The relationship between Digital Transformation and Work- Life Balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry

1. Introduction:

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges for various organizations around the world. This has necessitated the adoption of effective strategies to maintain service delivery mechanisms during the crisis (Sehnem et al., 2019). More recently, globalization has placed increasing pressure on organizations to change, requiring them to integrate efficiently not only to survive (Kraus et al., 2021), but also to thrive in competitive environments. Effective integration can only be achieved through digital processes and collaborative tools (White, 2012). As the importance of digital transformation has increased, research confirms that advanced technology must be incorporated into current business perspectives. This topic addresses much more than just technological transformations (Bouncken et al., 2021) and impacts many or all business sectors. Successful business transformation is achieved by exploiting and exploring what it offers to achieve organizational resilience (Hess et al., 2016). This implementation emphasizes the importance of digital technology in maintaining competitiveness in the digital economy (Liu et al., 2011).

While work is an integral part of professional identity, achieving a balance between it and non-work activities is extremely difficult. Therefore, maintaining a balance between work and various other aspects of life has become a matter of increasing interest and concern among researchers and within organizations in recent years, as more employees recognize the necessity of what is now known as "work-life balance." Discussions about work-life balance began in the 1990s (Lewis et al.,2007), and since then, interest in it has grown due to the rapid and successive changes in various economic and social aspects, labor systems, and market movements. These changes have placed employees between the rock of work and the rock of life, making work-life balance a crucial variable for organizations seeking to maintain their position and competitiveness and wish to survive and advance (Karkoulian et al., 2016; Rashmi and Kataria, 2021; Shabir and Gani, 2020).

Hence, work-life balance has become a dynamic phenomenon that influences an individual's perception of work-related and non-work- related activities to assess the compatibility between them, which can promote growth according to their current life priorities (Rashmi and Kataria, 2022). Although Work Life Balance research has boomed, and though there is empirical support that reflects the pivotal role of Work Life Balance in the workplace, many critical questions remain about how digital transformation impacts work-life balance, especially in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry, which adds special importance to the current study.

2. The Exploratory Study

In order to establish a clear understanding of the research problem, the researcher drew upon observations as well as informal discussions with employees from Medizen Pharma Ind. and European Egyptian Pharmaceutical (EEPI). These interactions were essential in approaching the research topic from a practical standpoint, allowing the problem to be accurately framed and subsequently translated into a series of research questions. The discussions further revealed diverse and, at times, conflicting perspectives among employees regarding the influence of digital transformation on their professional and personal lives, with particular emphasis on its implications for maintaining work-life balance.

Some respondents regarded the shift positively, noting improvements in efficiency and the simplification of daily tasks. They explained that the adoption of digital systems had brought greater flexibility, helping them better manage their professional and personal responsibilities. For these individuals, technological developments were seen as a means of progress that could contribute to improved employee retention. In contrast, other respondents expressed concerns about the continuous pace of digital changes. They linked the increasing reliance on technology to heightened stress levels, particularly when training and support were insufficient. These factors were seen as contributing to difficulty in maintaining work- life boundaries, and in some cases, to dissatisfaction and a greater risk of employee turnover.

3. Research Problem and Questions

Given the limited research of the previous studies according to the researcher's knowledge that addresses the relationship between digital transformation and work-life balance in the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry in general and Egypt in particular, the study's problem is "Uncertainty still exists about the relationship between digital transformation and work-life balance." Accordingly, the study's problem can be formulated in the following questions:

- What is the level of digital transformation in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study?

- What is the level of work-life balance among employees in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study?

- Is there an Effect of digital transformation on work-life balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study?

4. Research Objectives

Based on the related studies presented, the objectives of the research are:

- To identify the Effect of digital transformation on work-life balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study.

- Understanding the most influential dimensions of digital transformation in work-life balance.

5. Research Importance

The researcher reviews the importance of the study, which can be divided into scientific importance and applied importance, as shown in the following:

- The Academic Importance

The theoretical importance of this study lies in its attempt to highlight the relationship between digital transformation and work-life balance in the pharmaceutical industry. This adds importance to the study and contributes to the field, as limited previous studies have addressed this topic to the best of the researcher's knowledge. In addition, this study contributes to other recent studies addressing the issue of work-life balance, which still requires in-depth analysis and theoretical exploration of its various aspects. This will help researchers interested in this field conduct more focused research through a detailed review of previous studies.

