Investigation of Organizational Work-Life Imbalance of Thai Software Developers in a Multinational Software Development Firm using Fishbone Diagram for Knowledge Management
Work stress causes the organizational work-life
imbalance of employees. Because of this imbalance, workers perform
with lower effort to finish assignments and thus an organization will
experience reduced productivity. In order to investigate the problem
of an organizational work-life imbalance, this qualitative case study
focuses on an organizational work-life imbalance among Thai
software developers in a German-owned company in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. In terms of knowledge management, fishbone diagram is
useful analysis tool to investigate the root causes of an organizational
work-life imbalance systematically in focus-group discussions.
Furthermore, fishbone diagram shows the relationship between
causes and effects clearly. It was found that an organizational worklife
imbalance among Thai software developers is influenced by
management team, work environment, and information tools used in
the company over time.
[1] Agencies (2008). India's IT industry to more than double revenues by
2012, (Online) Available at:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-04-
30/news/27734160_1_trillion-double-revenues-export-markets, Cited:
14-Mar-2012.
[2] Burke, R. (2000). Do managerial men benefit from organizational
values supporting work-personal life balance?. Women in Management
Review, 15 (2), 81-89.
[3] Carlson, D. S., Derr, B. C., & Wadsworth, L. L. (2003). The Effects of
Internal Career Orientation on Multiple Dimensions of Work-family
Conflict. Journal of Family and Economic, 24 (1), 99-116.
[4] Carr, A. (2000). Critical theory and the management of change in the
organization. Journal of organizational Change Management, 13 (3),
208-220.
[5] Doherty, L. (2004). Work-life balance initiatives: implications for
women. Employee Relations, 26 (4), 433-452.
[6] Drew, E., & Murtagh, E. M. (2005). Work-life balance: senior
management champion or laggards?. Women In Management Review,
20 (4), 262-278.
[7] Drucker, P., & Maciariello, J. A. (2004). The Daily Drucker 366 Days
of Insight and motivation for getting the right things done. New York:
HarperBusiness.
[8] Drucker. (1990). Managing the future (The 1990-s and Beyond). New
York: Truman Talley Books.
[9] Fluker, S., Whalen, U., Schneider, J., Cantey, P., Jada, B., Brady, D., &
Doyle, J. P. (2010). Incorporating performance improvement methods
into a needs assessment: experience with a nutrition and exercise
curriculum. Journal of general internal medicine, 25 (4), 627-633.
[10] Galorath, D. D., & Evans, M. W. (2006). Software sizing estimation,
and risk management when performance is measured performance
improves. FL, USA: Auerbach Publications.
[11] Garvin, D. A. (1998). Building a Learning Organization. In Drucker, P.
F., Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management (pp. 47-80).
Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
[12] Greenberg, J., & Barron R. A. (2000). Behavior in organizations:
Understanding and managing the human side of work. USA: Prentice-
Hall, Inc.
[13] Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural dimensions in management and planning.
Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 1 (2), 81-99.
[14] Hyman, J., & Summers, J. (2004). Lacking balance? Work-life
employment practices in the modern economy. Personnel Review, 33
(4), 418-429.
[15] IT Outsourcing India (2005). Why IT Outsourcing India?, (Online)
Available at: http://itoutsourcingindia.com/india/, Cited: 14-Mar-2012.
[16] Kalkan,V. D. (2008). An overall view of knowledge management
challenges for global business. Business Process Management Journal,
14 (3), 1-3.
[17] Kaoru, I. (2012). Ishikawa diagram, (Online) Available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram, Cited: 14-Mar-2012.
[18] Kay, T. (2003). The Work-Life Balance in Social Practice. Social Policy
& Society, 2 (3), 231-239.
[19] Manshor, A. T., Fontaine, R., & Choy, C. S. (2003). Occupational stress
among managers: A Malaysian survey. Journal of managerial
psychology, 18. 622-628.
[20] Nonaka, I. (1998). The Knowledge-Creating Company. In Drucker, P.
F., Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management (pp. 21-45).
Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
[21] Petison, P., & Johri, L. (2008). Managing local employees: expatriate
roles in a subsidiary. Management Decision, 46 (5). 743-760.
