The study investigated work-life balance practices and employee job satisfaction in public universities in Delta State, Nigeria. It specifically examined the influence of Institutional Role Conflict (IRC), Supportive Supervisory Culture (SSC), and Digital Work Intrusion (DWI) on employee job satisfaction. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, targeting a population of 1,872 administrative staff across seven public universities. A sample of 320 respondents was determined using the Morgan formula, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire validated for content and reliability at Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78. Out of the 320 questionnaires administered, 308 were returned and used for analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with E-Views 9.0. The findings revealed that institutional role conflict had a significant negative effect on employee job satisfaction (β = −0.2967, p = 0.0001), indicating that unclear and conflicting role demands reduced satisfaction among administrative staff. Conversely, supportive supervisory culture had a significant positive impact on employee job satisfaction (β = 0.3542, p = 0.0030), demonstrating that supervisory support enhances employee motivation and well-being. Additionally, digital work intrusion negatively affected employee satisfaction (β = −0.2199, p = 0.0010). Based on these findings, the study recommended that universities should clarify administrative roles to reduce conflict, institutionalize supportive supervisory practices, and implement policies limiting digital work intrusion outside office hours. These measures are critical for enhancing employee satisfaction, reducing work-related stress, and promoting organizational effectiveness.
Keywords: Work-life balance; Employee job satisfaction; Public universities; Institutional role conflict; Conflicting role demands
