Occupational Stress and Work-Life Balance in the Manufacturing Industry

: The manufacturing industry has become a crucial sector in Malaysia, leading to a high demand for employees, especially in management positions. However, job stress is a prevalent issue that can affect employees' work-life balance. Thus, this study aims to identify the factors that contribute to job stress in the private sector, specifically at the management level, which is vital for ensuring smooth daily operations. Private sector employees have the most control over occupational stress. The study focuses on conflict at work, job requirements, and job environment as contributing factors. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used to gather data, with 201 sets distributed to employees in food manufacturing at Selangor. The analysis of 190 valid questionnaires using the latest version of Statistic Packages for Social Science (SPSS) revealed that there is a significant influence of occupational stress on employees' work-life balance in the manufacturing industry with the work environment as the most influential factor. Conflict at work is the second most influential factor, while job requirements do not significantly contribute to job stress. The findings of this study can help managers and business owners in the manufacturing industry to understand the factors that cause employee, and job stress and encourage them to focus on implementing strategies to reduce stress in the workplace.


Introduction and Background
Occupational stress is defined as the detrimental physical and emotional responses that arise when a worker's capabilities, resources, or needs do not match the requirements of the job (NIOSH, 2014).According to Giorgi et al (2017), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) undertook the task of categorizing 130 occupations with the highest levels of stress based on their respective stress levels.Typically, demanding professions exhibited a common characteristic of limited autonomy, resulting in people feeling confined within their roles, where they were subjected to treatment that prioritized their productivity over their humanity.In addition, Giorgi et al. (2017) and Michailidis & Georgiou (2005) stated that the occupations that were found to be the most stressful were management, administration, and supervision.While in another study, Sidhu et al. (2020) examined five distinct factors that lead to occupational stress, namely the working environment, workload, employee optimism, focus, and future outlook.
On the other hand, according to Wang et al. (2015), work stress is a major concern in the workplace and can have significant impacts on employees' health, leading to various health problems (Fila et al., 2018).Recognizing the importance of promoting and preventing mental health issues in the workplace, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken action to address this issue on a global scale.Studies have shown that individuals working in the banking industry are more susceptible to mental health problems resulting from stress (Giorgi et al., 2017).
Previous research has extensively explored the effects of role overload and job conflict but has not yet examined the potential connection between these two stresses (Dodanwala et al., 2022;Firth et al., 2004;Hang-yue et al., 2005;Siong et al., 2006).Only a few studies have investigated the link between role overload, work conflict, and job stress (Duxbury et al., 2018;Sadiq, 2020).These studies reveal that employees experience more work-related problems and stress when they have a heavy workload.However, they do not address the different aspects of work-family conflict and job stress that could further enhance our understanding of people's behavior and help improve working conditions.Dodanwala et al. (2022) also suggest that the ever-changing nature of the work environment makes achieving project goals and objectives more challenging for employees due to unpredictable workloads, unclear requirements, and high job expectations.This often results in employees having to spend more time at work, leaving less time for family activities.For example, construction workers in Sri Lanka often work long and unpredictable hours, which can negatively impact their personal lives (Dodanwala et al.;2020, Panojan et al., 2022)).
The connection between work conflict and work-life balance is a crucial factor in HR management.In the opinion of Al-Alawi et al. (2021), workplace conflicts can make it harder to maintain a healthy work-life balance because it puts more demand on their time and energy.In addition to disrupting work-life balance, unresolved disagreements can also result in decreased output, morale, and job satisfaction.Balancing personal and professional responsibilities is known as work-life balance.According to Delecta (2011), as cited by Saratian et al. (2019), work-life balance involves prioritizing family, personal tasks, and employment duties.It emphasizes the importance of maintaining a harmonious relationship between an employee's personal and professional life (Haar et al., 2019).Work-life balance has become a concern for all employees due to the increasing conflict between personal and professional responsibilities (Rashmi et al., 2021).When work-life balance is disrupted, employees may experience absenteeism and stress (Mohd et al., 2016), leading to low productivity, job dissatisfaction, and negative psychological indicators (Durodolu et al., 2021).Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for good health and relationships, and it can also improve an employee's productivity and performance, leading to a better personal life.The employer of a company typically plays a critical role in its success.Occupational stress refers to stress that arises from the work environment or the work itself (Demerouti et al., 2014).Many manufacturing workers experience stress on the job, both at the top and bottom levels, due to a desire to excel and a high workload.Occupational stress can also result from a lack of skills and knowledge, as well as the work environment.Major sources of occupational stress include factors related to the job, employee roles in the organization, workplace relationships, and career development.According to Hannah et al. (2020), stressors can be categorized as task demands, physical demands, and interpersonal demands.A worker's psychological state, socioeconomic status, and family situation can also contribute to occupational stress (Morshidi & Norafneezal, 2019).
The impact of work on employees' quality of life and safety is significant.In a study conducted by Bodin et al. (2020), various factors related to job quality were analyzed to determine the level of occupational stress and work-life balance among private sector employees.The role of work in people's lives has changed significantly due to technological advancements and globalization, leading to increased competition for jobs and higher job burnout rates in fields such as manufacturing and service.According to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM) in 2021, this can cause employees to experience long-term fatigue.Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of work environment, job requirements, and conflicts at work on work-life balance, ultimately identifying the potential to reduce occupational stress and maintain high productivity levels among employees in the manufacturing industry.The initial step entails the identification of occupational stress levels and work-life balance among employees within the manufacturing industry.Subsequently, the examination will focus on the impact of occupational stress on employees' work-life balance.