- The Practical Importance

The current study attempts to find a mechanism through which work-life balance can be clearer in light of the demands of digital transformation in the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt, especially considering the digital and technological acceleration that the world will face in the near future. Ultimately, the study provides insights and recommendations that can help organizations and decision-makers navigate the digital transformation journey in a way that benefits both businesses and employees.

6. Theoretical Frameworks and Hypotheses

6.1 Digital Transformation

Digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation are used synonymously, but there is a distinction in the meaning, and there are differing existing definitions; however, researchers have made efforts to unify them. “Digitization” and “digitalization” are two closely associated concepts and are also often used interchangeably in a broad range of literature. Digitization refers to the process of converting analog information into digital form. This involves the conversion of physical assets, documents, or processes into digital formats that can be stored, accessed, and manipulated electronically. For example, scanning paper documents to create digital files or converting physical processes into digital workflows (Mergela, et al., 2019).

Here, digitalization goes beyond digitization and involves using digital technologies. It involves leveraging digital tools and technologies to enhance existing processes or create new digital products and services. This  can  include  automating  manual  tasks,  implementing  digital workflows, or using data analytics to optimize operations (Dieffenbacher, 2024).

As per Hess et al. (2016) and Li et al. (2018), the term Digital transformation refers to the changes brought about by the presence of digital technologies. These changes have impacted business operations, processes, operational routines, companies' capabilities, and strategies. Digital transformation typically involves cultural changes, organizational restructuring, and a focus on customer-centricity. In summary, while digitization focuses on converting analog information into digital form, digitalization involves using digital tools to enhance processes, and digital transformation entails a holistic rethinking of business strategies and operations through the integration of digital technologies. (Gong & Ribiere, 2021) Has been defined digital transformation as “a fundamental change process enabled by the innovative use of digital technologies accompanied by the strategic leverage of key resources and capabilities, aiming to radically improve an organization and redefine its value proposition for its stakeholders”. For any community to transform reactive operations into a digital ecosystem capable of proactive and predictive decision-making, it must gain wisdom from digitized data through full digital maturity (Arden, et al., 2021).

According to Brooks and McCormack (2020), Digital transformation is a series of profound and coordinated shifts in culture, workforce, and technology that enable new learning and operational models and transform an organization's operations, strategic directions, and value proposition. It also refers to organizational change achieved using digital technologies and business models to improve an organization's operational performance (Marks et al., 2022). Furthermore, it has been defined  as  a  social  and  economic  change  across  individuals, organizations, ecosystems, and communities shaped by the adoption and use of digital technologies (Dabrowska et al., 2022).

According to the definition provided by Wenzel (2021), digital transformation is a special type of business transformation, driven by digital technologies and digital capabilities, which enable companies to compete effectively in a constantly changing digital world by rethinking business models, refocusing organizational structures and values, as well as improving processes and methodologies. Therefore, it is not simply about integrating technology into business processes. Rather, it is a process of analyzing the needs and requirements of stakeholders and ensuring the provision of educational and research services that align with the knowledge needs of students (Alenezi, 2021).

As a strategy, digital transformation is a powerful, evolving, and beneficial initiative that requires numerous changes in learning and development, technology, processes, and culture (Hashim et al., 2022). Digital transformation is, therefore, not just about implementing technology; it is also about reimagining processes, culture, and customer experiences to leverage the full potential of digital tools. It is a strategic and ongoing journey that organizations embark on to embrace digital opportunities, drive innovation, and remain relevant in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape (Joel et al., 2024). In light of this, the researcher agrees with Hiko's (2023) definition of digital transformation as a fundamental change through the adoption and integration of digital technologies that enhance workplace culture and performance excellence.

Researchers have had different views on the dimensions of digital transformation, but the researcher decided to rely on the concept used by Brink et al. (2020), which consists of four main dimensions: (Digital Infrastructure, Digital Human Resources, Digital Organizational Culture, and Digital Security Requirements). Below, the researcher provides a brief overview of these four dimensions.

- Digital Infrastructure: It refers to the integrated system of devices, equipment, operating systems, software, and various storage media required for the digital transformation process, which operates through technical centers to utilize all assets efficiently and effectively, in addition to the availability of professional teams responsible for managing the technical system and network infrastructure with the aim of providing a good level of service to the organization's individuals and clients.

