Abigail Gregory, Susan Milner and Jan Windebank
The purpose of this editorial is to provide an overview of the wider debates concerning the evolution of work‐life balance practice and policy since the onset of the “Great…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this editorial is to provide an overview of the wider debates concerning the evolution of work‐life balance practice and policy since the onset of the “Great Recession” of 2008 and to draw out some comparisons of the issues raised by the papers in the special issue by focusing particularly on the example of the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
The editorial analyses how the direction and pace of changes in work‐life balance practice and policy varies between different national contexts and welfare regimes and also asks whether, within the same national context, the changes taking place are always consistent.
Findings
The special issue draws together an international overview of work‐life balance measures which focuses particularly on measures for fathers, an EU‐wide analysis of the use of flexible employment and its relationship with work‐family conflict and a number of specific country case studies from Southern Europe where recession has been particularly severe (Spain and Italy) and the Southern hemisphere (Australia) where the recession has been less deep. It finds that economic crisis and austerity have resulted in a variety of labour market changes and policy responses in different national settings, some but not all of which map onto existing welfare regime typologies. The articles raise a wider set of questions about what type of policy best promotes employees' work‐life balance. The editorial argues in favour of legislative support for work‐life balance to help address structural inequalities.
Originality/value
This editorial and special issue is one of the first to review the small but growing literature on the effect of recession on individuals' experience of work‐life balance, organisations' approach to work‐life balance and reconciliation policy since 2008.
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Presents an outline of the value of qualitative approaches toresearch into social life specifically within the area of the sociologyof food and eating. Uses a study funded by the…
Abstract
Presents an outline of the value of qualitative approaches to research into social life specifically within the area of the sociology of food and eating. Uses a study funded by the ESRC as an illustration for the decision to take a qualitative perspective. Highlights two specific methods, the focus group and the semi‐structured interview. Examines the effect on the family of one member′s change in diet, and uses a multi‐method, multi‐stage research design. This design has offered the opportunity to use an inductive process of analysis which has resulted in the emergence of a series of conceptual frameworks within which family members may be seen to understand the process of absorbing change.
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This paper aims to contribute to the academic literature in two ways. Firstly, the paper will analyse the impact of the financial crisis on the level of flexibility, autonomy and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to the academic literature in two ways. Firstly, the paper will analyse the impact of the financial crisis on the level of flexibility, autonomy and stress of Spanish employees. Secondly, it aims to identify if the impact of the economic crisis on the work‐family balance differs by sex, educational level, economic sector and regions across Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews relevant literature in social policy and work‐family balance. Two databases (2005 Ad hoc Module on work life balance; 2010 Ad hoc module on conciliation between working life and family life) were analysed in order to characterise work‐family balance before and during the economic recession.
Findings
The findings revealed that: economic crisis had a negative impact on the control and autonomy that Spaniards had of their jobs; economic crisis diminishes the level of flexibility at work; and economic crisis had a negative impact on the level of stress among Spanish employees.
Research limitations/implications
The paper lays out several avenues for further research which would provide additional insight into the relationship between economic crisis and work‐family balance.
Originality/value
Despite the explosive growth in the work‐family literature, it is not easy to find empirical evidence showing the relationship between financial crisis and work‐family balance. This paper fills some of the gaps. Moreover, the case of Spain is very interesting given the very specific circumstances of austerity there.
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Kenneth Smith, Susan R. Gregory and Debby Cannon
Reports on research, the overall objective of which was to develop a basic understanding of job satisfaction and commitment of employees of a particular hospitality organization…
Abstract
Reports on research, the overall objective of which was to develop a basic understanding of job satisfaction and commitment of employees of a particular hospitality organization. Describes a survey of 7,504 hourly and salaried employees at 94 lodging properties which aimed to identify factors relating to employee satisfaction and commitment.
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This paper aims to examine the international challenges of fitting fathers into work‐family policies at a time of global economic turbulence.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the international challenges of fitting fathers into work‐family policies at a time of global economic turbulence.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper's design is a comparative policy analysis approach using international working time, paternity, maternity and parental leave data from selected rich, middle and poorer income nations. Leave policies are examined in relation to the place of fathers in the work‐family policy mix between 2010 and 2011.
Findings
Short well‐compensated paternity leave provision is emerging in poorer and middle income countries but none offer the range of father‐targeted parental leave innovation observed in some richer nations. A comparison of leave policy changes effecting fathers between 2010 and 2011 showed resilience in face of economic downturn particularly in European countries.
Research limitations/implications
Global data on fathers' working hours, paternity leave and men's access to parental leave are difficult to access and more effort in data standardisation is required to build on this study.
Practical implications
Inter‐governmental bodies play an important role in the promotion of father‐friendly employment measures even in countries with strong male breadwinner cultures.
Originality/value
This policy analysis extends scholarship on how societies promote and regulate cultural constructions of fatherhood in families and in the workplace. It suggests that drivers to fit fathers into work‐family policies are mixed and do not easily map on to country classifications or policy regimes.