Literature Review
Organizations have historically demonstrated a commitment to investing in the deliberate structuring of work environments to cultivate creativity (Amabile et al., 1996;Annosi et al., 2020;Caniels & Rietzschel, 2015;Elsbach and Stigliani, 2018;Shalley and Gilson, 2004).The relationship between the structured work environment and the interpersonal dynamics inside the workplace has not been extensively studied in terms of its influence on overall individual well-being and, more specifically, work-life balance.The existing body of literature about work-life balance acknowledges the existence of a reciprocal relationship between work and personal life, sometimes referred to as spillover (Abdul Rahman et;al. 2017).Withdrawal from family engagement, marital conflict, and depression are negative spillovers that can occur as a result of a significant workload and high levels of stress (Timmons, 2017).Drawing from a resource-based framework, it is posited that adverse experiences encountered in one's personal life can have a detrimental impact on one's psychological resources within the professional sphere.Consequently, this can manifest in reduced job satisfaction, increased absenteeism, and compromised long-term capacity to sustain optimal levels of work performance (Mattarelli et al., 2022;Ten Brummelhuis and Bakker, 2012).
Work-Life Balance: According to Yunus (2018), people intrigued by the quality of working life and how it relates to the overall quality of life have long been concerned with work-life balance.When there is a worklife balance, a person can lead a happy, healthy, and successful life.Work-life balance has turned into a top priority for people seeking a high quality of life (Soomro et al., 2018).Job-life balance involves striking a balance between two very different roles that a person plays, especially the responsibilities of work and family, and both roles are satisfying to the people who play them (Shaffer et al., 2016).Work-life balance can also be referred to as a person's level of contented involvement in all of their many life roles, or how well those positions "fit" together (Mano et al., 2017).The dilemma of balancing work and family is significant for firms, employees, and researchers.Due to changes in political, social, and economic values, there is a significant shift in the demands of work and family life.People need to deal with and adjust to the inter-role conflict that has arisen as a result of changes in the areas of work and family (Kalpna et al., 2019).According to Bina et al. (2014), employee's emotional intelligence can improve how they feel at work, which has a significant impact on their ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance.On the other hand, Wong et al. (2018) discovered that working hours had the greatest impact on employees.The results of the study (Kalpna et al., 2019) indicated that there is a substantial negative association between Occupational Stress and Work-Life Balance.
Employees can benefit from a greater understanding of the connection between work-life balance and occupational stress.Thus, contributing to an improvement in work-life balance and a reduction in occupational stress among employees (Kalpna et al., 2019).The findings of Derick ( 2022) indicated that work-life balance does not imply an equivalent time allocation.Equal amounts of time devoted to work and personal life do not constitute a work-life balance.Also, doing so is nearly unrealistic.Flexibility is essential for this.A work-life balance must incorporate two fundamental concepts: accomplishment and pleasure.The employee's perspective on the necessity of Work-Life Balance regulations varies based on their background (Kiburz et al., 2017).There is a significant correlation between the flexible starting time and married status, based on demographic data.Work-Life Balance is positively influenced by employee impression of their job, work environment, supervision, and management (Fontinha et al., 2019).Employees must be conscious of the presence of Work-Life Balance policies to appreciate those (Matthews et al., 2014).On the other hand, Thilagavathy et al. (2021) find that the ability of individuals to manage work and life is restricted.Together, the individual's skill and Work-Life Balance policies significantly enhanced Work-Life Balance.In general, all researchers thought that Work-Life Balance has a beneficial effect on job satisfaction and reduces the intention to quit (Jaharuddin and Zainol, 2019).
