Bringing Work-Life Balance to Extension

Abstract

Throughout its one hundred plus years of history, the Cooperative Extension System has experienced many changes. Since its beginning, the Extension System has revolutionized nonformal educational approaches and outreach methods. However, these changes have also created issues such as role ambiguity, work-life conflict, work-life spillover, burnout, stress, and work-life imbalance among Extension professionals. There are very few currently existing publications that identify present day work-life balance issues in Extension. Most of such information is dated and irrelevant to current workings of Extension. To give more in-depth insights on this subject, a number of well-established theories, such as compensation, spillover, inter-role conflict, and role enhancement theories, are discussed in this publication. These theories are selected based on their relatability with Extension. Hence, this article was created with an intent to encourage a dialogue concerning current work-life balance issues within Extension. The article also illustrates a conceptual theoretical perspective–a three-tier approach to work-life balance in Extension. This approach discusses elements, such as individual awareness, environmental factors, and organizational policies, to inculcate positive work-life balance practices. This proposed approach could be a guide to creating a more positive work culture, improving work-life satisfaction among Extension employees, and boosting organizational competence and productivity.