- Digital Human Resources: The human element is a very important requirement in implementing digital transformation, through providing qualified, trained, and prepared human competencies to deal with digital technology in using and analyzing data to make effective decisions.

- Digital Organizational Culture: A culture of digital transformation is one of the most important requirements in managing change and development. It represents a set of shared meanings, including values and attitudes that govern individual behavior. A strong and positive organizational culture is crucial to fostering the sharing of skills, resources, knowledge, learning, and development, as well as the ability of the organization as a whole to adapt to new practices. It also plays a significant role in motivating the organization's members and stakeholders to adopt these practices (Horlacher, 2016).

- Digital Security Requirements: It expresses the institution's commitment to adopting protection systems for its data and digital systems, protecting them from theft or hacking and preventing tampering, all to ensure the security and confidentiality of all financial and non-financial data belonging to the institution.

6.2 Work-Life Balance

Despite the increasing interest in the last years in the issue of work-life balance, there is no comprehensive definition or agreed-upon measure of work-life balance (Casper et al., 2018; Chan et al., 2020; Weale et al., 2020). Kirchmeyer (2000) defined a balanced work life as “achieving satisfying experiences in all areas of life. This requires that personal resources such as energy, time, and commitment are well distributed across these areas (Au et al., 2019; Robertson et al., 2019).” Clark et al., (2000), defined work-life balance as “a satisfactory level of functioning at work and at home with minimal role conflict.” Clark and colleagues developed the concept in 2004 and introduced what is known as the work/life boundary theory. They again defined work-life balance as “achieving harmony or equality between both areas of work and areas of private life” (Clark et al, 2004).

While Greenhouse et al. (2003) define work-life balance as “the extent to which an individual participates in and cares for both work and family roles equally,” their definition is broad enough to include both positive and negative balance. Furthermore, they propose three components inherent in the term balance, such as temporal balance (equal time devoted to work and family), participation balance (which refers to equal psychological participation in both roles), and satisfaction weight (equal satisfaction gained from both roles). This definition gives a broader and more comprehensive view of the concept (Chan et al., 2020).

Nwagbara and Akanji (2012) describe it as “a clear division of an individual's life into two parts, work and life, which often influence each other.” Chandra (2012) describes work-life balance as “a response to individual circumstances to help individuals fulfill their responsibilities and aspirations for the mutual benefit of the individual, employers, and society as a whole.” This means that people should have some control over when, where, and how they work. Darcy et al. (2012) define it as “organizational initiatives aimed at increasing an individual's knowledge of work and non-work areas.” Yuile et al. (2012) view work-life balance as “a state in which a range of needs are met by allocating time to both work and life roles according to the mix of individual priorities and work- life demands.”.

In conclusion, work-life balance expresses the positive aspect of the interaction between work and life. The meaning of work-life balance varies from one person to another, depending on the person's age, situation, benefits, values, circumstances, and personality (Clarke et al., 2004). It has different meanings related to the context in which it is used and the perspective of the person defining it (Lockwood, 2003). It can be defined as an employee's ability to perform their various roles at work and in their personal or family life in a way that does not cancel out one another and ensures the employee feels satisfied with their work and their private life.

Researchers' views on the dimensions of work-life balance varied. Some saw it as four dimensions, while others saw it as three dimensions. However, the most widely used concepts in the literature identified three basic dimensions of balance, consistent with the concept of Greenhaus et al. (2003), which is what the current study adopts.

- Time balance: Expresses an individual's level of satisfaction with the balance achieved between the time allocated to work and the time allocated to family life, social obligations, and various other life activities.

- Involvement balance: Expresses an individual's level of satisfaction with the balance achieved between the level of family and life obligations and work-related responsibilities. In other words, the extent to which work obligations are compatible and balanced with the individual's other non-work-related responsibilities.

- Satisfaction balance: Expresses an individual's level of satisfaction with the balance achieved between the level of roles they perform inside and outside of work, related to social, family, and personal roles.

6.3 Digital Transformation and Work Life Balance

The study of the relationship between digital transformation and work- life balance has received wide attention among researchers, in an attempt to understand the implications of digital work and the use of digital technologies on the lives of workers and the extent of their impact on the state of work-life balance. In this context, Duan et al. (2023) examined the impact of digital work on job performance. The results showed that the use of digital technologies significantly improves coordination and knowledge sharing among employees, leading to a better work-life balance and improved job performance.

