Work-family balance and cultural dimensions: from a developing nation perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farveh Farivar ◽  
Roslyn Cameron ◽  
Mohsen Yaghoubi
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Hofstede’S Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Work Family

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between cultural dimensions and the roots of work-family balance issues in a developing non-Western cultural context. Drawing upon Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, the study suggests national cultural dimensions can shape the roots of work-family balance. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was distributed among employees of 12 companies operating in the health industry. The survey collected both quantitative and qualitative data through two separate approaches: seven-point Likert scales and open-ended questions. The data were analyzed via thematic exploratory analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Findings – The quantitative data confirms the extant literature in relation to the negative effects of moonlighting, economic hardship and the absence of a comprehensive work-family balance strategy on employee work-family balance. The qualitative data proposes a new variable, weak social interaction, which becomes the most important roots of work-family imbalance at both work and family domain. Practical implications – The present study suggests certain cultural dimensions such as high power distance hinders social interactions in the work and family domains, thereby increasing levels of work conflict, family conflict, and stress. Findings suggest organizations, especially multinationals, need to be cognizant of the role of cultural dimensions on human resource management practices related to work-family balance. Originality/value – Very little literature addresses the impact of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions on work-family balance issues. The present study has contributed to the existing body of literature by introducing a new variable (weak social interaction) as an antecedent of work-family imbalance. Further, the study is the first in Iran that has collected qualitative data to investigate work-family balance issues.

scholarly journals Mediators of transformational leadership and the work-family relationship

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Hammond ◽  
Jeanette N. Cleveland ◽  
John W. O'Neill ◽  
Robert S. Stawski ◽  
April Jones Tate
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Support ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which leaders influence follower’s work-life management. Specifically, the authors propose that personal (positive affect), social (managerial support for work-family balance), and job (autonomy) resources mediate the relationships between transformational leadership and work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment. Design/methodology/approach – The sample included 411 managers in 37 hotel properties across the USA. Findings – The relationship between TL and WFC was mediated by autonomy, positive affect and managerial support for work-family balance, whereas the relationship between TL and WFE was mediated by managerial support for work-family balance and positive affect. Research limitations/implications – This study constructs a foundation for future integration of leadership and work and family literatures. It also provides preliminary support for work-family enrichment theory (Greenhaus and Powell, 2006), as well as the value of examining leadership through a resource-based perspective. Practical implications – Interventions designed to enhance leadership may be effective not only in the workplace, but also for reducing WFC and promoting enrichment. Originality/value – This study is the first to directly examine the effect of transformational leadership and both WFC and enrichment. Further, it specifies mediating variables that underlie these relationships.

scholarly journals Work-Family Balance or Greedy Organizations?

2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosaria Burchielli ◽  
Timothy Bartram ◽  
Rani Thanacoody
Keyword(s):  
Family Conflict ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Conflicting Demands ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Family Demands ◽  
Work Family

This paper re-examines the concept of work-family balance by analyzing qualitative data from interviews conducted with Australian senior female staff and managers at a major metropolitan bank and a large, regional hospital. Extant research suggests that managers and staff in senior roles, who have greater autonomy and discretion than other employees, are better able to balance their work and family demands. This paper finds evidence for work-family conflict among participants, who perceive they have “no balance” and must make many personal sacrifices to meet the conflicting demands of work and family. Our findings are confronted with the greedy institutions framework which provides a suitable metaphor to understand the role of organizations in supporting the dual demands of work-family.

scholarly journals Leader beliefs and CSR for employees: the case of telework provision

