Policies that make a difference: bridging the gender equity and work-family gap in academia

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 414-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Ridgway O'Brien ◽  
Larry R. Martinez ◽  
Enrica N. Ruggs ◽  
Jan Rinehart ◽  
Michelle R Hebl
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual

Purpose– This paper aims to highlight interventions that promote female (and male) faculty’s ability to balance work-family issues at a specific academic institution, in response to a demand in the literature that examines the intersection between research and implementation of organizational policies within a university setting.Design/methodology/approach– Using a case study framework, the researchers present qualitative experiences and quantitative data to evaluate the successful application of a work-family balance and organizational climate improvement initiative within an academic setting.Findings– By highlighting specific examples of work-family and climate initiatives at the individual, organization, and community levels, this case study presents several ways in which academic institutions specifically, and organizations generally, can implement policies that make a difference.Practical implications– Successful implementation of work-family balance and family-friendly organizational policies can positively impact employees.Originality/value– Our goal is to highlight and provide data showing a specific example of how female (and male) faculty members’ experiences can be (and have been) improved in a prototype institution.

scholarly journals The implications of work-family balance among dual-earner couples

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toyin Ajibade Adisa ◽  
Ellis L.C. Osabutey ◽  
Gbolahan Gbadamosi
Keyword(s):  
Work Performance ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Dual Earner ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Societal Problems

Purpose The implications of the work-family balance (WFB) of dual-earner couples are well known; however, the extant literature on this topic has failed to adequately explore the context of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specifically Nigeria. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the WFB of dual-earner couples in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs a qualitative methodology in order to explore the effect of couples’ dual-earner status on their WFB in an African context by using Nigerian medical practitioners as the empirical focus. Findings The findings reveal that the dual-earner status provides some respite from financial hardship and improves family finances, which subsequently enhances WFB. However, the dual-earner status also has negative impacts on WFB in terms of work performance, dysfunctionality, and associated societal problems. Originality/value This paper provides insights into the WFB of dual-earner couples in the non-western context of SSA, highlighting the previously unexplored implications of dual-earner status in the context of SSA.

An explanatory model of authentic leadership, flourishing and work–family balance of nurses in French hospitals

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Séverine Chevalier ◽  
Hélène Coillot ◽  
Philippe Colombat ◽  
Grégoire Bosselut ◽  
Laure Guilbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Explanatory Model ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between a positive leadership style [i.e. authentic leadership (AL)] and nurses’ psychological health (i.e. nurses’ flourishing and satisfaction with work–family balance), including psychological capital (PsyCap) as a mediational variable. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-report questionnaire including 1,076 nurses from public and private hospitals in France. Findings Structural equation modeling results revealed that AL is related to nurses’ flourishing and satisfaction with work–family balance and that PsyCap acted as a partial mediator between this leadership style and positive outcomes. Practical implications This research indicated that hospitals can enhance nurses’ psychological health not only in their work but also in their lives in general by improving leaders’ authentic management style and developing PsyCap (e.g. staffing, training and development). Originality/value An original feature of this paper concerns its focus on the mediating role of PsyCap in the relationship between AL and these positive outcomes. Moreover, this study underlined the influence of leadership style on nurses’ psychological health beyond occupational health. The research makes a valuable contribution to the existing AL literature by establishing a new explanatory model of AL and nurses’ psychological health in the French context. It also highlights the interest in developing this leadership style in health-care settings.

The power of balance: interplay effects of exploitative leadership style, work–family balance and family-friendly workplace practices on innovation implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazia Garlatti Costa ◽  
Darija Aleksić ◽  
Guido Bortoluzzi
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Innovation Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Family Friendly ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Workplace Practices ◽  
Work Family ◽  
High Level

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the inverted U-shaped relationship that exists between exploitative leadership styles and innovation implementation. In addition, drawing on the social cognitive theory, the paper explores the effect of the three-way interaction between exploitative leadership style (ELS), work–family balance (WFB) and family-friendly workplace practices (FFWPs) on innovation implementation.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study of 440 employees from 38 medium and large companies based in Italy and Croatia was conducted, using an online survey. The proposed hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe results show that there is an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between ELS and innovation implementation. Furthermore, the findings support the existence of the three-way interaction suggesting that the combination of high-level WFB and high-level FFWPs strengthens the relationship between ELS² and innovation implementation.Originality/valueThis is the first contribution that examines a curvilinear relationship between ELS and innovation implementation. Additionally, it contributes to the work–family literature by providing the first empirical examination of the joint impact of WFB and FFWPs in enhancing innovation implementation. Our results suggest that individuals who perceive a high level of WFB and who work in an organization with family-friendly practices are more accepting of an exploitative leader, and that the positive feelings from the family domain encourage the implementation of innovation. These results may change the attitudes of managers, encouraging them to consider WFB and FFWPs as important for the implementation of innovation.

Understanding the Mommy Tracks in the IT Workforce

2011 ◽  
pp. 1178-1183
Author(s):  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Female Responses ◽  
Gender And It

Despite the recent growth in the number of women in the American labor force, women are under represented in the IT workforce. Key among the factors that account for this under representation is balancing work-family issues. Some researchers have speculated that IT work is not an ideal fit for working mothers because of long work hours, increased conflicts with family responsibilities, and the difficulty of returning after maternity leave to an industry with ever evolving technologies (Kuosa, 2000; Webster, 1996). This article reports on an empirical study that explored the influence of work-family balance on American women’s participation in the IT workforce by using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). In doing so, we summarize a work-family balance study presented in greater detail in Quesenberry, Morgan, and Trauth (2004) and Quesenberry, Trauth, and Morgan (2006) that articulates the ways in which individual and environmental factors influence female responses to issues of work-family balance.