[22] Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art & practice of the
learning organization. London: Random House Business Books.
[23] Sriussadaporn, R. (2006). Managing international business
communication problems at work: a pilot study in foreign companies in
Thailand. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 13
(4), 330-344.
[24] Stevens, J. (2005). Managing risk: the human resource contribution.
LexisNexis, United Kingdom.
[25] Straub, C. (2007). A comparative analysis of the use of work- life
balance in Europe: Do practices enhance females' career advancement?.
Women in Management Review, 22 (4), 289-304.
[26] Thailand Board of Investment (2011). Thailand Software Industry,
(Online) Available at:
http://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=opp_software, Cited: 14-Mar-
2012.
[27] Toffler, A. (1990). The Third Wave. New York, USA: Bantam Books.
[28] Top Management Forum. (2002). Knowledge Management for
Corporate Innovation. Tokyo: Asian Productivity Organization.
[29] Turner, M., Linguard, H., & Francis, V. (2009). Work-life balance: an
exploratory study of supports and barriers in a construction project.
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2 (1), 94- 111.
[30] Varzakas, T. H., & Arvanitoyannis, I. S. (2009). Application of failure
mode and effect analysis and cause and effect analysis on processing of
ready to eat vegetables - Part II. International Journal of Food Science
and Technology, 44. 932-939.
[31] Wong, K. C. (2011). Using an Ishikawa diagram as a tool to assist
memory and retrieval of relevant medical cases from the medical
literature. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 5:120.
[32] Moore, F. (2007). Work-life balance: contrasting managers and workers
in an MNC. Employee Relations, 29 (4), 385-399.
[33] Bailey, C., & Clarke, M. (2000). How do managers use knowledge
about knowledge management?. Journal of Knowledge Management, 4
(3), 235-243.
[34] Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural dimensions in management and planning.
Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 1 (2), 81-99.
[1] Agencies (2008). India's IT industry to more than double revenues by
2012, (Online) Available at:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-04-
30/news/27734160_1_trillion-double-revenues-export-markets, Cited:
14-Mar-2012.
[2] Burke, R. (2000). Do managerial men benefit from organizational
values supporting work-personal life balance?. Women in Management
Review, 15 (2), 81-89.
[3] Carlson, D. S., Derr, B. C., & Wadsworth, L. L. (2003). The Effects of
Internal Career Orientation on Multiple Dimensions of Work-family
Conflict. Journal of Family and Economic, 24 (1), 99-116.
[4] Carr, A. (2000). Critical theory and the management of change in the
organization. Journal of organizational Change Management, 13 (3),
208-220.
[5] Doherty, L. (2004). Work-life balance initiatives: implications for
women. Employee Relations, 26 (4), 433-452.
[6] Drew, E., & Murtagh, E. M. (2005). Work-life balance: senior
management champion or laggards?. Women In Management Review,
20 (4), 262-278.
[7] Drucker, P., & Maciariello, J. A. (2004). The Daily Drucker 366 Days
of Insight and motivation for getting the right things done. New York:
HarperBusiness.
[8] Drucker. (1990). Managing the future (The 1990-s and Beyond). New
York: Truman Talley Books.
[9] Fluker, S., Whalen, U., Schneider, J., Cantey, P., Jada, B., Brady, D., &
Doyle, J. P. (2010). Incorporating performance improvement methods
into a needs assessment: experience with a nutrition and exercise
curriculum. Journal of general internal medicine, 25 (4), 627-633.
[10] Galorath, D. D., & Evans, M. W. (2006). Software sizing estimation,
and risk management when performance is measured performance
improves. FL, USA: Auerbach Publications.
[11] Garvin, D. A. (1998). Building a Learning Organization. In Drucker, P.
F., Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management (pp. 47-80).
Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
[12] Greenberg, J., & Barron R. A. (2000). Behavior in organizations:
Understanding and managing the human side of work. USA: Prentice-
Hall, Inc.
[13] Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural dimensions in management and planning.
Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 1 (2), 81-99.