Occupational Stress: Occupational stress is defined as the detrimental physical and emotional responses that arise when a worker's capabilities, resources, or needs do not match the requirements of the job (NIOSH, 2014).Occupational stress is often referred to as "job stress," "work-related stress," and "work stress."This is also defined by the World Health Organization as "a pattern of reactions that happens when employees are challenged with work expectations that do not match their knowledge, skills, or capacities and that challenge their ability to cope (Hemalatha & Rajesari, 2017).According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal for the year 2023, the majority of private sector workers who contribute to economic growth are employed in the agriculture, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and services industries.The private Sector is a firm owned by individuals who are not under direct government control where the necessity to produce a profit to stimulate the economy causes Occupational Stress in employees.Numerous experts from varied domains, including psychology, management, medicine, and sociology, have made strenuous efforts to comprehend the intricacies of job stress, its causes, effects, and management approaches.Between 2011 and 2015, research was undertaken on teachers, police officers, and nurses, but manufacturing, banking, etc. have only recently received attention.Different perspectives and interpretations of the idea of stress are offered by researchers in several domains, which possibly complicate the matter.
Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) classified around 130 most stressful occupations according to their stress levels as demanding professions had in general a lack of control over the task, with employees feeling trapped in employment where they were treated more like machines than humans.The twelve most stressful positions were management, administration, and supervision.Sidhu et al. (2020) investigated five characteristics that contribute to occupational stress, including working environment, workload, employee optimism, focus, and future outlook.According to the findings of a study conducted by Sari et al. (2021), workplace stress has a considerable impact on employees.One study recommended that the business create flexible working hours and host discussion forums and meetings with employees to effectively manage stress.Consequently, staff will be more motivated to enhance production.Karamchandani et al. (2020) reached the conclusion that occupational stress considerably and negatively impacted employee attitudes toward management.Multiple factors, according to Aidoo (2017), contribute to job stress and stress-related disorders.Among these elements are the environment, occupational demand (task), organizational structure, and work-life balance.Organizational stress negatively impacts the workforce.Stress levels among employees are proportional to the nature and severity of the events that create it.Regular exposure to high amounts of stress produces several uncomfortable and detrimental physiological and health effects, as demonstrated by his research.Individual demographic characteristics, such as gender, may affect occupational stress levels (Sak et al., 2018).Consequently, significant direct and indirect impacts of occupational stress on the desire to leave the current organization and the intention to abandon the profession in the future.It exerts its indirect effects primarily through work satisfaction, depression, and stress adaption.In most cases, the purpose to quit the existing organization precedes the intent to leave the profession.

