The Archetypal Structure of Work
• Work and family roles (Rapoport & Rapoport 1976, Kanter 1977)
• domestic tasks
• “The days of the male breadwinner-female housewife system of family life have gone. Yet this model still lies behind our work structures and lurks in the mind of the man in the gray flannel suit. The gap between the idealised family model and the real links between families and paid work widens every day, so we should expect the reality gap to raise some doubts in the minds of employers” (Edgar 1991, p. v)
• “….society has changed, work has changed; therefore, the workplace should change too” (Kamerman and Kahn 1987)
• less than 35 per cent of two-parent families with children conform to the traditional image
Further Issues to consider
• Work-life balance and gender
• All workers have families
• Responsibilities around caring
Defining Work-Life Balance (WLB)
• The negotiation of work and non-work boundaries
• WLB practices enhance the autonomy of workers
• “In short, work-life balance practices are those which, whether intentionally or not, increase the flexibility and autonomy of the worker in negotiating attention and presence in employment” (Felstead et al. 2002, p.56)
The Underlying Need for Work-Life Balance
• Legislation, bureaucracy & unions
• Demographics • Work-family conflict • Attraction & retention (& productivity) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7n5JDgXgEM UK WLB issues
Types of Family Friendly Policies
• Flexible working arrangements
• family and parental leave • childcare • family support
• other
Contemporary Findings
• Wood & de Menezes 2010:
– Studied family friendly work practices (FFWPs) in UK
• To determine which firms are most likely to adopt FFWPs • Any benefits achieved from FFWPs ?
Wood & de Menezes 2010
• WLB practices can enhance commitment and heighten productivity and quality • BUT, the importance of HRM ‘bundles’ is emphasised (WLB management is not a main effect)
Contemporary Findings
• Ngo et al. 2009:
– Studied family friendly work practices (FFWPs) in MNCs in Hong Kong – Traditional Chinese culture – Female employees reported more workfamily conflict
FFWPs
• Employer-sponsored programs and policies designed to help employees manage work and personal life demands
• Provision varies
• Adoption determined by managerial values
• Lobel (1999) found positive effects of FFWPs on:
– Employee attitudes
– Performance
– HRM outcomes
– Organisational outcomes (mixed results)
The Missing Link ?
• Organisational climate (OC)
– “an individual’s attitude concerning the organisation, comprised of its degree of trust, morale, conflict, rewards equity, leader
DAVID HALL SUBJECT: POLICIES ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE & STRESS MANAGEMENT DATE: 19 DECEMBER 2012 ------------------------------------------------- Executive Summary ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- The present report examines the implications of ‘beyond contract’ practises on work-life balance and stress management policies. Initially, it explores and defines the concepts of work-life balance and stress, as well as their causes…
MGT555 Paper Work/Life Balance In today’s global and competitive economy, companies are striving to produce products and services of great value. To accomplish this goal of producing great products and services, companies need to have a talented and motivated work force. This goal not only demands hard work and skills, but also full energy and dedication from employees. However, these requirements imposed by companies on their employees to stay competitive have caused employees to…
principle “work-life balance” was first used in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, to define the balance between an individual’s work and personal life. It is a wide concept, including appropriate prioritizing between “work” (career and ambition) and “life” (Health, pleasure, family). Now a days, there has been a change in the workplace as a result of improvements in technology. Increasingly refined and affordable technologies have made it more realistic for employees to keep contact with work. Employees…
as follows: -An individual’s perception of work-life balance base on the number of hours worked, how enjoyable work is perceived to be and an individual’s obligations outside work. Assumed the proposition to be an alternative hypothesis (H1) that there will be a significant prediction of work-life balance by work hours, enjoy job and individual’s obligations. Hence, a multiple regression is selected to predict an individual’s perception of work-life balance base on these three variables because Regression…
explains commercial and legal information using a variety of forms 5.9 works independently and collaboratively to meet individual and collective goals within specified timeline Plagiarism statement (Students must read, tick and sign this section.) By submitting this assessment item for marking, I acknowledge the following: This is my own work (unless appropriate acknowledgment has been made). Where the work of others is used, and not acknowledged, a finding of Plagiarism will be…
Resources particularly focussing on work-life balance and stress management policies, which are very important movement in UK companies due to implemented legislations. In the report, stress management and work-life balance are explained with identified positive and negative attributes. After reviewing these policies suggested methods for management to deal with stress in the company are work-family, flexible, part-time, job redesigning, job training and negotiable work policies. In order to minimize…
organisation as a whole, could lack in emotional engagement, and may not be interested in the organisations values/brand. Job Satisfaction Totally satisfied in the role and environment. Job meets intellectual needs (cognitive) Is happy with work life balance, level of responsibility and reward. Doesn’t mean that the employee is exercising discretionary effort in the role. Personal happiness, however may not be meeting the needs or requirements of the role or the organisation. Potentially missing…
Managing change Inspiring commitment Resourcefulness Doing whatever it takes Being a quick learner Participative management Employee Development Balancing personal life and work Leadership Practices There are two areas of the leadership practices that will be discussed herein. Employee Development while Balancing personal life and work, both of which are paramount to building an organization and becoming an effective innovator within an organization. As part of the on-going process of employment…
However, I for one have learned to balance my professionalism to maintain my employment that directly supports my academic and personal endeavors. One must remember that keeping a job is important to support one’s academic goals and personal goals. Prioritizing your professionalism within…
Work-life balance is a problem for many people. When you work every day, all day, with no time set aside for living life, you just become more stressed. You lose sight of reality and you get out of touch with creativity. A worker has to be able to balance work and home life. When you find yourself bring home all of your work issues and avoiding your home/ living issues then there is a problem. I know times are hard and people work extra hard these days to make ends meet. One thing we have to…
