Title: Etiology, consequences and solutions of working women's work-life conflict: a qualitative
study
Version: 2 Date: 06 Nov 2023
Reviewer's report:
Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to review the manuscript “Etiology,
consequences and solutions of working women's work-life conflict: a qualitative study”.
It is an interesting qualitative study conducted in Iran that sheds light on the causes,
consequences, and solutions to work-life conflict experienced by working women in universities
in Birjand city. MAXQDA software was used and themes were developed to fulfill study
aims. The study though is interesting, in its current form, needs several improvements. The
manuscript needs to be thoroughly proofread. There are several grammatical errors that need
to be eliminated. Capital/small alphabet issues, full stop/comma issues and character spacing
needs to be looked into.
I recommend a major revision as the manuscript requires work before it can be in publishable
form.
Introduction:
The heading of “Introduction” is sufficient rather than “Introduction and purpose of study”.
The introduction section needs to point out the gaps in the current literature that make it necessary
to perform the current study. In other words, why this study is required to be conducted? What
is the novelty of the study? What will be its potential contribution to the literature and to
practitioners? What is its novelty? Why this qualitative study is required when many quantitative
studies have already been done on WFC? What is its significance? The problem statement needs
to be augmented or supported with more facts and figures. Research questions, aims are also
missing.
Literature Review:
The literature review section is missing altogether. It is better to make propositions by analyzing
the existing literature and providing evidence pro or against the propositions in the findings
section. Social role theory may be utilized in this regard. The authors can take help from some
of the below-mentioned relevant work conducted in developing Muslim countries:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/K-05-2022-0717
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/GM-05-2020-0143
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01376
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2017-0477
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/K-04-2021-0294
Methodology:
Some important information is missing in this section as well. For example, why women working
at universities only were chosen to be studied as a sample? What was the rationale? In the
Appendix session, the semi structured questionnaire used in the interview should be included.
Were any techniques like triangulation used in the study to validate the findings? Why women’s
husbands were interviewed?
Some more details are required as to how the Acceptance, validity, confirmability, and
transferability criteria were fulfilled?
Analysis/ Results:
A comprehensive figure needs to be made which can depict all the findings/ themes to the
readable at once. More quoted remarks should be added from the respondents to back up the
findings behind each theme. There is no need to add literature and references in the findings
section. It should in the literature review section. Only quotes from the respondents should be
added in findings section. Propositions needs to be made from literature and supported/rejected
from the findings.
Discussion/Conclusion:
The discussion section needed to discuss why this study is novel and how it is different from
the prevailing research studies both quantitative and qualitative ones. The implications for
practitioners as well as theory are also missing.