The impact of COVID-19 on the work–life balance of working mothers: evidence from Nigerian academics

Abstract

Purpose Given the limiting gender role conditions arising from the prevalence of patriarchy in Nigeria and the shift to workers staying at home due to the deadly spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), this article aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work–life balance of professional mothers using the work–home resources model as a conceptual lens.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data is based on telephone interviews with 28 married female university academics with children.FindingsThe findings reveal that the confinement policies enforced due to the need to combat the spread of COVID-19 and patriarchal norms deeply embedded in the Nigerian culture have exacerbated stress amongst women, who have needed to perform significantly more housework and childcare demands alongside working remotely than they did prior to the pandemic. The thematic analysis showed a loss of personal resources (e.g. time, energy, and income) resulting in career stagnation, health concerns, and increased male chauvinism due to the abrupt and drastic changes shaping the “new normal” lifestyle.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on a limited qualitative sample size, which makes the generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study contributes to the emerging global discourse on the profound negative consequences of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of millions, with a focus on the stress and work–family challenges confronting women in a society that is not particularly egalitarian – unlike Western cultures.Originality/valueThe article provides valuable insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected professional working mothers in the sub-Saharan African context, where literature is scarce.

A comparative study of the work–life balance experiences and coping mechanisms of Nigerian and British single student-working mothers

“…Moreover, there is sufficient evidence that assuming multiple roles can cause stress, particularly when those roles collide and cause inter-role conflict (Karkoulian et al ., 2016; Akanji et al ., 2022). Additionally, inter-role conflict across the spheres of work, family and school has generated a significant body of research.…”

Exploring the psychological contract breach of nurses in healthcare: an exploratory study

“…Despite the global pandemic outbreak, people's work, study, travel and general lifestyles have experienced a major shift (Lopez and Fuiks, 2021). According to recent research, the current COVID-19 pandemic has affected academic mothers in developing countries such as Nigeria with diverse issues such as role conflicts, health problems and sociocultural pressures in a high-power distance society (Akanji et al, 2022). Similarly, health professionals and nurses faced personal and professional problems and had to deal with stress and psychological effects during the Covid-19 pandemic (Yayla and Eskici _ Ilgin, 2021;Babore et al, 2020).…”

“…Despite the global pandemic outbreak, people’s work, study, travel and general lifestyles have experienced a major shift (Lopez and Fuiks, 2021). According to recent research, the current COVID-19 pandemic has affected academic mothers in developing countries such as Nigeria with diverse issues such as role conflicts, health problems and sociocultural pressures in a high-power distance society (Akanji et al. , 2022).…”

Work‐role overload, work–life conflict, and perceived career plateau: The moderating role of emotional stability

“…More broadly, we contribute to an ongoing debate about the double‐edged sword nature of personality traits in affecting employees' reactions to work stressors (e.g., Lin et al, 2015). Fourth, integrating the PRA framework (Grawitch et al, 2010) into the career plateau literature as a new theoretical lens, our study is one of the earliest attempts in careers research (e.g., Akanji et al, 2022) to advance the theoretical development of this domain. This attempt helps address the research gap that “there is generally a lack of theory in speculating what would make workers more or less susceptible to become plateaued” (Yang et al, 2019, p. 298).…”