Making Workplace Flexibility Work

2019 ◽  
pp. 133-160
Author(s):  
Jamie Ladge ◽  
Danna Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Working Mothers ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Integrate Work ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement ◽  
Varied Work

Chapter 6 focuses on the topic of flexible work arrangements. Workplace flexibility is often romanticized as an answer to all the challenges working mothers face. While flexibility can be particularly helpful to working mothers as they integrate work and family, it also introduces new complexities working mothers need to consider. This chapter helps women develop a more comprehensive understanding of workplace flexibility. We start with an overview of the different types of flexibility and some of the benefits and challenges women have experienced with these varied work arrangements. We go on to introduce strategies women can put in place to take advantage of a flexible work arrangement and to ensure they are negotiating workplace flexibility in such a way that they don’t trade flexibility for compensation.

Flexible Work Arrangements for Green Manufacturing

2021 ◽  
pp. 212-228
Author(s):  
Idris Olayiwola Ganiyu
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Green Manufacturing ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement

Scientists and environmental activists have constantly emphasized the need to take action against the devasting effect of greenhouse gas emission, which is resulting in immense damage to the environment. The role of flexible work arrangements in ensuring the greening of manufacturing processes globally has not been fully explored by researchers. Aligning employees' green workplace behaviour, technological innovation, and flexible work arrangement could help promote green manufacturing. This chapter employed a conceptual review of literature to examine flexible work arrangement for green manufacturing. Findings revealed that the adoption of flexible work arrangement for green manufacturing could enhance the greening of the production process and employees' ability to achieve a balance between work and family domain.

The Effects of Flexible Work Arrangements on Stressors, Burnout, and Behavioral Job Outcomes in Public Accounting

2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dreike Almer ◽  
Steven E. Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Job Outcomes ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement

The majority of public accounting firms now offer flexible work arrangements to their professional employees. Presumably these arrangements help accommodate employee needs to manage work and family demands, while also improving job satisfaction and retention. The ability of flexible work arrangements to achieve these goals has received little attention. The current paper addresses this issue by reporting the results of a survey of CPAs working under a flexible work arrangement and a similar group of CPAs working under a standard arrangement but who appear to be plausible candidates for a flexible work arrangement. The survey elicited information about several key employment variables: job-related stressors (e.g., role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload), burnout tendencies (e.g., emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment, and depersonalization) and behavioral job outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and turnover intentions). Results show that CPAs on flexible work arrangements report higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intentions than those on a standard work arrangement. CPAs on flexible work arrangements generally have lower levels of burnout and stressors, though the reduced personal accomplishment burnout dimension may be conditioned upon whether the CPA has a mentor. Finally, for professionals switching to a flexible work arrangement, respondents indicated a significant improvement in job satisfaction and turnover intentions as well as some decline in burnout and stressors.

scholarly journals PENGARUH FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT DAN KEPUASAN KERJA TERHADAP PRODUKTIVITAS PEKERJA LEPAS DI PROVINSI BALI

2021 ◽  
pp. 817
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Sri Damayanti ◽  
I Gusti Made Suwandana
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Working Hours ◽  
Flexible Working ◽  
The Family ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement

Flexible work arrangements have been widely used to meet the needs of workers and manage work. Flexible working hours and methods will make it easier for workers to coordinate their work and social schedules. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of flexible work arrangements and job satisfaction on the productivity of freelancers. The population is all self-employed workers in Bali Province. The sample used in this study was 100 respondents who were collected during the 7 days of the survey. Data collection was obtained from the results of questionnaires which were distributed directly to all entrepreneurs in the province of Bali. Furthermore, to analyze the data used multiple regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that flexible work arrangements effectively affect the productivity of entrepreneurs. The reaction of the freelancers is that they believe that through this work system, they can manage their work schedule more flexibly and become happier and happier. more efficient and closer to the family. Job satisfaction has an impact on work efficiency. It can be seen that there is a significant positive correlation (correlation) between job satisfaction and productivity of freelancers.

scholarly journals Flexible, Capable, Adaptable: A Dynamic Allied Health Workforce

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry May ◽  
Fiona McAlinden ◽  
Michael Splawa-Neyman ◽  
Michelle O'Rourke ◽  
Tamica Sturgess
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement

