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.

Understanding the "Mommy Tracks"

2011 ◽  
pp. 164-181
Author(s):  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Eileen M. Trauth ◽  
Allison J. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Career Decisions ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Gender And It

Despite the recent growth in the number of women in the American labor force, women are still underrepresented in the IT workforce. Key among the factors that account for this under-representation is balancing work-family issues. This article presents a framework for analyzing work-family balance from a field study of women employed in the American IT workforce. The findings are examined through the lens of the individual differences theory of gender and IT to show the range of ways in which work-family considerations influence women’s IT career decisions. The framework is used to support the theoretical argument that women exhibit a range of decisions regarding career and parenthood: the non-parent, the working parent, the back-on-track parent, and the off-the-track parent. These findings illustrate an identifiable theme that crosses geographical regions and timeframes; societal messages are complex and difficult to digest and are processed in different ways by different women, yet they contribute to the decisions women make about their professional and personal lives.

scholarly journals Work and Family: The Perception of Balance Among Female Teachers in Northern Malaysia

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azelin Aziz ◽  
Artemis Chang
Keyword(s):  
Working Women ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
Traditional Gender Role ◽  
Female Teachers ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Role Demands

Women’s participation in paid employment has become a common scenario even in non-western developing countries. For example in Malaysia, the trend is growing although the traditional gender role remains strong in Malaysian society. Even though working, women are still expected to assume major responsibilities at home. Thus, as opposed to men, women in this society face the challenge to satisfactorily balance work and family. This study was carried out to explore how Malaysian women perceive the meaning of a balanced work-family life. Sampling women teachers, the interview findings revealed that work-family balance was mainly perceived in terms of an individual’s ‘ability to fulfill role obligation’ appropriately in both the work and family domains. A few participants also viewed balance in the context of role satisfaction and role interference. Overall, the results support the assumption in the literature that perceptions of work-family experience are not universal, rather, the construct of work-family balance is culture-specific.   Keywords: Work-family interface, cross-culture, role demands.

Work Family Balance: Challenges, Experiences, and Implications for Families

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph G. Grzywacz ◽  
◽  
Abdallah M. Badahdah ◽  
d Azza O. Abdelmoneium
Keyword(s):  
Family Life ◽  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family

A key objective of the study of work-family balance detailed in this report was to build an evidence base to inform policy creation or refinement targeting work-family balance and related implementation standards to ensure the protection and preservation of Qatari families. Two complementary projects were designed and implemented to achieve this key objective. The first project was a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 20 Qatari working adults (10 males and 10 females). The interviews were designed to learn the meaning of work-family balance among Qataris, identify the factors shaping work-family balance or the lack thereof, and collect firsthand detailed information on the use and value of policy-relevant work-family balance sup - ports for working Qataris. The second component was a survey designed to describe work-family balance among working Qatari adults, determine potential health and well-being consequences of poor work-family balance, and characterize Qataris’ use of and preferences for new work-family balance supports. The data from the qualitative interviews tell a very clear story of work-family balance among Qataris. Work-family balance is primarily viewed as working adults’ ability to meet responsibilities in both the work and family domains. Although work-fam - ily balance was valued and sought after, participants viewed work-family balance as an idyllic goal that is unattainable. Indeed, when individuals were asked about the last time they experienced balance, the most common response was “during my last vacation or extended holiday.” The challenge of achieving work-family balance was equally shared by males and females, although the challenge was heightened for females. Qataris recognized that “work” was essential to securing or providing a desirable family life; that is, work provided the financial wherewithal to obtain the features and comforts of contemporary family life in Qatar. However, the cost of this financial wherewithal was work hours and a psychological toll characterized as “long” and “exhausting” which left workers with insufficient time and energy for the family. Participants commented on the absolute necessity of paid maternity leave for work-family balance, and suggested it be expanded. Participants also discussed the importance of high-quality childcare, and the need for greater flexibility for attending to family responsibilities during the working day. Data from the quantitative national survey reinforce the results from the qualitative interviews. Work-family balance is a challenge for most working adults: if work-fam - ily balance were given scores like academic grades in school, the majority of both males and females would earn a "C" or lower (average, minimal pass or failure). As intimated in the qualitative data, working females’ work-family balance is statistically poorer than that of males. Poor work-family balance is associated with poorer physical and mental health, with particularly strong negative associations with depression. It appears the Human Resource Law of 2016 was effective in raising awareness of and access to paid maternity leave. However, a substantial minority of working Qataris lack access to work-family balance supports from their employer, and the supports that are provided by employers do not meet the expectations of the average Qatari worker.

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 Factors Impacting Work Family Balance of Working Mothers

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-190
Author(s):  
Arri Handayani ◽  
Tina Afiatin ◽  
M. G. Adiyanti ◽  
Fathul Himam
Keyword(s):  
Working Mothers ◽  
Research Result ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Working Mother ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Women's Role ◽  
The Individual

Most working women find it difficult to get work-family balance because when they are in one domain, the other suffers. Work-family balance will be useful for organization, family, and the individual himself. This research was aimed at finding out factors that influence workfamily balance of working mothers in Semarang, using descriptive qualitative method. The research subject was selected using purposive technique with informant characteristics as follow: working mother, working husband, living together with husband, and having child under 18 years old. Based on the research result, it was revealed that there are six factors influencing work-family balance, either from internal or external factors. Internal factors that influence work-family balance are commitment, understanding towards women’s role, and individual’s character. Meanwhile, external factors that influence work-family balance are social support, either from husband, family, supervisor, or colleagues, the presence of a child, and working autonomy.

scholarly journals Usklajevanje delovnega in družinskega življenja: vidik spola

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmina Žnidaršič ◽  
Mojca Bernik
Keyword(s):  
Work Organization ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Work Organizations ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
More Care ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual

With the growth of the family, in which both parents are working or single parents, and on the other hand the growing demands of work organizations, the extension of working hours and the requirement to be constantly on call, the harmonization of work and family life is becoming increasingly difficult. Work-family balance is important for both the individual and the work organization, as it affects job satisfaction, engagement, productivity and also less employee turnover. Work-family balance is influenced by many factors, one of the most important is gender. Although men also face difficulties in work-family balance, research shows that women are still the ones with more work-family conflicts, as they take more care of children and household chores. The contribution based on previous literature and previous research presents the situation in the field of work-life balance in Slovenia from the gender point of view of. The results of a survey conducted among 343 employees in Slovenian companies were also presented, as well as possible improvements proposed at the level of both organizations and the state.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document