Conflict at Work:
The occurrence of conflict within a workplace setting can be characterized as relational, interpretive, and dynamic, as highlighted by Greenwood and Haar (2017).Meier et al. (2013) identified that disputes possess the capacity to impede the attainment of objectives across several levels.Consequently, team members experience diminished performance and reduced satisfaction due to the diversion of their attention caused by tension or antagonism (Kakar, 2017).According to Benitez et al. (2018), to achieve effectiveness, it is important for team members to effectively handle intragroup conflict.According to Bahkia (2019), individuals who do not adhere to moral norms or stray from expected behaviors are prone to instigating conflicts within their social groups.Interpersonal conflict in the workplace pertains to instances of suboptimal interactions among coworkers.Interpersonal conflict arises when individuals or groups see discord or differences with another individual about significant matters such as shared interests, resources, values, or behaviors (Dreu & Gelfand, 2008).
Task conflict can be defined as disagreements that arise regarding the substance and consequences of the activities that individuals or groups are engaged in.These disagreements may pertain to many aspects such as the allocation of resources or differing interpretations of factual information (Giebels et al., 2016, p. 324).The correlation between workplace conflict and work-life balance is a vital aspect within the realm of human resource management.According to Al-Alawi et al. ( 2021), the presence of workplace conflicts might provide challenges in maintaining a healthy work-life balance as it places additional demands on individuals' time and energy resources.Furthermore, the failure to resolve disagreements can have detrimental effects on other aspects of individuals' professional lives, including work-life balance, productivity, employee morale, and job satisfaction.Based on the literature, the researcher consequently, it is hypothesized that: H1: There is a significant relationship between conflict at work and work-life balance in the manufacturing industry.
Job Environment: According to Amran et al. ( 2019), there is a positive correlation between employee satisfaction with the work environment and their performance.This suggests that higher levels of employee satisfaction can lead to a reduction in workplace stress.Office workers face unique pressures, including the growing prevalence of difficult knowledge-based tasks that necessitate extensive formal training, the expectation of high productivity levels and inventiveness, and the need to work flexible hours in dynamic settings and locations.In addition, the persistent mental demands placed on individuals and the constant advancements in technology, which necessitate the ability to adjust and engage in continuous learning, contribute to heightened levels of stress experienced by employees in office settings (Alberdi et al., 2015).
A conducive work environment may encompass various elements such as flexible working hours and schedules, opportunities for professional advancement and growth, a workplace culture that fosters inclusivity and positivity, supportive and insightful leadership, as well as fair compensation and additional benefits.On the other hand, an unfavorable work environment might pose challenges for individuals in achieving a harmonious integration of their personal and professional spheres.This may lead to burnout and a decrease in overall job satisfaction.According to the findings of Sánchez-Hernández et al. (2019), it is imperative for human resource managers to possess an understanding of the impact of the workplace on work-life balance and to proactively cultivate an inclusive and supportive organizational culture for their employees.In HR management, there is a significant correlation between work environment and work-life balance.In the opinion of Gigauri (2020), by giving workers the assistance and tools they need to manage their time and obligations properly, a supportive work environment can promote work-life balance.Flexible work hours, telecommuting choices, and access to amenities like health programs and on-site childcare are a few examples of what this might include.For that reason, the researcher tries to identify the influence of job environment on employees' work-life balance by developing the second hypothesis: H2: There is a significant relationship between job environment and work-life balance.
Job Requirement: A potential outcome of achieving a more optimal work-life balance may arise through engaging in a vocation that elicits greater satisfaction and reduced levels of stress, while simultaneously aligning with an individual's inherent abilities, personal passions, and core principles.Nevertheless, occupations that necessitate extended or inflexible work hours, stringent time constraints, or frequent travel might provide challenges in terms of allocating time for personal commitments and leisure activities, compromising the equilibrium between work and personal life.The workload is a fundamental aspect of employment and can be intensified by operating under demanding conditions, such as being tasked with a substantial volume of work within limited time constraints (Baka et. al, 2016).According to a recent study conducted by Balducci et;al. (2021), there is a significant association between elevated workloads and the likelihood of experiencing a sad mood and emotional tiredness.Additionally, a study conducted by Irawati et al. (2017) found that an excessive workload can lead to negative consequences, including physical and mental tiredness, as well as emotional reactions such as headaches, digestive issues, and irritation.An excessive amount of work can contribute to an individual experiencing mental distress and may ultimately result in work-related stress.Wood et al. (2020) propose that HR managers can implement various strategies to support employees in achieving harmonious work-life equilibrium.Provide opportunities for employees to have flexible work arrangements.This encompasses options such as flexible work hours, remote work arrangements, and job sharing.Hence the third hypothesis is developed.H3: There is a significant relationship between job requirements and work-life balance.

