WORK-LIFE HARMONY FOR CREATIVE MINDS IN THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY

Abstract

Studies on how professionals manage their work-life domains have gained attention by organizational communication scholars and research on this topic has been conducted in various professional contexts. This paper reported a study that investigated the work-life issues of creative directors among advertising agencies in Singapore. First, preliminary research was conducted with human resources managers of advertising agencies to identify the current practices and HR policies of work-life balance within the industry. Then nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with creative professionals. Based on constant comparison method, this research found that creative professionals in Singapore viewed work-life balance as competing priorities as well as the undeniable passion for their job. While the work environment and competitive nature of the industry could contribute to the work-life conflict, managing work-life harmony effectively could serve as the fuels for ideas inspiration and facilitate idea generation process. Implications for managing work-life harmony in advertising agencies are finally provided.