Academic mothers as “ideal workers” in both the US and Finland

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-21
Keyword(s):  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Family Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Environments ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Us ◽  
Leave Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Maternity Leave Policy

Purpose The purpose was to explore how women academics in Finland and the US experience academic motherhood, how they time their pregnancy, and the ways in which the 10;different policy environments shape their decisions and experiences. Design/methodology/approach The interviewer collected data through 10;semi-structured, long interviews with 67 academic mothers, 33 in Finland and 34 in the US. They were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed for themes. Findings In Finland, the insecurity of fixed-term contracts and the growing influence of the neoliberal “ideal worker” concept influenced decisions despite the generous work-family policies of the Government. In the US, meanwhile, concerns about age-related infertility had a bigger impact than career risks. One thing the US and Finnish women had in common was a feeling of being under pressure to maintain their presence at work while on maternity leave. Originality/value Cross-cultural studies of academic motherhood are rare. The choice of Finland and the US was instructive because of the different work-family policies in place. Finland has some of the most generous family leave policies in the world, whereas the US has not yet seen a federal, paid maternity leave policy.

Historical policies affecting women’s military and family roles

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 427-446
Author(s):  
Erika Lee King ◽  
Diana M. DiNitto
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Family Roles ◽  
Family Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Participation Research ◽  
Volunteer Force ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The US military depends on women to meet recruiting goals, but women participate at lower rates than men. Theorists suggest that military and family policies affect women’s lower participation. Research has confirmed the impact of policy changes on women’s military service during specific time periods. The purpose of this paper is to examine how and when military policies affecting women developed over the course of history, exploring two related hypotheses: first, when women’s military participation is vital, policies affecting their military and family roles punctuate in tandem, and second, cultural values impact policy solutions to reconcile women’s roles. Design/methodology/approach Punctuated equilibrium and a women’s military participation theory informed the hypotheses. US Census and Defense Department data were used to identify periods of service when women’s military participation was vital. Historical policies were mapped and analyzed to identify policy patterns and themes affecting women’s military participation 1895–2015. Findings Evidence supports both hypotheses. When women are needed during wartimes, policies simultaneously encourage their service and regulate their family roles. However, policies evolved from separating servicewomen’s roles prior to the 1970s (e.g. prohibiting motherhood), to supporting their families (e.g. maternity leave) – a shift precipitated by sweeping changes in broader society and the military’s change from the draft to an All-Volunteer Force. Originality/value Findings elucidate the link between military and family policies affecting US women’s military participation and retention. Results may inform policy advocacy aimed at optimizing the US Department of Defense’s diversity efforts.

Academic mothers as ideal workers in the USA and Finland

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjukka Ollilainen
Keyword(s):  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Family Policies ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Women Academics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fertility Decisions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Academic Workforce

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how women academics experience academic motherhood in the USA and Finland, how they time their pregnancy in an academic career, and the ways in which the different policy environments and academic opportunity structures in each country shape the management of academic work and care work during maternity leave. Design/methodology/approach Data collection involved a snowball, convenience sample of semi-structured, long interviews with 67 academic mothers, 33 in Finland and 34 in the USA. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for emerging themes. Findings In both countries, women academics made fertility decisions by carefully deliberating their access to maternity leave, age-related concerns and the perception of job security. In Finland, the insecurity of fixed-term contracts and intensification of the ideal worker norm shaped fertility decisions and leave activities despite generous work-family policies. The US mothers’ timing of pregnancy was influenced by concerns of age-related infertility more than career risks. Women in both countries felt pressure to maintain presence at work even while they were on leave. Originality/value The paper addresses a paucity of comparative studies about motherhood (and parenthood) in the academe, an increasingly central question for today’s academic workforce.

scholarly journals Return to work after maternity leave: the role of support policies on work attitudes of women in management positions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Costantini ◽  
Stephan Dickert ◽  
Riccardo Sartori ◽  
Andrea Ceschi
Keyword(s):  
Family Conflict ◽  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Work Attitudes ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Family Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women In Management ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Management Positions ◽  
Work Family

Purpose This study aims to expand our knowledge on the processes through which work–family policies relate to work–family conflict as well as work–related attitudes among women in management positions returning to work after maternity leave. Design/methodology/approach A total of 238 women in management positions who recently have returned to work after maternity leave completed a self-reported questionnaire. Findings Results show that the availability of policies was either directly or indirectly positively related to work attitudes among female managers. Also, findings show that work–family conflict partially mediates the relationship between the availability of communication and psychological support and flexible time management policies with work engagement, and policy availability moderates the relationship between work–family conflict and work engagement. Originality/value Managers have a crucial role in conveying the value of work–family policies and in creating a culture supporting the management of work and family. By investigating the processes underlying the role of work–family policies in influencing work attitudes of women in managerial positions, this study sheds light on how the awareness of the available policies might be an important determinant of work-related well-being and organizational commitment.

