then discuss the rise of industry and rapid social change in China, which may influence interpretations of work behaviour. Finally, we return to a more general examination of key issues in regard to modern technology and its potential for encroachment on work–life boundaries. In particular we examine the emerging cross-cultural research in this area.