A systematic review of work-life integration and role of flexible work arrangements

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourabh Kumar ◽  
Sankersan Sarkar ◽  
Bhawna Chahar
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Policies ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Future Research Agenda

Purpose The growing demands of work and life have shifted the concept of work-life balance to work-life integration (WLI). The success of integration depends upon the flexibility to perform the duties. This paper aims to explore the factors that affect WLI and the role of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) in the process of WLI. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review was used to explore the concept of WLI and FWAs. A bibliometric analysis was carried out with Bibexcel and VoSviewer. Findings This paper explained the organizational and personal factors that create the demand for WLI. The FWAs, perceived flexibility, technology and self-efficacy have important roles in WLI. The result of WLI can be enrichment or strain, depends upon how effectively the work-life domains are integrated. Originality/value This paper explores the work-life from both personal and organizational views. The findings of this paper will be useful to design the organizational policies and work arrangements that match the requirements of employees and organizations. This paper helps to develop the future research agenda of investigating the relations of WLI to performance, organizational policies and personal factors.

There is a time and a place for work: comparative evaluation of flexible work arrangements in Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Dilmaghani
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Job Motivation ◽  
Nationally Representative

PurposeUsing the Canadian General Social Survey of 2016, a large nationally representative dataset, the present paper compares different types of flexible work arrangements in their associations with employee wellbeing and organizational outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe dataset contains 7,446 observations. Informed by the past scholarship, eight outcomes of job satisfaction, work-life balance satisfaction, organizational belonging, job motivation, perceived advancement prospects, perceived job security, workplace social capital, and turnover intentions are investigated.FindingsFirst, employees with both flextime and flexplace, and only flextime, have a significantly higher job and work-life balance satisfaction. Second, the possibility of working from home without any discretion over timing does not elicit positive wellbeing outcomes. Third, the results show that the combination of flexplace and flextime is synergistic. Fourth, rather unexpectedly, the positive associations of the FWAs with work-life balance satisfaction are stronger among men and women without dependent children. Finally, there are significant positive associations for the combination of flexplace and flextime, and flextime alone, with other outcomes, such as organizational belonging and job motivation, especially among men.Practical implicationsGiven the nonrandom assignment of the workers into the FWAs, the results only reflect ceteris paribus correlations.Originality/valueThis is the first Canadian study of flexible work arrangements, using a large nationally representative dataset.

Flexible Work Arrangements: A Human Resource Development Tool to Reduce Turnover

2021 ◽  
pp. 152342232098293
Author(s):  
Marvin Bontrager ◽  
M. Suzanne Clinton ◽  
Lee Tyner
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Employee Development ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Black Swan ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Development Tool

The Problem. An increasing number of organizations are experiencing concerns from employees regarding work-life balance. Organizations that have chosen to implement formal flexible work arrangements (FWAs) have experienced reluctance from their employees to participate. COVID-19 has forced the hand further toward FWAs, and created additional work life balance concerns. The Solution. FWAs present an opportunity for organizations to address work-life balance concerns, especially amid the black swan event of COVID-19. Implementing FWAs provides opportunity for organizations to reduce turnover and facilitate employee development through work life balance programs. The Stakeholders. The informal processes of FWAs should receive due attention by HRD practitioners and scholars alike.

Intention to use flexible work arrangements

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1438-1460
Author(s):  
Eun Jung Ko ◽  
Sang Soo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
Personal Life ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in motivations to use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) in Korea. Design/methodology/approach Based on a literature review on theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study considers four motivational factors that influence the intention to use FWA: motivation for personal life, motivation for productivity, peer behaviour and concerns about career disadvantages. Survey response data drawn from 92 male and 105 female Korean workers were used to analyse differences by gender. Findings As for the male respondents, all four motivational factors have a significant effect on the intention to use FWA. However, in the female respondents, the effects of concerns about career disadvantages on the intention to use FWA are not significant. The results of gender differences analysis show that significant difference was not found in the effect of motivation for personal life on the intention to use FWA while the other three motivational factors have significant differences by gender. Research limitations/implications In this research, basing its conceptual background on TPB, a novel approach is taken by introducing motivational factors as the antecedents of intention to use FWA. This is a more systematic view on individuals’ behavioural mechanism relating to the intention to choose FWA. It is also meaningful in that this study looks at the intention to use FWA from a broader perspective by suggesting gender differences as critical analysis criteria given the uniqueness of Korean labour market. Practical implications For an effective operation of FWA, it is important not only to launch a flexible working programme itself, but also to ensure that the users are properly understood and fairly evaluated. Originality/value Considering the motivations of utilising FWA from various angles will contribute to coming up with various measures to raise the use and effectiveness of FWA.

scholarly journals Flexible Work Arrangements and Their Impact on the Employee Performance of Egyptian Private University Employees: (A Case Study on the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport)

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Eshak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to analyse the impact of flexible work arrangements on the employee performance of employees in private Egyptian universities in Alexandria, mediated by work-life balance (applied to the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport). institutions to retain talented people, raise the efficiency of employee performance, and thus raise the efficiency of institutional performance and competitive capabilities of organizations. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method and the questionnaire as a tool for data collection, to measure the impact of flexible work arrangements (focusing on reducing working hours, benefits provided to employees, work policies towards parenting) on the work-life balance, and the extent of the impact of all this on raising the efficiency of employees' employee performance. A stratified random sample of 423 employees was used, and the data collected was analysed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. The findings revealed a positive relationship between flexible work arrangements (reduced working hours, benefits provided to employees, and work policies toward parenting) and employee performance, as well as a positive relationship between flexible work arrangements and work-life balance, as well as a positive relationship between work-life balance and employee performance, and the researcher recommends implementing such policies.The recommendations also include the need to review current labour laws before legislators, and update them in line with contemporary technological development and the requirement to achieve a balance between the requirements of life and work. This study also recommends the adoption of reducing working hours as one of the flexible work policies offered by organisations to employees. The study concludes that flexible work arrangements and programmes are in fact a competitive tool that organisations can use to increase loyalty, improve performance, achieve commitment and job satisfaction, which enhances the organization's productivity.

