AI-Driven Factors Affecting the Work-Life Balance of Working Women in Sri Lanka’s Development Sector: The Influence of AI Usage, Organisational Support and AI Digital Skills

Abstract

Work-life balance among professional women in Sri Lanka is shaped by deep-rooted cultural expectations and demanding workplace conditions. In the development sector specifically, project-driven workloads and donor accountability pressures make these challenges even harder to manage. The rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI) into organisational processes adds another layer of complexity, yet its actual effect on work-life balance among women in this sector has not been properly studied in the Sri Lankan context. This study examined three AI-related predictors of work-life balance: (1) AI usage at the workplace, (2) organisational support for AI use, and (3) AI digital skills, with work-life balance as the dependent variable. The theoretical framework drew on the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), Border Theory (Clark, 2000), and Role Theory (Katz & Kahn, 1978). A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods design was used, combining quantitative data from 100 female development sector employees with qualitative data from five in-depth interviews. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that AI usage (β = 0.682, p < .001), organisational support (β = 0.725, p < .001), and AI digital skills (β = 0.593, p < .001) each showed a significant positive effect on work-life balance. Qualitative findings reinforced these results. The study contributes empirical evidence from an underexplored context and offers practical guidance for individuals, organisations, and policymakers navigating AI adoption in the development sector.