Comparative Analysis of Work–Life Balance Perceptions of Civil Engineering Students

Abstract

Projects in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry are known for cost and time pressures that cause stress, which brings excessive workload to employees. As candidate professionals, civil engineering (CE) students often worry about the balance between work and life due to the adverse reputation of the industry in this regard. This study aimed to assess the work–life balance (WLB) perceptions of CE students and how their perceptions differ based on their demographic characteristics. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire survey was administered in three civil engineering programs in Turkey and the US, and a total of 357 responses were collected. The results showed that statistically significant perception differences were observed in eight of the 12 questions related to WLB concepts with respect to country—more than the differences observed for any other classification of the students, such as gender or internship experience. The findings of this research highlight possible root causes of the issues by establishing clear baselines for the work and family life satisfaction-level perceptions of possible future industry professionals, thereby helping the industry identify strategies for attracting more qualified students as future employees.