scholarly journals “Family-Friendly” Jobs and Motherhood Pay Penalties: The Impact of Flexible Work Arrangements Across the Educational Spectrum

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Fuller ◽  
C. Elizabeth Hirsh
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Wage Gaps ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Educational Groups ◽  
Wage Penalties ◽  
Face Time ◽  
The Impact

This article focuses on how flexible work arrangements affect motherhood wage penalties for differently situated women. While theories of work–life facilitation suggest that flexible work should ease motherhood penalties, the use of flexibility policies may also invite stigma and bias against mothers. Analyses using Canadian linked workplace–employee data test these competing perspectives by examining how temporal and spatial flexibility moderate motherhood wage penalties and how this varies by women’s education. Results show that flexible work hours typically reduce mothers’ disadvantage, especially for the university educated, and that working from home also reduces wage gaps for most educational groups. The positive effect of flexibility operates chiefly by reducing barriers to mothers’ employment in higher waged establishments, although wage gaps within establishments are also diminished in some cases. While there is relatively little evidence of a flexibility stigma, the most educated do face stronger wage penalties within establishments when they substitute paid work from home for face time at the workplace as do the least educated when they bring additional unpaid work home. Overall, results are most consistent with the work–life facilitation model. However, variability in the pattern of effects underscores the importance of looking at the intersection of mothers’ education and workplace arrangements.

Chasing productivity demands, worker well-being, and firm performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1823-1843
Author(s):  
Mastura Ab Wahab ◽  
Ekrem Tatoglu
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of chasing productivity demands on worker well-being and firm performance in manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Flexible work arrangements and human resources support are used as moderators to mitigate the adverse impacts associated with chasing productivity demands.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 213 workers from manufacturing firms through a survey questionnaire utilizing structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of the study show that flexible work arrangements play a significant role in moderating the relationship between chasing productivity demands and well-being, and between chasing productivity demands and firm performance. The study also shows that flexible work arrangements are important to buffer the adverse effects of chasing productivity demands on worker well-being. In addition, flexible work arrangements strengthen the positive effect of worker well-being on firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the importance of flexible work arrangements in overcoming the negative impact of the relationship between chasing productivity demands and worker well-being and strengthening the positive impact of the relationship between worker well-being and firm performance.Originality/valueThis study has extended the variable of chasing productivity demands in the existing literature on the job demands–job control model, specifically in manufacturing firms.

Stresses and Successes

Women's Work ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 139-158
Author(s):  
Zoe Young
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Paid Work ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Professional Work ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Part Time

This chapter explores the events and outcomes after a year of combining motherhood and professional work using part-time and flexible work arrangements for the 30 women interviewed in this study. None of the women were unequivocal about the benefits or otherwise of using flexible work arrangements as a work–life reconciliation strategy. A near universal experience was that the working pattern the women had embarked upon when they were first interviewed was not the pattern they were working a year later. All but 4 of 30 women had made further adjustments to the time, timing, or location of their paid work. What women identify as the drivers of those further adjustments reveals much about the level of support for flexible work arrangements in important jobs at the pivotal stage in careers when women's progress to the top of large organisations slows down.

scholarly journals The role of career shocks in contemporary career development: key challenges and ways forward

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-466
Author(s):  
Jos Akkermans ◽  
Ricardo Rodrigues ◽  
Stefan T. Mol ◽  
Scott E. Seibert ◽  
Svetlana N. Khapova
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Current State ◽  
Conceptual Clarity ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis article aims to introduce the special issue entitled “the role of career shocks in contemporary career development,” synthesize key contributions and formulate a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe authors provide an introduction of the current state-of-the-art in career shocks research, offer an overview of the key lessons learned from the special issue and present several important avenues for future research.FindingsThe authors discuss how the special issue articles contribute to a better understanding of career shocks' role in contemporary career development, focusing on (1) conceptual clarity of the notion of career shocks, (2) career outcomes of career shocks, (3) mechanisms that can explain the impact of career shocks and (4) interdisciplinary connectivity.Originality/valueThis article offers a synthesis of the critical contributions made within this special issue, thereby formulating key ways to bring the field of career shocks research forward. It also provides new avenues for research.

Factors Affecting the Choice to Participate in Flexible Work Arrangements

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dreike Almer ◽  
Jeffrey R. Cohen ◽  
Louise E. Single
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Assurance Services ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Work Family

Assurance services firms have attempted to mitigate turnover and personnel shortages by offering flexible work arrangements (FWAs) to their professional staff. Little is known however, about what factors affect whether these professionals choose to adopt a FWA. This study examines factors potentially associated with both intentions to adopt and ultimate adoption of a FWA for a sample of seniors, managers, and partners at two national and one regional assurance services firms. Results indicate that intentions to adopt a FWA are significantly affected by the importance of opinions of workplace referents, family considerations, and gender. A marginally significant effect was also found for likelihood of organizational support and work consequences. A subset of these factors was found to affect actual adoption of a FWA. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the human resources department of assurance services firms striving to create an appropriate work/family balance for their professionals as well as suggesting avenues for future research.

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