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Barbara Pocock, Sara Charlesworth and Janine Chapman
This paper aims to explore recent changes in Australia's work‐family policies and programs and their implications for gender (in)equality.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore recent changes in Australia's work‐family policies and programs and their implications for gender (in)equality.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors critically assess a suite of new work/family‐related policies, including the introduction of a government‐funded national paid parental leave scheme, a limited right to request flexible working conditions, and the extension of state and federal anti‐discrimination legal protections for workers with family responsibilities.
Findings
The analysis suggests a lack of coherence and integration between various work/family related policies and the need for a wider range of reforms, particularly in relation to domestic work and care. It is found that the gendered use of flexibility rights, like the new right to request, do not necessarily improve gender equality and may work to entrench it in the face of strong gendered workplace and societal norms and practices around work and care. As a consequence women workers and mothers – who have been constructed as the work/family problem to be “fixed” – are left even more rushed and pressed for time.
Originality/value
This empirically‐informed analysis shows the power of the broader gender political and normative context and the limits of modest and piecemeal policy reform in relation to work‐family issues – even where economic conditions remain relatively positive. The paper concludes that without robust, multi‐faceted and integrated policy reform around work and family, in which gender equality outcomes are a central objective, policy reforms will fail to achieve a more equal sharing of paid and caring work between men and women, and greater equality between women and men more generally.
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Dirk Hofäcker and Stefanie König
This paper aims to investigate the effect of flexible working conditions on work‐family conflict in European countries. Flexible work has increasingly been used by employers to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of flexible working conditions on work‐family conflict in European countries. Flexible work has increasingly been used by employers to adapt to the demands of economic competition, often at the expense of employee's demands. Yet, at the same time, flexible work can provide a means to better combine work and family obligations. The paper seeks to explore which of these effects dominates for different types of flexible employment, paying specific attention to gender‐specific effects.
Design/methodology/approach
For the cross‐national analysis of work‐life‐conflict, the authors employ the latest wave of the European Social Survey (ESS) from 2010, featuring a module on “Family, work and well‐being”. Binomial logistic regression is used to identify determinants of work‐life‐conflict both on the micro‐ and the macro‐level. In addition to looking at flexible work forms as a phenomenon per se, specific attention is given to the experience of different types of employment flexibilization throughout the financial crisis.
Findings
For both genders, irregularity and unpredictability of working hours negatively impact on work‐life conflict beyond the mere amount of working hours. Yet, higher autonomy in choosing one's work time is used very differently: While women tend to use their control over working hours to achieve a better work‐life‐balance, men tend to use these arrangements to increase their work commitment, thereby enhancing their perceived work‐family conflict. The authors argue that this gender‐specific use of flexible work arrangements might still reflect the traditional gender roles and gender‐segregated labour market structures. Adding to previous literature, the authors furthermore demonstrate that gender‐specific differences are also apparent in the effects of the most recent economic crisis.
Originality/value
By examining the effects of various types of flexible employment separately for men and women, the paper contributes to a better understanding of the gender‐specific effects of flexible work arrangements on work‐family‐conflict within European countries. The 5th wave of the ESS furthermore for the first time allows an empirical investigation of the effects of the recent financial crisis on work‐family conflict from a cross‐nationally comparative perspective.
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The purpose of this article is to investigate work‐family interventions in Italian organizations within the context of a national welfare regime and in the face of recession.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to investigate work‐family interventions in Italian organizations within the context of a national welfare regime and in the face of recession.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of case studies carried out on eight leading companies in the field of workplace work‐family policies are presented. The case study research is supported by a literature review as well as an analysis of national legislation and political agenda concerning work‐family issues.
Findings
Findings indicate that, against the backdrop of the institutional framework, one impact of the recession may be the setting aside of workplace work‐family intervention, especially in small and medium‐sized organizations with limited resources. Evidence collected using case study research suggests that this has not happened in larger companies where employers have adopted a strategic approach to work‐family issues. In these larger firms, work‐family policies have been assessed and reorganized as a result of an increasing concern for workplace performance and efficiency. In this regard, resilience to the crisis in workplace arrangements is related to the fact that the adoption of an evidence‐based approach makes economic sense and contributes to obtaining the long‐term support needed from important stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
The case study companies are not necessarily representative of current workplace intervention in the field; a generalization of the findings may not therefore be appropriate. They do however provide valuable insights for both future research on workplace support and public policy design.
Originality/value
The article investigates the links between the wider social, economic and political context and workplace work‐family arrangements in specific organizations.
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Illustrates how qualitative methods can illuminate social andcultural contexts which affect food choice in the domestic situation.Argues that these contexts are best uncovered by…
Abstract
Illustrates how qualitative methods can illuminate social and cultural contexts which affect food choice in the domestic situation. Argues that these contexts are best uncovered by the exploratory, inductive and less structured approaches offered by qualitative methods. Describes some analytical strengths of these methods: complexity, depth, context and dynamics. Illustrates these with examples drawn from a multi‐interview study of whole family groups carried out in Edinburgh in the late 1980s. Suggests that qualitative methods are best suited to investigating the social processes and dynamics which underpin the statistical picture presented in quantitative nutritional surveys.