While Sulaiman et al., emphasized during his study at (2023) that the changes witnessed in the work environment and the possibility of working from home, especially in light of the COVID-19 crisis, have had a significant impact on personal lifestyles, leading to an imbalance or the outbreak of a state of conflict between work and life for workers in Malaysia.

At the same time, the study of Bajraliu and Qorraj (2023) aims to identify the impact of digital transformation on work-life balance, applying it to 21 private and public organizations in Kosovo. The results show that digitalization improves the skills of employees in both the public and private sectors. However, private companies tend to use remote work to achieve work-life balance, while in public organizations, digitalization has primarily contributed to improving the efficiency of the training process. Accordingly, it could be argued that digital transformation may affect Employee Turnover, which this current study is trying to prove.

H1: Digital Transformation influences Work-Life Balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study.

As a result of the theoretical framework, the research model of the study is shown in Figure 1.1

7. Research Population and Sample

The pharmaceutical industry in the Arab Republic of Egypt is one of the oldest industrial sectors, having begun in 1939 with the establishment of the Misr Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company. This industry has witnessed significant development in recent years, becoming one of the largest industries in the region, especially over the past five years, compared to other Arab countries. Pharmaceutical products and their derivatives have been exported from Egypt to Arab countries, Asia, and Eastern Europe, enhancing the international reputation of the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry. The Egyptian pharmaceutical market is expected to continue growing. The pharmaceutical industry also plays a significant role in the Egyptian economy, accounting for an estimated 50% of export service revenues. The market is highly attractive to international companies and contributes to the provision of diverse job opportunities.

The study population represents all employees in the private sector of Egyptian pharmaceutical companies, and due to the large size of the corporate community in the private sector of Egyptian pharmaceutical companies under study, the researcher decided to limit himself to employees of Amriya Pharmaceutical, European Egyptian Pharmaceutical (EEPI), and Medizen Pharm. Ind, Vitabiotics Egypt, and Spimaco MISR for Pharmaceutical Industries. Therefore, the size of the study population was 3406 employees in the five companies under study, as shown in Table 1.

Considering the population size of the study, which amounted to 3406 employees in the five companies under study, and at a 95% confidence level and 5% confidence interval limits of error, the sample percentage was determined by using Steven K. Thampson equation:

Where n= sample size

N: The population size is equal to 3406 individuals.

z: The standard score that corresponds to the significance level 0.95 and that is equal to 1.96

d: Confidence interval. 0.05

p: Feature availability and neutrality 0.5

The sample comprised 346 individuals, distributed among the employees of the five companies under study, considering the proportional representation of each company as displayed in Table 1.

Table 1 shows that the number of respondents within the sample was 298, with a response rate of 86.1%.

8. Measures

The current study includes two main variables, which are digital transformation and work-life balance. The researcher reviewed these variables and the metrics used to measure them, as follows:

- Digital Transformation (Independent Variable): The researcher relied on the scale presented by Brink et al., (2020) to reflect digital transformation. This scale consists of four basic dimensions (Digital Infrastructure,  Digital  Human  Resources,  Digital  Organizational Culture, and Digital Security Requirements), which have been used in many previous studies.

- Work-Life Balance (Mediating Variable): The researcher relied on the scale presented by Greenhaus et al., (2003) to reflect Work-Life Balance. This scale consists of three basic dimensions (Time Balance, Involvement Balance, and Satisfaction Balance), which have been used in many previous studies.

9. Results

9.1. Validity and Reliability Analysis

To verify the reliability and validity of the survey content, the extent of internal consistency between items and the ability of the scale to accurately measure what is supposed to be measured have been evaluated according to the following:

9.1.1 Reliability of measures

The reliability analysis was carried out to investigate how far the survey is consistent internally. Reliability of internal consistency means the consistency of the survey items used in the field study (Hair et al., 2010). Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α) was used as it is the most commonly employed method of analyzing reliability. Also, Composite Reliability (CR) was used to make sure that each scale is internally consistent.

According to Hair et al. (2010), the value of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α) and Composite Reliability coefficient (CR) should be greater than 0.7, since this indicates that the scales used are stable and that any item inside the scale must have an Item-Total Correlation coefficient greater than

0.30 between itself and the rest of the items on the same scale.

· Reliability of Digital Transformation:

Because of its focus on the internal consistency between the contents of each test subject, the internal consistency of Digital Transformation was verified using Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability (CR) to ensure the internal consistency of each scale (Hair et al., 2010).

