The Role of Private Daycare Facilities in Companies in Increasing Female Employees’ Productivity

Gomez, Andrea Leah (2025) The Role of Private Daycare Facilities in Companies in Increasing Female Employees’ Productivity. Masters thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how the availability and quality of workplace daycare facilities influence the productivity of female employees, with a particular focus on the mediating role of job satisfaction and the moderating role of organizational support policies. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopts a quantitative research design. An original conceptual framework was developed and tested using primary data collected from 396 female employees across various organizations in Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was employed to gather data, and hypotheses were tested using statistical analysis to explore both direct and indirect effects. Findings: The results indicate that job satisfaction has a significant positive impact on female employees’ productivity. Furthermore, the availability and quality of workplace daycare, as well as work-life balance, were found to be strongly associated with job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was also shown to mediate the relationship between daycare services and productivity. However, the moderating effect of organizational support and the mediating role of job satisfaction in relation to work-life balance were not supported, suggesting that broader cultural and managerial factors may play a role. Practical Implications: The study highlights the importance for organizations to provide high-quality childcare facilities alongside supportive policies to reduce stress, improve job satisfaction, and retain skilled female employees. These findings suggest that workplace childcare should not only be seen as an employee benefit but also as a strategic investment that enhances performance and reduces turnover. Originality/Value: This research contributes originality by focusing specifically on workplace daycare facilities in the Malaysian context, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. Unlike broader studies on work-life balance or family-friendly policies, this study isolates daycare availability and quality as distinct factors and tests their direct and indirect effects on productivity. By examining both mediating and moderating variables, the research offers a more nuanced understanding of how childcare support interacts with job satisfaction and organizational factors, providing fresh insights for both academics and practitioners.