Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction Among Female Business Education Lecturers in Nigerian Universities in the North East Zone

This study empirically investigated the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction among female Business Education lecturers in universities in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Female academics in Nigeria navigate the dual demands of professional roles and domestic responsibilities within cultural contexts that often place significant caregiving expectations on women. Understanding how work-life balance affects their job satisfaction is essential for designing institutional support systems that retain talented female scholars in academia. Anchored in the Spillover Theory and Herzberg Two-Factor Theory of Motivation, a cross-sectional correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 180 female Business Education lecturers in seven universities across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States. The entire accessible population was used. Two validated instruments, the Work-Life Balance Scale and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (adapted), were used for data collection. Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and t-test statistics were employed for analysis. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction, with flexible teaching schedules and institutional childcare support identified as the strongest predictors. Lecturers with children under ten years reported significantly lower job satisfaction scores. The study recommends that universities in the North East should institutionalize family-friendly academic policies, including flexible scheduling, on-site childcare facilities, and reduced administrative burden provisions for female lecturers at critical family lifecycle stages. Keywords: work-life balance, job satisfaction, female lecturers, business education, North East Nigeria