Table 2 illustrated that all the statements of Digital Transformation scale have a correlation coefficient higher than 0.30, and therefore it was decided not to exclude any of the items of the scale. It was also found that the value of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α) = 0.959, and that of Composite Reliability coefficient (CR) = 0.961. Hence, both values of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and Composite Reliability coefficient are greater than 0.7.

It was also found that the alpha coefficient for the dimensions of the Digital Transformation scale (Digital Infrastructure, Digital Human Resources, Digital Organizational Culture, and Digital Security Requirements) was (0.873), (0.904), (0.916) and (0.891), respectively. It was also found that the Composite Reliability coefficient (CR) for the dimensions of the Digital Transformation scale (Digital Infrastructure, Digital Human Resources, Digital Organizational Culture, and Digital Security Requirements) was (0.856), (0.869), (0.857) and (0.860), respectively, which indicates the stability of the Digital Transformation scale used in the study.

· Reliability of Work-Life Balance:

Because of its focus on the internal consistency between the contents of each test subject, the internal consistency of Work-Life Balance was verified using Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability (CR) to ensure the internal consistency of each scale (Hair et al., 2010).

Table 2 illustrated that all the statements of Work-Life Balance scale have a correlation coefficient higher than 0.30, and therefore it was decided not to exclude any of the items of the scale. It was also found that the value of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α) = 0.825, and that of Composite Reliability coefficient (CR) = 0.978. Hence, both values of Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and Composite Reliability coefficient are greater than 0.7.

It was also found that the alpha coefficient for the dimensions of Work- Life Balance scale (Time Balance, Involvement Balance and Satisfaction Balance) was (0.828), (0.874) and (0.745), respectively. It was also found that Composite Reliability coefficient (CR) for the dimensions of Digital Transformation scale (Time Balance, Involvement Balance and Satisfaction Balance) was (0.913), (0.941) and (0.948), respectively, which indicates the stability of the Work-Life Balance scale used in the study.

As one can notice from the previous analysis, all the scales that had been used in the Survey of this study had a relatively high score of reliability coefficients. This could ensure that the items of the Survey are highly consistent internally.

9.1.2 Validity of measures

Validity of measures indicates the extent of the truthfulness of the survey terms in measuring what it is designed for, and it gives the participant the same meaning that the researcher intended. For validity testing, the researcher relied on the honesty test on Content Validity, Convergent Validity and Discriminant Validity. As shown in Table 2, this indicates the following:

Content Validity: It indicates the extent to which an assessment instrument is considered relevant to the target construct it is designed to measure and representative of it. To ensure the scientific and practical validity of the survey, it was first reviewed by the supervising professors and then piloted with 30 employees from European Egyptian Pharmaceutical (EEPI) and Medizen Pharm. Ind, and the initial test was conducted through consulting the arbitrators and taking into account their observations on some words and expressions mentioned in the survey list, and amending them based on those observations, and to serve the nature of the study.Convergent Validity: It is supporting evidence of the construct validity. The idea underlying convergence validity is that the test related to the construct should be highly correlated. It refers to the extent of convergence and compatibility of measurement phrases with each other when measuring the same dimension or variable, and it also indicates that the related measures in theory must be linked in practice. This is done by checking the values of Factor Loadings, which should not be less than (0.7), and the value of Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each variable should be greater than (0.5) (Hair et al., 2010). The results displayed in table 2 indicate that the values of Factor Loadings for all statements are greater than 0.7 and all these values are significant at the level of significance 0.05, and the value of the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each variable (Digital Transformation and their dimensions - Work-Life Balance and their dimensions) is greater than 0.5 to indicate that the items of the study instrument used in measuring the study variables are characterized by Convergent Validity and that they are related in practice.Discriminant Validity: In order to measure the spacing or the similarity of the variables between the measures used to measure each of the study variables and that each variable represents itself and the Discriminant Validity can be calculated by the Fornell-Larcker coefficient, which is calculated through the square root of the average value of the variance extracted (AVE), the value of the Fornell- Larcker coefficient must be greater than the correlation coefficients between the same variable and other variables (Hair et al., 2010). From tables 2, it becomes clear that the value of the Fornell-Larcker coefficient is greater than the correlation coefficients between the variable and other variables shown in the rows and columns. This indicates that the study tool is characterized by Discriminant Validity since it confirms that there is no overlap or common correlation between the study variables.

Accordingly, it becomes evident that the measures used in the current study all have a high degree of reliability and validity.