[14] Hyman, J., & Summers, J. (2004). Lacking balance? Work-life
employment practices in the modern economy. Personnel Review, 33
(4), 418-429.
[15] IT Outsourcing India (2005). Why IT Outsourcing India?, (Online)
Available at: http://itoutsourcingindia.com/india/, Cited: 14-Mar-2012.
[16] Kalkan,V. D. (2008). An overall view of knowledge management
challenges for global business. Business Process Management Journal,
14 (3), 1-3.
[17] Kaoru, I. (2012). Ishikawa diagram, (Online) Available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram, Cited: 14-Mar-2012.
[18] Kay, T. (2003). The Work-Life Balance in Social Practice. Social Policy
& Society, 2 (3), 231-239.
[19] Manshor, A. T., Fontaine, R., & Choy, C. S. (2003). Occupational stress
among managers: A Malaysian survey. Journal of managerial
psychology, 18. 622-628.
[20] Nonaka, I. (1998). The Knowledge-Creating Company. In Drucker, P.
F., Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Management (pp. 21-45).
Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
[21] Petison, P., & Johri, L. (2008). Managing local employees: expatriate
roles in a subsidiary. Management Decision, 46 (5). 743-760.
[22] Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art & practice of the
learning organization. London: Random House Business Books.
[23] Sriussadaporn, R. (2006). Managing international business
communication problems at work: a pilot study in foreign companies in
Thailand. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 13
(4), 330-344.
[24] Stevens, J. (2005). Managing risk: the human resource contribution.
LexisNexis, United Kingdom.
[25] Straub, C. (2007). A comparative analysis of the use of work- life
balance in Europe: Do practices enhance females' career advancement?.
Women in Management Review, 22 (4), 289-304.
[26] Thailand Board of Investment (2011). Thailand Software Industry,
(Online) Available at:
http://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=opp_software, Cited: 14-Mar-
2012.
[27] Toffler, A. (1990). The Third Wave. New York, USA: Bantam Books.
[28] Top Management Forum. (2002). Knowledge Management for
Corporate Innovation. Tokyo: Asian Productivity Organization.
[29] Turner, M., Linguard, H., & Francis, V. (2009). Work-life balance: an
exploratory study of supports and barriers in a construction project.
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2 (1), 94- 111.
[30] Varzakas, T. H., & Arvanitoyannis, I. S. (2009). Application of failure
mode and effect analysis and cause and effect analysis on processing of
ready to eat vegetables - Part II. International Journal of Food Science
and Technology, 44. 932-939.
[31] Wong, K. C. (2011). Using an Ishikawa diagram as a tool to assist
memory and retrieval of relevant medical cases from the medical
literature. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 5:120.
[32] Moore, F. (2007). Work-life balance: contrasting managers and workers
in an MNC. Employee Relations, 29 (4), 385-399.
[33] Bailey, C., & Clarke, M. (2000). How do managers use knowledge
about knowledge management?. Journal of Knowledge Management, 4
(3), 235-243.
[34] Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural dimensions in management and planning.
Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 1 (2), 81-99.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:51686", author = "N. Mantalay and N. Chakpitak and W. Janchai and P. Sureepong", title = "Investigation of Organizational Work-Life Imbalance of Thai Software Developers in a Multinational Software Development Firm using Fishbone Diagram for Knowledge Management", abstract = "Work stress causes the organizational work-life
imbalance of employees. Because of this imbalance, workers perform
with lower effort to finish assignments and thus an organization will
experience reduced productivity. In order to investigate the problem
of an organizational work-life imbalance, this qualitative case study
focuses on an organizational work-life imbalance among Thai
software developers in a German-owned company in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. In terms of knowledge management, fishbone diagram is
useful analysis tool to investigate the root causes of an organizational
work-life imbalance systematically in focus-group discussions.
Furthermore, fishbone diagram shows the relationship between
causes and effects clearly. It was found that an organizational worklife
imbalance among Thai software developers is influenced by
management team, work environment, and information tools used in
the company over time.", keywords = "knowledge management, knowledge worker, worklife
imbalance, fishbone diagram", volume = "6", number = "4", pages = "440-7", }
