The complexity of role balance: Support for the Model of Juggling Occupations

Abstract

Objective: This pilot study aimed to establish the appropriateness of the Model of Juggling Occupations in exploring the complex experience of role balance amongst working women with family responsibilities living in Perth, Australia. Methods: In meeting this aim, an evaluation was conducted of a case study design, where data were collected through a questionnaire, time diary, and interview. Results: Overall role balance varied over time and across participants. Positive indicators of role balance occurred frequently in the questionnaires and time diaries, despite the interviews revealing a predominance of negative evaluations of role balance. Between-role balance was achieved through compatible role overlap, buffering, and renewal. An exploration of within-role balance factors demonstrated that occupational participation, values, interests, personal causation, and habits were related to role balance. Conclusions: This pilot study concluded that the Model of Juggling Occupations is an appropriate conceptual framework to explore the complex and dynamic experience of role balance amongst working women with family responsibilities. It was also confirmed that the case study design, including the questionnaire, time diary, and interview methods, is suitable for researching role balance from this perspective.

Key words::

• work
• role conflict
• pilot study
• middle age
• lifestyle
• female
• family role
• diaries
• coping
• case studies

Acknowledgements

This study was undertaken as the first author's partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy at Edith Cowan University, for which she received financial support in the form of a scholarship. The authors would like to thank Professor Colleen Fisher for her assistance with planning the research, Katherine Prince for her assistance with the time diary data-collection, the expert panel for their advice, Janina Liebgen for the illustration of the “juggling lady”, and the nine research participants.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.