Family-friendly practices, high-performance work practices and work–family balance

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Ronda ◽  
Andrea Ollo-López ◽  
Salomé Goñi-Legaz
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Family Friendly ◽  
High Performance Work Practices ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family

Purpose This paper aims to establish to what extent family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices are positively related to work–family balance and to identify the role played by job satisfaction and working hours as mediators of this relationship Design/methodology/approach We use data for a representative sample of almost 17,000 employees of dual-earner couples from European countries. To test the mediation mechanism implied by our hypotheses, we follow the procedure outlined in Baron and Kenny (1986). Given the nature of the dependent variables, ordered probit and regression models were estimated in the analysis. Findings The results show that, in general, family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices increase work–family balance and that these positive relationships are partially mediated by job satisfaction and working hours. While both family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices increase job satisfaction, only the first increase working hours. Moreover, job satisfaction increases work–family balance, while working hours reduces it. The net effect of these opposing forces on work–family balance is positive. Research limitations/implications The use of secondary data posits some constraints, such as the type of measures and the failure to control for a higher number of family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices. Additionally, the non-longitudinal nature of the data set implies that some relationships cannot be considered causal in the intended direction. Practical implications Managers should implement family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices, as, in general, they increase work–family balance. A significant portion of this positive effect is channeled through job satisfaction and working hours. Originality/value The paper contributes to understanding the relationship between different subsets of human-resources management practices and work–family balance, proposing a model that aims to disentangle the mediating mechanisms through which this relationship occurs.

Work-family balance of female parliamentarians in Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ummu Markwei ◽  
Michael Kubi ◽  
Benedicta Quao ◽  
Esther Julia Attiogbe
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Political Careers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Healthy Work ◽  
Female Employees ◽  
Work Family

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the challenges female parliamentarians in Ghana face in their attempt to balance their professions and families. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study which explores the nature of strain female MP’s in Ghana encounter in their struggle to achieve a work-life balance. Findings It is concluded that most female parliamentarians in Ghana go through tough times in trying to juggle career with family life. The study revealed that the MPs adopt strategies such as prioritizing roles, limiting official duties at home and using social support to help them cope with the pressures of their roles. The organizational policies put in place to aid female employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance did not yield much result for the participants in this study. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in it being the first study that qualitatively explores the complex challenges female parliamentarians face in their political careers and family lives in Ghana.

Work to family, family to work conflicts and work family balance as predictors of job satisfaction of Malaysian academic community

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mizanur Rahman ◽  
Noor Azman Ali ◽  
Amer Hamzah Jantan ◽  
Zuraina Dato' Mansor ◽  
Md. Saidur Rahaman
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to confirm that work to family conflict (W to FC), family to work conflict (F to WC) and work family balance (WFB) are the predictors of job satisfaction (JS) for Malaysian academic community. To achieve the fundamental objective, the authors first test the direct (structural model) effects of W to FC and F to WC on JS. Secondly, using mediation model, the indirect effects of WFB were calculated through W to FC, F to WC and JS. Design/methodology/approach Using convenience sampling, the data was collected from 280 academic people who work at private universities in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling technique was applied to complete the data analyses procedures. Findings The findings revealed that W to FC and F to WC have negative significant effects on JS. Besides, WFB partially mediates only the relationship between W to FC and JS while no mediation effect was found for F to WC and JS. Research limitations/implications All the research variables in this study were individual-level variables, thus it is suggested to use some organizational and national level variables such as religion and culture as they might be good intervening variables for predicting JS. Practical implications Using the findings of this research, the Malaysian private universities community can take some necessary initiatives to mitigate work family conflict (W-FC) and ensure WFB and JS that might enhance the standard of higher education in Malaysia. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to test the mediation effect of WFB in the relationship between both directions of W-FC and JS of employees from the perspective of Malaysia (a collectivist community).

scholarly journals Work-Family Balance, Participation in Family Work and Parental Self-Efficacy in Chilean Workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Andrés Jiménez Figueroa ◽  
Verónica Gómez Urrutia ◽  
Gonzalo Palomo-Vélez
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Family Work ◽  
Private Organizations ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Gender Patterns ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Impact

The article analyzes differences regarding work-family balance, participation in family work, and parental self-efficacy in workers (N=300) in Chile according to their sex and their status as income providers. Three instruments (Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen, Questionnaire of Participation in Family Work, and the Parental Evaluation Scale) were applied to workers from public and private organizations. Our results show that participation in family work is positively related to work-family balance, while the latter, in turn, is positively associated with parental self-efficacy. Furthermore, sex and being the main income provider in the household shows differential effects in both participation in family work and perception of parental self-efficacy. These results, we conclude, suggest the persistence of some elements of traditional gender patterns. This underlines the need to examine organizational policies from a gender perspective and to analyze the impact of public policy on organizational practices.

Great expectations in academia: realistic job previews on jobs and work-family balance

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 457-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Ridgway O'Brien ◽  
Michelle R Hebl
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Great Expectations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Realistic Job Preview ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Realistic Job Previews ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Job Previews ◽  
Work Family

Purpose – This study aims to foster work-family balance goals by evaluating the utility of two types of video-based realistic job previews on creating accurate expectations among future academics. Design/methodology/approach – The first realistic job preview divulged information specific to jobs in academia. The second divulged work-family balance information specific to academia. Participants viewed one of the two realistic job preview conditions or a third control condition in which they did not watch a realistic job preview. Participants then indicated their knowledge about job and work-family characteristics in academia and their changing expectations. Findings – Results supported both types of realistic job previews as a way to communicate information about academia, and individuals also expressed changing their own expectations as a result of viewing the realistic job previews. Originality/value – This study implemented a classic tool – the realistic job preview – to communicate work-family balance information in a new and dynamic way.

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