Introduction
The concept of work-life balance has a significant impact on employee retention in the fast-paced and dynamic world of the events industry. There are particular demands on the workers in this profession because of its reputation for hard schedules, stressful work environments, and inconsistent work hours.
As a result, knowing and putting into practise sensible work-life balance techniques becomes crucial to employee retention as well as to the wellbeing of the workforce.
This essay aims to investigate the complex relationship that exists between employee retention in the events sector and work-life balance. It attempts to elucidate how different work-life balance initiatives and obstacles effect the retention of outstanding individuals in this sector by drawing on recent studies from distinct worldwide contexts.
This analysis will provide a thorough knowledge of the complex nature of work-life balance in the events industry and its subsequent impact on keeping talented and motivated people by synthesising findings from six current journal papers.
Through this investigation, the article will make the case that encouraging a positive work-life balance is essential for both employee satisfaction and the long-term viability of the events sector workforce.
Discussion
Purpose of a Literature Review
A literature review is a systematic analysis of relevant academic works that summarizes the most important information discovered or developed in relation to a research problem or topic (Paul & Criado, 2020). A literature review differs from a summary in that it provides a critical analysis of the relevant literature as opposed to mere data, which helps the reader gain a broader perspective of the topic at hand. One cannot overstate the value of a literature review to a research project.
To begin with, it provides researchers with a basis for building upon and situating their own work within the context of the existing body of knowledge (Elsbach & van Knippenberg, 2020). Researchers can pinpoint where more work is needed by taking stock of the state of knowledge and locating any gaps in the literature. This guarantees that the study has practical application and adds to the existing body of knowledge.
In addition, a research project can be mapped out with the help of a literature review. Researchers can improve their own methods and hypotheses by learning from the successes and failures of those that came before them (van Dinter et al., 2021). Their work will be rigorous and methodologically sound if they follow these guidelines.
Putting the research into a broader academic context is a major function of literature reviews. Researchers place their work within a particular academic discourse by citing previous works and theorists; this helps their peers understand the theoretical lens through which the research was conducted (Haddaway et al., 2020).
Subject matter/main focus
The six journal papers’ essence revolve around the importance of work-life balance for the events sector and how it affects employee retention.
The study conducted in Malaysia by Nizam and Kam (2018) explores the factors that influence work-life balance in the events sector. The aspects that their work critically highlights include working hours, workload, job arrangements, and reward systems. These factors are important because they have a direct impact on workers’ capacity to balance work and personal obligations, which in turn affects workers’ job satisfaction and longevity.
To go deeper into this topic, Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. (2020) investigate how work-life balance techniques are integrated and how it affects the retention of talent. The study carried out in a global context highlights the effectiveness of flexible work arrangements, non-cash benefits, and extracurricular activities. These tactics are crucial for creating a positive work atmosphere that encourages loyalty and reduces turnover, not just bonuses.
The study by Madhusankha et al. (2020) looks at staff retention in the Sri Lankan events sector during the COVID-19 epidemic in a more crisis-driven setting. Their findings highlight how important work-life balance and health and safety procedures are in these turbulent times. This emphasis shows how the conventional notion of work-life balance changes in crisis situations, requiring a sharp focus on workers’ health and safety to guarantee retention.
By examining the moderating effects of work-life balance on job embeddedness and intention to stay, notably in the hotel sector, Chang et al. (2019) offer a nuanced perspective. Their results demonstrate how the association between organisational commitment and intention to stay is strengthened by work-life balance. This realisation is crucial because it closes the gap between impersonal HR regulations and observable results in employee retention.
The concept of green human resource management is introduced in a study conducted in the Nigerian hotel industry by Akpa et al. (2022). According to their research, policies that support a work-family and work-health balance greatly improve employee retention. This points to an increasing awareness of sustainability in HR procedures, wherein worker welfare and environmental awareness are matched.
Marinakou’s (2019) research, which spans four nations, provides a more comprehensive, global viewpoint on talent management and retention tactics. The report emphasises how crucial leadership, teamwork, mentoring, and a friendly workplace atmosphere are to keeping talent. Marinakou’s focus on employee involvement as a critical component of organisational culture and vision is applicable in various geographic circumstances.
