CAREER SUCCESS VS. LIFE SATISFACTION: COMPETING OR COMPLEMENTARY?

The Barrett Honors College thesis project is a chance to discover and research a topic that students are truly passionate about, and then share the findings with the Barrett community. The process of brainstorming project ideas and ultimately deciding on a topic is one, which is filled with excitement and curiosity. The topic that is chosen for current research identifies whether career and life satisfaction are competing or complementary factors for executives. The primary reason this particular topic has been selected for the honors thesis is because of the initial interest regarding achieving family and work-life balance in the professional world. The report focuses on the research proposal, methodology of conducting surveys and forming a strong research question, results from statistical analysis, and the implications of this study. As part of the brainstorming process, it is important to understand not only what students' perceptions are of achieving family and work-life balance, but also the American societal stigma of "having it all." After conducting significant research regarding career, family and balancing the two, it is evident that there are societal as well as cultural differences concerning career and personal lifestyle satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to further explore how executives today view the world in terms of overall satisfaction regarding various aspects of their lives including: relationships, family, work hours, vacation and balance, and to determine which factors are most influential in predicting satisfaction. In addition to this, it is also important to evaluate how the results from this research compare to the perceptions existing in modern day society about achieving both career and personal balance.