Work Demands, Organisational Support and Work–Life Balance among Healthcare Workers: A Structural Equation Model from Multispecialty Hospitals in Kalyana Karnataka

Abstract

Work–Life Balance (WLB) is an important concern in the healthcare sector, where demanding workloads, shift duties and emotional pressures can affect employees’ ability to effectively manage professional and personal responsibilities. This study examines the influence of Work Demands and Organisational Support on Work–Life Balance among healthcare workers in selected multispecialty hospitals in the Kalyana Karnataka region. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were obtained from 400 healthcare workers using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The measurement results indicate satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.914 for Work Demands, 0.901 for Organisational Support and 0.887 for Work–Life Balance, while Composite Reliability values ranged from 0.891 to 0.918. The KMO value of 0.924 and significant Bartlett’s test (χ² = 6824.617, df = 435, p < 0.001) confirmed the suitability of the data for factor analysis. The SEM demonstrated an acceptable model fit (χ² = 218.436, df = 130, χ²/df = 1.680, GFI = 0.941, AGFI = 0.918, CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.041 and SRMR = 0.038). The structural results show that Work Demands have a significant negative effect on WLB (β = −0.426, SE = 0.071, CR = −6.014, p < 0.001), whereas Organisational Support has a significant positive effect (β = 0.512, SE = 0.068, CR = 7.529, p < 0.001). Together, the two predictors explain 56.8% of the variance in Work–Life Balance (R² = 0.568). The findings highlight the importance of workload management, supportive supervision, adequate staffing and employee-oriented organisational practices for strengthening Work–Life Balance among healthcare workers.