Accepted 17 October, 2015

Abstract

The women executives go through very hectic schedules in Dhaka city as in other parts of world. World statistics shows that women’s participation in market activities are on the increase all over the world including Dhaka in Bangladesh. Their roles in household as caregivers are in conflict with their roles in work as executives. The trouble in household also touches women’s lives because women primarily take care of their household affairs and they also can’t ignore household demands as well. Thus, imbalance between work and family roles become evident. This paper tries to capture the situation considering the women executives of Dhaka as the focal point. The work-family balance of the women executives are explored in this paper with special focus on their coping mechanism. It is observed that the women expect supports to increase the inter-role balance from family, work and also from the community. This support system would help them survive in their battles for meaningful lives. The family, work and community resources, which may enhance the work-life balance in the lives of female business executives and make them resourceful, are explored in this paper. This paper is based on a quantitative research on a group of women executives working in Dhaka. The study found that family resources e.g. supportive spouse; distribution of family responsibilities are considered most effective for their smooth performance at work. The work resources e.g. flexible work hour and supportive supervisor also play important role in mediating the tension between the two life roles. What makes the women executives resourceful in their work and family life are finally presented in this paper.

Key words: Work, family, balance, policy, women, household.

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