9.2 Descriptive Analysis

In this part, the researcher performs a descriptive analysis of the variables and the sample of the study.

9.2.1 Descriptive analysis of the study sample

The researcher described the findings obtained from the survey by calculating the values of the percentages of repetitions of the demographic variables in the survey. Table 3, illustrates the sample distribution according to demographic variables.

The number of sample members was (298), most of them male (60.7%), while the ages of the majority of the sample ranged between 25 and 40 years (58.4%), while the majority of the sample was less than 10 years old. Years of experience, so most of them work at the lowest managerial level (64.5%). Most of the sample members were married (50.4%) and held a university degree.

9.2.2 Descriptive analysis of the study variables

In the following section, the researcher presents descriptive statistics for study variables.

From the descriptive analysis of the Study Variables in Table 4, it becomes clear to the researcher that:

- The level of Digital Transformation in the companies under study has reached a high level, as its arithmetic mean reached (3.51) with a standard deviation of (0.756). Moreover, Digital Transformation’s dimensions (Digital Infrastructure, Digital Human Resources, Digital Organizational Culture, Digital Security Requirements) were at a high level, as the arithmetic mean was (3.4), (3.4), (3.5), (3.7), respectively, with a standard deviation of (0.831), (0.911), (0.847), (0.756), respectively.

- This confirms the clear interest of the companies under study in adopting and implementing digital transformation strategies and providing all the requirements and mechanisms for their successful implementation. These companies are focused on providing the necessary requirements, developing employee culture, and continuously enhancing digital skills.

- It becomes clear to the researcher that the Work-Life Balance in the companies under study, from the employees’ point of view, has reached a high level, with the mean reaching (3.4) and a standard deviation of (0.794). Moreover, its dimensions (Time Balance, Involvement Balance, Satisfaction Balance) were at an average level, as the arithmetic mean was (3.4), (3.4), (3.5), respectively, with a standard deviation of (0.830), (0.812), (0.757), respectively.

- Consequently, it appears that employees in the companies under study are able to achieve a balance between the demands of work, family, and life in general. They are able to meet family needs while also completing numerous and fast-paced work tasks, thanks to their reliance on digital technologies that help them complete work tasks remotely.

- Based on Table 4, there exists a positive and statistically significant relationship between the four dimensions of Digital Transformation, and the correlation coefficients ranged between (0.645) and (0.774). also, there is a statistically positive relationship between the three dimensions of Work-Life Balance, and the correlation coefficients ranged between (0.731) and (0.750). In addition, there is a statistically positive relationship between Digital Transformation and Work-Life Balance, where the value of the correlation coefficient is (0.773), It is evident from the above findings that there exists a statistically significant relationship between the study variables, and thus it is possible to test the study Hypothesis.

9.3 Hypothesis Testing Results

The main hypothesis discusses the extent of the impact of Digital Transformation on Work-Life Balance according to employees' perception under study. This states, “Digital Transformation influences Work-Life Balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study". To test that hypothesis, the researcher used Simple Regression Analysis because of its ability to demonstrate the effect of an independent variable on a dependent one, and the simple regression analysis test was used at the level of 5% significance. The researcher explains in Table 5 the results of simple regression analysis to effect of the independent variable (Digital Transformation) on Work-Life Balance as a dependent variable.

Table 5 shows that Digital Transformation positively and significantly affect Work-Life Balance from the perception of the employees under study, as the regression coefficient reached (0.773) at the level of significance 0.000, while F- value reached (94.349) with a significant level of (0.000), which is less than (1%). That means that the model is valid to predict the values of the dependent variable (Work-Life Balance).

To further clarify the effect of Digital Transformation’s dimensions on Work-Life Balance, multiple regression analysis was used at a level of significance of 1%. It is explained in the following explains the results of multiple regression for the effect of independent variables (Digital Transformation’s dimensions) on Work-Life Balance as a dependent variable, as shown in Table 6

Table 6 shows that there is a significant positive effect of Digital Transformation’s dimensions (Digital Infrastructure- Digital Human Resources- Digital Organizational Culture- Digital Security Requirements) on Work-Life Balance at the level of significance 0.001. As for the explanatory ability of this model, which shows the percentage of change of the dependent variable (Work-Life Balance) due to the change of the independent variable (Digital Transformation’ dimensions), it was found that the determination coefficient reached (0.488) and this means that the independent variable (Digital Transformation’ dimensions) model explains an amount of (Only 48.8%) of the change in the dependent variable (Work-Life Balance). It is clear that all Digital Transformation dimensions have a direct positive effect on Work-Life Balance. The most influential Digital Transformation dimensions on Work-Life Balance were Digital Human Resources, followed by Digital Infrastructure, then Digital Organizational Culture, and finally Digital Security Requirements.