Research Methodology
The study's population consisted of management employees in the manufacturing business at various levels, including supervisors, middle-level managers, and executives, located in the Klang Valley region.The sample size for this study consisted of 420 individuals who were employed at the time of data collection.Questionnaires were distributed by researchers to assess and analyze numerical data within the context of quantitative research.The statistical software known as Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26, which is commonly employed by social researchers and practitioners for statistical analysis, was utilized to examine the data at the individual level in this study.The survey was administered on an online platform over one month to gather the necessary data.Questionnaires were disseminated to a sample of employees spanning various hierarchical levels, ranging from supervisors to top-level management personnel, to gather data.The sample methodology employed in this investigation was non-probability sampling.Based on an estimated response rate of 80%, a total of 190 questionnaires were successfully returned and then analyzed.The researcher utilized instruments for assessing work-life balance based on Dolai's (2015) work, while for evaluating conflict at work, working environment, and job requirements, the researcher employed the NIOSH generic job stress questionnaire.The analyses carried out for this research are descriptive demographic analysis, correlation and regression analysis.

Results
The outcome of the data analysis is accessible in this chapter by using the SPSS version 26 database.The use of analysis is to distinguish the factors of occupational stress.This research analysis is based on the section in the questionnaires.

Table 1: Standard Deviation
Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics for the variables of Work-life balance, Conflict at work, Job Environment, and Job Requirement.The mean and standard deviation values for the constructs of work-life balance, conflicts at work, job environment, and job requirement are as follows: work-life balance (mean = 3.11, standard deviation = 0.889), conflicts at work (mean = 3.20, standard deviation = 0.766), job environment (mean = 3.59, standard deviation = 1.168), and job requirement (mean = 3.67, standard deviation = 1.032).Based on the data shown in the table, it can be observed that the mean and standard deviation values for both job environment and job requirement variables demonstrate a significant level of consensus and frequency about occupational stress, respectively.Meanwhile, work-life balance scored (μ = 3.11, σ= .889)f o r mean and standard deviation signaling the medium level of employee agreement on their work-life balance.Referring to Table 3: the findings indicate a significant association between work-life balance and work conflict, as evidenced by a negative correlation coefficient of -0.261 and a statistically significant p-value of less than 0.05 (p = 0.000).Furthermore, it is worth noting that there exists a negative link between the employment environment and work-life balance.This is supported by a correlation coefficient of -0.181, which is statistically significant at a significance level of p<0.05 (p = 0.013).Similarly, there is also a significant negative relationship between work-life balance and job requirement, as evidenced by a correlation coefficient of -0.172 and a statistically significant p-value of less than 0.05 (p = 0.018).The outcomes of the multiple regression analysis are presented in Tables 4 and 5.The F-value is seen to be 7.377, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.000.This indicates that the model possesses statistical significance and validity.Furthermore, it is important to take into account the R-square, often referred to as the coefficient of determination, which indicates that 10.6% of the variance in the independent variables consist of work conflict, working environment, and job requirements is attributed to the dependent variable namely work-life balance.The remaining 89.4% of the variance is attributed to extraneous factors beyond the scope of this study, which are not accounted for by the independent variables under investigation.6, it can be observed that the beta coefficients ( ꞵ ) with the highest level of significance are conflict at work ( ꞵ = -0.210,p = 0.005, p < 0.05) and job environment ( ꞵ = -0.174,p = 0.014, p < 0.05).Based on the obtained data, it can be inferred that the presence of conflict in the workplace and the overall job environment exert the most significant influences on work-life balance, as indicated by the statistical significance of the p-value being less than 0.05.Even though the correlation coefficient for job requirement and work-life balance was -0.117 (p = 0.116, p > 0.05), the results did not indicate a statistically significant association.This is evidenced by the p-value of 0.116, which is above the threshold of 0.05.

Discussion:
The occupational stress questionnaire is a survey consisting of 19 items designed to assess levels of stress experienced by manufacturing employees at involving managerial level in the workplace.
Respondents rate their agreement with each item on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 representing "Strongly Disagree" and 5 representing "Strongly Agree".The survey encompassed three distinct domains: workplace conflict, employment environment, and job requirements.The table displays the mean scores and standard deviations for each domain.Notably, the highest mean score was seen for job requirements, with a substantial standard deviation of (M = 3.67, SD = 1.032).In contrast, the conflict experienced within the workplace exhibited the lowest mean score of 3.20, accompanied by a standard deviation of 0.766.This demonstrated a significant level of consensus and frequency about occupational stress, respectively.The second aim of this study is to examine the extent of work-life balance among private sector employees.Based on the result, it is suggested that most survey participants agreed that their work-life balance scored only in the medium range.The third purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and work-life balance among employees in the manufacturing industry.Based on the result, the research demonstrates an inverse relationship between occupational stress and work-life balance among these employees.It implied that when individuals experience higher levels of occupational stress stemming from workplace conflicts, employment conditions, and job demands, their ability to maintain a satisfactory work-life balance is likely to diminish.

Managerial Implications and Recommendations
The study holds practical significance in the context of developing and executing initiatives aimed at reducing occupational stress among employees within the manufacturing industry.Considering the increasing significance of work-life balance (WLB), it is important for managers to consistently assess the extent to which employees are experiencing favorable levels of WLB.Given that personnel may not always have an immediate awareness of work-life balance (WLB) issues until they have escalated, it becomes a requirement for managers to identify suitable approaches for evaluating the existence of such difficulties.

Conclusion:
Considering the context of work-life balance setting, this analysis critically examines the dimensions of internal conflict, work environment, and job requirements.The assessment has undertaken a critical examination of the good and negative ramifications associated with these factors and the concept of work-life balance.In addition, this study has also brought attention to the performance outcome and assessed the associated affecting elements.Even though one hypothesis was not accepted, organizations should take note of the potential impact of occupational stress on employee motivation.To gain a more precise understanding of the factors that contribute to work-life balance, further research should be conducted.