Information and knowledge management www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-5758 (Paper) ISSN 2224-896X (Online) Vol.1, No.4, 2011 19 Work – Life Balance Perception and ICT Usage by Staff of Private Universities in South-Western Nigeria Adetayo, Erlinda Dionco 1 ; Olaoye, Ismail Kayode 2* ; Awolaja, Ayodeji Muideen 2 1. Department of Management and Accounting, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Osun State, Nigeria 2. Department of Economics and Financial Studies, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. *e-mail of corresponding author: asveducated@gmail.com Abstract This paper examines the role of ICT in the maintenance of balance between work and personal life roles of private universities staff in South-Western Nigeria. Data for the study was gathered through a three-paged structured questionnaire administered to a randomly selected group of staff of Fountain University, Osogbo. It was discovered that ICT has not only contributed to the extension of work roles beyond the work place but it has also created opportunities for cross roles transfer of responsibilities. Using regression analysis method, it was discovered that on a general level, rather than increase the pressure of work on the respondents, ICT (ß = 0.31745 ; p<0.05) significantly help maintain balance. However, the use of ICT for the purpose of working at home is negatively correlated (R =-0.1144; p<0.05) with the work-life balance perception of respondents. It was also discovered that using ICT to work while in transit is positively correlated (R=0.4523; p<0.05) with perception of a balanced work-life by the respondents. The study concluded that usage of ICT by private university staff should rather be encouraged and expanded upon for the purpose of work-life balance. Key words: work-life balance, border management, work-life conflict, ICT 1.0 Introduction Work, is generally considered as a part of life. Recent findings in human resource studies have however shown that work and life could be two related but totally different concepts. Though separated by certain physical, psychological and temporal boundaries, the two concepts are operationalized within the same context of time and space. The nature of work itself has changed from the 9-to-5 affair to a 24-hour, 7-day society, where customers expect services at times that suit them (CIPD, 2007). Technology, such as the cell phone, internet and other emerging gadgets, were expected to help alleviate this pressure and provide several options for “control and creativity in manoeuvring the tenuous balance between work and family" (Temple 2009). This however was not the case; rather than lessen the “work pressure”, the new technologies ensure that the worker is almost always available for work.