Empowered & Balanced: Unraveling the Career Journey of Modern Working Women

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between work-life balance (WLB), workplace policies (WPP), career management (CM), and job satisfaction (JS) among working women in both the government and private organizations. While prior research has examined WLB and JS separately, few have integrated the mediating influence of CM within the Indian context. This study addresses that gap by using structural equation modeling (SEM) on data from 171 working women across. The findings revealed that WPP have a significant influence on both CM and JS. CM also positively impacts JS, confirming its mediating role in the relationship between institutional support and employee satisfaction. While WLB showed no direct effect on JS, it exhibited a fully mediated effect through CM, emphasizing the need for organizations to integrate WLB strategies with structured career development initiatives. These insights contribute to the understanding of gendered workplace experiences and highlight the importance of institutional support in promoting sustainable careers and the well-being of working women. JEL Classification: J16, J24, M54, I31