Objective: The Allied Health Executive at a major Metropolitan Health Service was experiencing an increasing number of flexible work requests and was keen to ensure that local and legislative requirements were met, our highly skilled and specialist staff were supported to remain in the workforce as their life outside work changed and the operational demands of a bed-based service delivery model were not negatively impacted. Design: A root cause analysis was completed identifying three main contributing factors for the current, adhoc approach to flexible work requests. Current and past flexible work participants were surveyed, along with their managers and the Nurse Unit Managers of the clinical work areas. A literature review and environmental scan regarding frameworks for decision making for and supporting flexible work requests was undertaken. Findings: There was a lack of consistent information as to how to establish and manage a flexible work request. There had been an historical view that flexible work requests were difficult to operationalise and there were missed experiences with flexible work arrangements for the people involved, their managers and their colleagues. Outcome measures: The combined data was then utilised to develop a framework to support decision-making around whether a role could operate as a flexible work arrangement. A framework on how to best support the staff considering and entering into these arrangements to ensure all the benefits of a flexible work arrangement are realised and many of the challenges minimised was also developed. Conclusion: Flexible work arrangements should be considered in appropriate circumstances, and will have the best opportunity for success when supported by a consistent, evidenced-based framework. Abbreviations: EFT – Equivalent Full Time; RCA – Root Cause Analysis.

Impact of Flexible Work Arrangements, Self-Efficacy, and Barriers on Daily Physical Activity Among University Staff

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Shelby Borowski ◽  
Jyoti Savla ◽  
Anisa M. Zvonkovic
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Daily Physical Activity ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement ◽  
Barriers To Physical Activity

Background: Little is known about the link between flexible work arrangements and health behaviors, such as physical activity. This study aimed to explore how self-efficacy and daily barriers to physical activity influence daily levels of physical activity on workdays when university staff members used a flexible work arrangement (flextime or telework). Methods: Full-time university staff employees (N = 61, mean age = 41; 89% female) participated in this daily diary study. Participants completed an initial survey followed by daily surveys over the course of one workweek, resulting in 281 diary days. Results: The most frequently reported barriers to physical activity were as follows: lack of time, feeling tired, and not enough motivation. Multilevel models revealed that as the number of barriers increased, minutes of physical activity significantly decreased. Self-efficacy was not significantly related to daily physical activity. Participants reported fewer minutes of physical activity on flextime workdays compared to days when a flexible work arrangement was not used (ie, traditional workday). Daily use of a flexible work arrangement did not moderate the association between barriers and physical activity. Conclusions: This study illustrated the influence of daily barriers and flextime workdays on physical activity levels, which can inform workplace health programs for university staff.

The Relationship of Workplace Flexibility to Employee Engagement among Information Technology Employees in India

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Diwaker Ugargol ◽  
Harold Andrew Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
It Industry ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
It Organizations ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Work Arrangement

Historically, organizations have been provisioning flexible work arrangement (FWA) options in the workplace to help employees achieve a balance between work obligations and private obligations. We explore the utilization of FWA offerings in the Indian information technology (IT) industry and its relation to employee engagement (EE). Employees working in IT organizations in Bengaluru, India, were approached and data were obtained from 504 participants. The study found that availability of FWA options coincided with their utilization. Disconcertingly, only 7 per cent of the employees were “highly engaged”, 51 per cent were neither engaged nor disengaged and 41 per cent of the employees were disengaged with their current organization. FWAs were positively related to EE. We find congruence that FWA options lead to better EE warranting further exploration that can guide FWA policies.

Flexible Work Arrangements, Job Satisfaction and Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3(J)) ◽  
pp. 268-277
Author(s):  
Govender L. ◽  
Migiro S. O. ◽  
Kyule A. K.
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Role Theory ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Shared Services ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work Arrangement

