Work Life Balance among Young Lecturers in a Private University

Abstract

This study investigates how early-career lecturers at a private university in Pontianak manage work–life balance in the context of constrained institutional resources. It aims to elucidate the forms of role conflict they encounter, the strategies employed to delineate boundaries between professional and personal domains, and the extent to which institutional support shapes their wellbeing. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and contextual observations, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal sustained time pressures, emotional demands, and frequent digital interruptions arising from teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities. While digital systems are intended to enhance efficiency,
they often expand task volume and generate invisible labor, thereby intensifying fatigue. To cope with these challenges, young lecturers rely on planning practices, emotional regulation, and peer support networks; however,
such individual strategies remain insufficient to address underlying structural limitations. Institutional support
plays a critical role in shaping motivation and adaptive capacity, although its availability and consistency differ across organizational units. Overall, the study demonstrates that work-life balance is produced through the dynamic interaction of structural demands, individual coping mechanisms, and organizational practices. The findings underscore the importance of transparent workload policies, structured capacity-building initiatives, coherent communication, and reliable digital infrastructures in promoting lecturer wellbeing.