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 609-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Mayo ◽  
Luis Gomez-Mejia ◽  
Shainaz Firfiray ◽  
Pascual Berrone ◽  
Veronica H Villena
Keyword(s):  
Work And Family ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Important Message ◽  
Family Friendly ◽  
Managerial Beliefs ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Executive Officers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of top leaders beliefs in the importance of work-family balance as a key determinant in explaining the adoption of social practices oriented toward internal stakeholders, focussing on home telework as one of these practices. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 2,388 top executive officers reported the senior leaders belief favoring work-family balance by completing a new scale developed for this purpose asking how much key decision makers were convinced of the value to employees of supportive family-friendly HR practices, modeled how to balance work and family life, and felt a personal commitment to implement family-friendly practices. They also reported the firm’s provision of telework and organizational characteristics such as industry, multinational status, and firm size. Findings – Regression analyses revealed that firm’s provision of telework is more pervasive when its top leaders believe in the importance of work-family balance, even after controlling for firm context (industry, geographical dispersion, and size). More importantly, the authors also find that managerial beliefs augment the positive effect of instrumental factors on the provision of home telework. Practical implications – For practitioners, the most important message is that, while contextual and organizational features are important in the choice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices for employees, the conviction of senior leaders is absolutely essential. Originality/value – This study contributes to the leadership and CSR literature by suggesting that top leaders play a catalyst role in contexts where telework is instrumentally valued. If we conceive CSR for employees as not driven solely by utilitarian logic, it requires a different paradigm that includes leadership motives.

scholarly journals The work–family balance of British working women during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toyin Ajibade Adisa ◽  
Opeoluwa Aiyenitaju ◽  
Olatunji David Adekoya
Keyword(s):  
Role Conflict ◽  
Role Theory ◽  
Working Women ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Role Differentiation ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected women in unique gender-specific ways, particularly their traditional status as home managers. This study aims to draw on the role theory to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's work–family balance during the lockdown.Design/methodology/approachThe current COVID-19 pandemic, which has altered the ways in which we live and work, requires specific methodological tools to be understood. The authors, therefore, opted for an interpretive–constructivist and constructivist–phenomenologist approach. The dataset, thus, comprises of semi-structured interviews with 26 working women in the UK.FindingsThe findings illustrate how the COVID-19 lockdown has intensified British women's domestic workload and has, thus, caused unbridled role conflict, which has further been exacerbated by structural and interactional roles undertaken by women, especially during the lockdown. Remote working has contributed to women's role congestion and role conflict and poses severe challenges to role differentiation. Furthermore, we found that the lockdown has facilitated the rediscovery of family values and closeness, which is connected to the decline in juvenile delinquency and low crime rate that has resulted from the lockdown.Originality/valueThrough the lens of the role theory, this study concludes that the cohabitation of work and family duties within the domestic space undermines the ability to achieve work–family balance and role differentiation due to the occurrence of inter-role conflicts. This study enriches our understanding of the effect of remote working on female employees' work–family balance during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

scholarly journals Please, Do Not Interrupt Me: Work–Family Balance and Segmentation Behavior as Mediators of Boundary Violations and Teleworkers’ Burnout and Flourishing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7339
Author(s):  
Vânia Sofia Carvalho ◽  
Alda Santos ◽  
Maria Teresa Ribeiro ◽  
Maria José Chambel
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Boundary Violations ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

The lockdown, in the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered an external crisis that evokes innumerous changes in individuals lives. One of the changes is the work and family dynamics. Based on boundary theory we examine the mediated role of work and family balance and boundary segmentation behavior in the relationship between boundary violations and teleworkers’ stress and well-being. However, because women and men live their work and family differently, gender may condition the way teleworkers lead with boundary violations and boundary segmentation. Hypotheses were tested through moderated mediation modeling using data collected of 456 teleworkers during lockdown. In line with our expectations, teleworkers who have suffered most boundary violations were those with least boundary segmentation behaviors and with least work-family balance which, in turn was related to higher burnout and lower flourishing. Furthermore, gender was found to moderate the relationship between boundary violations from work-to-family and segmentation behavior in the same direction and this relationship was stronger for females than for males. We discuss implications for future research and for managing teleworkers, creating sustainability, both during a crise and stable days.

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.

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.

Enhancing Work—Family Balance Research in Family Businesses

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Stafford ◽  
Michael J. Tews
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
Family Research ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Integrate Research

Rothausen thoroughly reviews the literature on work—family balance in traditional workplaces and provides a useful framework for determining a healthy balance between work and family in a family business context. This article addresses Rothausen’s contributions to enhancing work—family research in family businesses, and it specifies areas for further research using a fit model. Work family scholars have the potential to integrate research in economics, sociology, and psychology and so help form interdisciplinary teams to conduct research on family businesses.

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