Flexible work arrangements (FWA) prefer to flexibility regarding an employee’s work location, working times and how much an employee works . FWA practices are designed to keep employees motivated and satisfied with work and non -work related roles. Existing empirical studies on the impact of flexible work arrangements on performance, and job satisfaction have mostly been conducted in developed countries. This paper sought to address this gap by undertaking a study in an organization specific context in a developing country, in particular Durban Westville Eskom, South Africa. The main aim of this paper was to establish the relationship between flexible work arrangements, performance and job satisfaction at Durban Westville Eskom shared services department. This paper is anchored on the two - factor theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, Role theory, and Spillover theory. The target population consisted of 120 employees reporting to revenue management shared services. Simple random sampling technique was used to determine the sample size whereby a sample of 92 employees was obtained . An online questionnaire was used to collect data from the sample. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The findings show that a majority are satisfied with their current work arrangements, and that flexible work arrangement could make them stay with their current employer. In addition, it was found that performance and flexible work arrangement have a strong positive correlation. The study concluded that flexible work arrangements enhanced employee retention, and job satisfaction which led to higher productivity.

Evaluating the Influence of Flexible Work Arrangement Strategy on Job Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-39
Author(s):  
Simpson Osiemo Onyango ◽  
Prof. Ronald Chepkilot ◽  
Dr. Stella Muhanji
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Target Population ◽  
The State ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Job Characteristics Model ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of flexible work arrangements strategy on job satisfaction among state corporations in Kenya. The greatest challenge facing organisations is whether their staffs are motivated to perform their duties and whether employees find their work interesting and meaningful. The ways jobs are designed has an important bearing on an employee’s job satisfaction. Understanding job design techniques and their influence on job satisfaction will lead organisations to keep the best employee pool for themselves and fend off competition. This study was based on several theories, namely: Job Characteristics model, Hertzberg's two-factor Hygiene theory, Clayton Alderfer’s ERG theory, equity theory, family-boarder theory, and boundary theory. The research design for this study was a cross-sectional descriptive design. This research sought to interrogate the extent to which the state corporations employ flexible work arrangements and its influence on job satisfaction and suggest possible areas of improvement. The target population was 187 state corporations. The unit of analysis was employees of the state corporations in Kenya. The research studied a sample size of 381 employees in 127 state corporations. The state corporations in Kenya were selected using stratified sampling, while employees were purposively selected. To obtain the data, semi-structured questionnaires were used in this research. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the SPSS package. The findings of this study show that a flexible work arrangement is a significant strategy in enhancing job satisfaction among state corporations in Kenya. 

Not Just a Mothers’ Problem: The Consequences of Perceived Workplace Flexibility Bias for All Workers

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 808-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Trimble O’Connor ◽  
Erin A. Cech
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Workplace Cultures ◽  
Ideal Worker Norm ◽  
Ideal Worker ◽  
The Ideal

Flexibility bias and the “ideal worker” norm pose serious disadvantages for working mothers. But, are mothers the only ones harmed by these norms? We argue that these norms can be harmful for all workers, even “ideal” ones—men without caregiving responsibilities who have never used flexible work arrangements. We investigate how working in an environment where workers perceive flexibility bias affects their job attitudes and work-life spillover. Using representative survey data of U.S. workers, we find that perceived flexibility bias reduces job satisfaction and engagement and increases turnover intentions and work-life spillover for all types of workers, even ideal workers. The effects of perceived bias on satisfaction, turnover, and spillover operate beyond experiences with family responsibilities discrimination and having colleagues who are unsupportive of work-life balance. We show that workplace cultures that harbor flexibility bias—and, by extension, that valorize ideal work—may affect the entire workforce in costly ways.

Workplace flexibility as a paradoxical phenomenon: Exploring employee experiences

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 444-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almudena Cañibano
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Contract ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Mental Picture ◽  
Flexible Working ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
Professional Environment ◽  
Professional Employees

How do employees of dynamic consulting firms deal with their demanding professional environment, where they must be accessible, responsive and flexible seemingly around the clock? This case study of a large consulting firm explores employee experiences of flexible working through the lens of paradox. It finds that flexible working far exceeds the set of approved flexible work arrangements and practices enshrined in formal HR policies. Rather, individuals develop varied perceptions, expectations and ways of organizing flexible working, which emerge and evolve as they accumulate experience in a context where client-focused responsiveness is key. The article argues that flexible working is part of the deeper psychological contract between professional employees and the firm. This allows us to better understand how the paradoxical tensions that characterize workplace flexibility are experienced as evolving combinations of contributions and inducements. Employees manage these tensions in different ways, including vacillating between polar opposites and integrating contradictory elements, creating an overall mental picture of their flexible working experience.

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