Principal operators' farm risk attitudes in hot and cold climates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Zia Wahdat ◽  
Michael Gunderson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Risk Attitude ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Ordered Logit ◽  
Climate Classification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe study investigates whether there is an association between climate types and farm risk attitudes of principal operators.Design/methodology/approachThe study exploits temperature variation in the diverse climate types across the US and defines hot- and cold-climate states. Ordered logit and generalized ordered logit models are used to model principal operators' farm risk attitudes, which are measured on a Likert scale. The study uses two datasets. The first dataset is a 2017 survey of US large commercial producers (LCPs). The second dataset provides a Köppen-Geiger climate classification of the US at a spatial resolution of 5 arcmin for a 25-year period (1986–2010).FindingsThe study finds that principal operators in hot-climate states are 4–5% more likely to have a higher willingness to take farm risk compared to principal operators in cold-climate states.Research limitations/implicationsIt is likely that farm risk mitigation decisions differ between hot- and cold-climate states. For instance, the authors show that corn acres' enrollment in federal crop insurance and computers' usage for farm business are pursued more intensely in cold-climate states than in hot-climate states. A differentiation of farm risk attitude by hot- and cold-climate states may help agribusiness, the government and economists in their farm product offerings, farm risk management programs and agricultural finance models, respectively.Originality/valueBased on Köppen-Geiger climate classification, the study introduces hot- and cold-climate concepts to understand the relationship between climate types and principal operators' farm risk attitudes.

scholarly journals Job satisfaction and work–family policies through work-family enrichment

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 386-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Martinez-Sanchez ◽  
Manuela Perez-Perez ◽  
Maria-Jose Vela-Jimenez ◽  
Silvia Abella-Garces
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Family Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Work Family Enrichment ◽  
Family Enrichment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of a bundle of work–family policies on employee’s job satisfaction and (affective) organizational commitment, by using work–family enrichment and conflict as explanatory.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical study is conducted with a sample of 322 employees from 30 Spanish firms that have been granted with the “Flexible Firm Award” or have been certified as “Family Responsible Firms.” Structural equation modeling is used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that the higher the use of work–family policies the more positive effects on work–family enrichment and conflict, and that job satisfaction is positively related to (effective) organizational commitment.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a cross-sectional study which may limit the establishment of causal relationships.Practical implicationsWork–family policies may constitute a relevant management tool to balance work and family life by making employees more interested in their jobs, enhancing their well-being and reducing the conflicts between work and family domains. The positive role of work–family enrichment contributes to enhance employees’ job satisfaction and, at the same time, to increase their organizational commitment. Managers should pay attention at how work–family policies are justified because they may influence differently on their outcomes on satisfaction and commitment.Originality/valueThere are two main original contributions of the paper. First, the authors study the joint effect of work–family policies on different dimensions of enrichment and conflict. Second, the authors analyze the relationship between different dimensions of enrichment and conflict on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Puerto Rican shutdown would increase default fears

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us Congress ◽  
Federal Intervention ◽  
Congressional Vote ◽  
General Obligation Bonds ◽  
General Obligation ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government

Significance Puerto Rico is facing a severe fiscal crunch; its general obligation bonds are rated junk status and the government has said that a 2.9 billion dollar bond issuance -- at risk because of the congressional vote -- is required to prevent a shutdown in the next three months. Impacts There is little-to-no prospect of Puerto Rican statehood while Republicans control the US Congress. Puerto Rico would gain five representatives and two senators, likely to vote Democratic. However, this may encourage some Republicans to back federal intervention on debt, to ward off calls for statehood.

Iraq sees rising risk of a US-Iran clash in 2020

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Security Threats ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Military Action ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government ◽  
Warning Services

Significance These have caused the United States to begin the process of shuttering its Baghdad embassy -- while signalling that it could reverse the process if the government moves more aggressively against pro-Iran groups within the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) that are blamed for the strikes. Impacts Groups will step up attacks designed to lever the US-led coalition out of Iraq, while seeking to mask their identity. The United States will have greater latitude for military action to weaken Tehran in November or December, if it closes the embassy. Japanese, Saudi, Emirati and some European embassies relying on US evacuation and warning services might also be forced out. Washington might opt instead to downsize the embassy, which cannot operate normally due to COVID-19 and security threats. Even if the US embassy closed, some coalition military sites and the US consulate in the Kurdistan region would remain open.

Nicaragua pandemic downplaying is a political gamble

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government ◽  
Trade And Investment ◽  
Economic And Social Impacts ◽  
Opposition Parties

Significance Some initiatives have been introduced to help counter the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, but the government’s actions appear to be driven less by the need to address the health crisis than by a desire to shore up political support ahead of elections next year. Impacts Opposition parties are beginning to forge electoral alliances in the hope of benefitting from popular frustration with the government. Trade and investment into Nicaragua will remain minimal, with external firms wary about the potential prevalence of COVID-19. The outcome of the US presidential elections in November will affect the potential for US aid and investment.

Sudan's economic reform will prove challenging

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Reform ◽  
Foreign Investment ◽  
International Aid ◽  
Economic Hardship ◽  
Debt Relief ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Corruption ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government

Significance Bringing tangible improvements to the economy will be a major challenge for Sudan’s new transitional government. Economic hardship and anger over perceived government corruption were recurring causes of protests over recent years and could be again. Impacts The government will publicise its efforts to stabilise prices, although actually achieving this may prove elusive. Efforts to secure removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism will be a major focus, but this process will take time. Delisting would be welcomed by businesses and investors, and would boost debt relief prospects, but will not resolve underlying challenges. Significant new foreign investment will depend on the government’s performance, but fresh injections of international aid can be expected.

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