Conservation
of resources (COR) theory posits assets to be dynamisms, conditions and,
individual features which people prize as assets help in achieving individual
goals. Resources can be personal, within the character, or circumstantial,
outside the character. Resources can be unstable or robust. Acquiring
individual assets such as information, positive mood, self-efficiency and
skills allows for employees to achieve positive consequences, such as positive
attitude and improved enactment, at home as well as at work. The COR concept
validates that motivated individuals retain their resources. COR theory adopts
that a resource gain spiral is established, as people who attain resources are
able to generate and obtain additional resources, which helps them improve
their performance [10-16]. The current research adopted COR theory as it will
help understand how career-oriented women acquire resources which will enable
them to strive a balanced work-life.
Protean
career orientation (PCO) and work-life balance (WLB)
PCO
refers to an individual taking complete charge over his career path [21]. When
individuals become agents of their destiny they try to acquire resources that
will help them grow in their career [22]. Work-life balance is attained when a
worker is satisfied with the career progress along with other life
responsibilities. Since balance is contingent on gratification in numerous
functions and assets are required to achieve satisfaction. COR perspective [17]
provides conceptual lens to examine relationship of PCO with WLB.
Individuals
who pursue a protean career strive to create both external alongside internal
resources to attain significant targets. Individuals with high PCO explore
career options proactively, along with acquiring resources [18-20]. They
navigate their own career development with the help of internal resources, such
as having a meaningful life [25]. Navigating their own career development will
help individuals meet demands of various domain of life and facilitate
work-life balance [22]. Individuals with PCO achieve good work-life balance
[22-24]. Moreover, PCO employees need to plan their career and establish
targets in order to achieve an acceptable equilibrium amid professional and
personal life. Hence, it is expected that PCO will significantly impact WLB
(H1).
Hypothesis
1: There is a significant relationship between protean career orientation and
work life balance.
Moderating
role of perceived stress
Perceived
stress is the extent of frustration of a specific event, with the impact of a
characteristics of a person’s personality, capacity to deal with
stress-stimulating indicators and surroundings [26,27]. Working women, bare
more stress as they deal with managing multiple responsibilities such as
looking after, kids, work and home [28]. When they manage so many
responsibilities simultaneously, it leads to work-family spillover, making
anxiety and stress permanent ally.
Occupational stress causes difficulties and forces women to give up work
and concentrate more on family [29], which causes an imbalance in work-life.
Mostly people experience perceived stress in their lives and that interferes
with maintaining a balanced life. Perceived stress, according to this
perspective, has been considered an undesirable measure of the quality of life
of a person. Therefore, it is assumed that if there is low stress among women
employees, the primary relationship between PCO and WLB holds. Alternatively,
if there is high level of stress the primary relationship does not hold, as all
the resources will be dampened due to stress. Hence, the following hypothesis
is proposed.
Hypothesis
2: The significant relationship between protean career orientation and work
life balance is moderated by perceived stress, such that the relationship is
weaker at higher levels of perceived stress.
Moderating
role of person-organization fit
POF
is regarded as a vital concept in guaranteeing that the work-life quality of
employees is safeguarded by augmenting their productivity and decreasing the
rate of turnover. It was revealed that people who seek employment experience
high POF for firms that substitute typical salaries with work-life balance in
staffing constituents. On the flipside, workers sense low POF for firms that
substitute standard pay with health reimbursements. Being consistent with POF perception,
equilibrium in work-life and fit insight leads to workers experiencing
decreased balance alongside an increase in stress when there is a nonconformist
amid the reserves to deal with the burdens from the external setting.
Once
a career-oriented employee gets access to better resources and along with that
has achieved a good fit with the organization, the employee gets the chance to
attain equilibrium in their work-life. On the other hand, if an employee is
career oriented but the organization fit is not achieved, the employee will
suffer at the hands of the misfit with the organization [30-36]. In this case,
employee will not be able to achieve balanced work-life. Hence, we propose that
workers who are content with their career and sense POF achieve their WLB
better (H3).
Hypothesis
3: The significant relationship between protean career orientation and work
life balance is moderated by person organization fit, such that the
relationship is stronger at higher levels of person organization fit.
While
a positive impact is predicted of PCO on WLB, there are exogenous enabling and
constraining factors. Despite the potential of protean career-oriented women to
acquire resources and utilize those resources to achieve a balanced work-life,
there might be disruption in that relation due to high level of stress and low
person organization fit. Stress may act as an undermining factor while POF will
potentially strengthen the relationship as discussed above. However, these two
factors may interact. For example, an employee who is experiencing high stress,
low POF may experience double impact on the primary relationship (PCO with
WLB). The low POF may induce further stress [37]. Hence, the positive benefits
of POC on WLB maybe be lost due to the high stress, low POF and the special
effect that low POF may have on stress.
Women
in developing countries, like Pakistan, suffer from stress and pressure due to
the unfair distribution of family and child’s responsibilities [4]. Fit
perception speculates employees suffering from imbalance in work-life [35],
alongside an increased strain wherein there exists a nonconformist amid the
resources to deal with stresses from work settings. In light of these hurdles,
the research considered two contingencies that might influence the baseline
relationship between PCO and WLB:
perceived stress and person-organization fit. Hence it is concluded that
both perceived stress and person organization fit moderates the relationship of
PCO and WLB (H4).
Hypothesis
4: The significant interaction effect between protean career orientation and
person organization fit on work life balance is moderated by perceived stress,
such that this interaction effect is weaker at higher levels of perceived
stress.
The
relationship between protean career orientation and work-life balance is being
studied by considering two moderators, including person organization fit and
perceived stress. The research focuses on considering each moderator separately
and later on exploring the three-way interaction of protean career orientation,
POF and perceived stress on work-life balance. Hence, the following conceptual
model is suggested (Figure 1).

Figure
1: Theoretical Framework.