When taken as a whole, these papers provide light on the complex link that exists between work-life balance and employee retention in the events sector. They support an all-encompassing strategy for employee welfare that blends conventional HR procedures with cutting-edge tactics to meet the changing demands and expectations of the labour force.
These studies’ varied methodological approaches and cross-cultural perspectives deepen our understanding, implying that although the details may change depending on the setting, the general idea—that a healthy work-life balance is essential to keeping skilled workers in the events sector—remains the same. This synthesis offers industry practitioners useful insights to improve the longevity and job happiness of their staff, in addition to reflecting the current academic conversation.
Methodological approaches
A wide variety of methodological approaches are used in the six journal publications under consideration to examine work-life balance and employee retention in the events business. These methods offer a thorough grasp of the subject from several angles and differ in terms of research design, sample strategies, and geographic regions.
In their Malaysian study, Nizam and Kam (2018) used survey questionnaires as part of an explanatory research design. Quantifiable information was obtained by using a Likert-scale questionnaire that was given to 303 respondents using a straightforward random sample technique. This approach works well for finding correlations and patterns between variables, according to Bryman’s “Social Research Methods.” But its shortcoming is that it can’t explore people’s more personal, in-depth experiences.
Using a case study methodology, Rodríguez-Sánchez et al. (2020) concentrated on a global corporation operating in the tourist and technology industries. Rich, detailed insights were provided by this qualitative approach, which involved semi-structured interviews with HR managers and staff. According to Yin’s suggestion in “Case Study Research and Applications,” case studies are an effective tool for examining intricate phenomena in authentic settings. The probable lack of generalizability to other businesses or industries is the restriction in this case, though.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Madhusankha et al. (2020) conducted a study in Sri Lanka using a questionnaire given to 100 professionals. Context-specific insights are provided by the use of easy sampling and the concentration on a particular period of crisis. But as Bernard points out in “Research Methods in Anthropology,” convenience sampling may jeopardise the sample’s representativeness.
Using structural equation modelling, Chang et al. (2019) surveyed interns in Taiwanese tourist hotels. As described in Kline’s “Principles and Practise of Structural Equation Modelling,” this quantitative method offers a solid understanding of the interactions between variables and is appropriate for evaluating theoretical models. However, it might not have a sophisticated comprehension of unique experiences.
Multiple regression analysis was used in the study by Akpa et al. (2022) on the hospitality industry in Nigeria, which involved 902 respondents and a structured questionnaire. Regression analysis with a sizable sample size, as explained by Creswell in “Research Design,” improve the validity and dependability of the results. It might not, however, fully represent the richness of individual experiences, similar to other quantitative techniques.
Lastly, semi-structured interviews were used in Marinakou’s (2019) research using a qualitative methodology across four nations (the UK, the US, Greece, and Australia). While ensuring consistency in data gathering across several cultural contexts may provide issues, this multi-country qualitative technique provides a rich, comparative viewpoint.
By contrasting these approaches, it becomes clear that quantitative methods—which are used mostly in three of the studies—provide extensive generalisations and pattern recognition, which are critical for comprehending broader patterns (Schutt, 2019).
On the other hand, the other three studies’ qualitative approaches offer depth and context, which are essential for a complex understanding of employee experiences (Tomaszewski et al., 2020). While the geographical diversity—which spans Asia, Europe, and Africa—increases the data’s richness, it also provides unpredictability about the cultural and economic elements that impact work-life balance.
In general, the approach selected for each study seems acceptable considering the particular situations and goals of the research. By highlighting both general trends and context-specific subtleties, the combination of these diverse approaches in the literature offers a more comprehensive knowledge of work-life balance and employee retention in the events business.
Conclusion
Examining work-life balance and how it affects employee retention in the events sector via the prism of six different journal papers uncovers a complex and widely relevant problem. Together, these studies demonstrate the importance of work-life balance as a crucial component in determining employee satisfaction and retention.
They also point to a variety of other contributing factors, such as organisational practises, cultural norms, and environmental factors. The culmination of these results highlights the need for leaders in the events sector to give work-life balance top priority and take creative approaches to it.
Putting into practise efficient tactics that are adapted to the particular requirements of this fast-paced sector is not only advantageous but also necessary for maintaining a committed and long-lasting workforce.
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References
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