Accordingly, it is possible to accept the study's main hypothesis, which states that "Digital Transformation influences Work-Life Balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study”.

10. Conclusion and Discussion

The research aimed to identify the effect of Digital Transformation on Work-Life Balance in the private sector of the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry, and the researcher reached a number of results that can be explained as follows:

From the perspective of employees, the study companies demonstrate a high level of digital transformation. This is due to the highly competitive nature of the pharmaceutical industry globally and the associated importance and necessity of real-time operations to keep pace with the rapidly changing work environment (Hiko, 2023). This also confirms the growing commitment of the companies under study to adopting and implementing digital transformation strategies, providing all the necessary requirements and mechanisms for their successful implementation (Singh et al., 2021). These companies focus on providing the necessary requirements for the effective implementation of a comprehensive digital transformation, developing a work culture, and continuously upgrading the digital skills of their employees and clients (El Awady et al., 2025; Zhao et al., 2024).Employees at the companies studied reported a high level of work-life balance. This indicates that employees at these companies are able to complete their increasing workload without disrupting their family and personal lives, their well-being, and their personal and family happiness. This creates greater motivation to work (Esiebugie et al., 2025; Begum, 2025; Aruldoss et al., 2022). Consequently, it appears that employees in the companies under study are able to achieve a balance between the demands of work, family, and life in general. They are able to meet family needs while also completing numerous and fast-paced work tasks, thanks to their reliance on digital technologies that help them complete work tasks remotely (Alzadjali and Ahmad, 2024).The researcher found that employees' ability to achieve a work-life balance, fulfilling family, social, and work demands without compromising on one aspect at the expense of the other is due to digital transformation. The researcher found a significant positive impact of digital transformation on work-life balance. This means that

providing employees with the opportunity to complete work tasks digitally helped them be more present with their families and engage socially with their surroundings at a higher level. This made them feel better about themselves because they weren't compromising on either work or life demands at the expense of the other. This agrees with (Bajraliu and Qorraj, 2023; Duan et al., 2023), who believes that the use of digital technologies significantly improves coordination and knowledge exchange among employees, leading to a better work-life balance. However, it conflicts with (Sulaiman et al., 2023), who noted that changes in the work environment and the possibility of working from home have led to a work-life conflict among employees.

11. Recommendations 

In light of the results of the study and the findings obtained from the hypothesis analysis, and to achieve the main objective specified by the present study, the researcher presented a number of recommendations that would enhance the level of work-life balance in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Industry under study, in the form of an action plan as follows:

12. Future Research

Although the current study focused on identifying the effect of Digital Transformation on Work-Life Balance in private sector pharmaceutical companies in Egypt, there are several limitations that may constitute a field for future research, including the following:

It would be useful to examine the mediating role of work-life balance on the relationship between digital transformation and employee turnover intentions. However, future studies would be useful to examine the impact of several other mediating variables on this relationship, including family-friendly work systems, digital leadership, perceived organizational support, and human resource flexibility.It would be useful to conduct a qualitative study to determine the most important actual determinants of work-life balance in private sector Egyptian pharmaceutical companies.It is recommended that other researchers conduct the same study in service sectors, such as healthcare and banking, to ensure the accuracy of the results and their applicability to all sectors.The study was performed in the private sector. It is recommended that other researchers research public pharmaceutical companies.

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Rabab Abdallah Ali Zebib

Doctorate Researcher

Master Degree in Quality Management from AASTMT

Rabab.a.zebib@gmail.com

Mobile: 01025420099

Dr. Iman Nassef

Assistant Professor ,

College of Computing and Information Technology, AASTMT

PhD in Engineering Education Management from Bournemouth University, UK

Iman.nassef@egypt.aast.edu 

Mobile: +20 12 12730186

Prof. Dr. Rasha Abd Alziz

Professor and Head of the Department of Business Information Systems (BIS) at the College of Management and Technology at AASTMT.

PhD in 2009 from the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

rasha_a@aast.edu

Mobile: +20 12 27311321