Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The old belief that work and life are two separate, conflicting issues no longer holds true for companies that wish to establish a sustainable competitive advantage. Because of the transformation of global markets and the changing demographics of the workforce, the benefits of work-life balance for employees and employers can no longer be ignored. The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether the use of work-life balance enhancing practices leads to increased organisational benefits and improved employee morale. The study identified numerous benefits of efficient work-life balance practices for employees as well as employers and established that the existence of work-life balance practices enhances organisational benefits and employee morale. The research question was addressed through the use of a self-developed structured questionnaire consisting of a list of written questions. The survey was carried out using an online questionnaire and targeted professionals in permanent paid employment in South Africa. In answer to the research objectives, the outcomes of the survey suggest that work-life balance is decreased as a result of an increase in work-life conflict. Work-life conflict may be aggravated by an increase in stress levels, work commitments impacting negatively on time available for leisure activities or family responsibilities, and an increase in the number of hours worked. The existing corporate culture and related negative perceptions surrounding employees making use of work-life balance initiatives, may further add to the conflict between work and life. The results of the survey indicated that not having effective work-life balance practices in a company may negatively impact on organisational aspects such as reduced job satisfaction, poor retention; increased absenteeism and more negative spill-over from life to work. The absence of work-life balance practices may affect employee morale adversely as a result of a decrease in well-being due to a lack of balance; poor health due to stress and feeling over-worked; an increase in work-life conflict; more negative spill-over from work to life; and an increase in work-life conflict due to an increase in working hours. Based on survey results, improved productivity, better recruitment and enhanced career commitment were not directly affected as a result of a lack of work-life balance practices. To realise the full benefits that effective work-life balance practices have to offer requires a paradigm shift away from a focus on policy to a process approach which involves examining the nature of paid work as well as the underlying assumptions in an effort to uncover innovative ways of altering these to benefit organisations, employees and societies more holistically. It is hoped that this research will help encourage the debate of exploring a social sustainability methodology that questions some of the existing assumptions of competitive capitalism which value economic growth for its own sake regardless of related social issues. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die historiese oortuiging dat werk en lewe „n aparte, teenstrydige vraagstuk is, is nie langer geldig vir maatskappye wat hoop om „n volhoubare kompeterende voordeel daar te stel nie. Die voordele wat werk-lewe balans vir werknemers sowel as werkgewers inhou, kan nie langer geïgnoreer word te midde van die veranderende wêreldwye marklandskap asook veranderinge in die demografie van die werksmag nie. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om vas te stel of die gebruikmaking van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke tot verhoogde organisatoriese voordele en verbeterde werknemermoraal lei. Die studie het verskeie voordele van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke vir werknemes en werkgewers geidentifiseer. Dit het ook vasgestel dat die bestaan van praktyke wat werk-lewe balans aanmoedig, voordele inhou vir die organisasie sowel as werknemermoraal. Die navorsingsvraag is aangespreek deur „n selfontwikkelde gestruktureerde vraelys wat bestaan uit „n lys van skriftelike vrae. Die opname is uitgevoer met behulp van 'n aanlynvraelys en het professionele mense in permanent betaalde werk in Suid-Afrika geteiken. Na aanleiding van die navorsingsdoelwitte, het die uitkomste van die opname daarop gedui dat werk-lewe balans afneem as gevolg van „n toename in die werk-lewe konflik. Werk-lewe konflik word vererger deur „n toename in stresvlakke, werksverpligtinge wat „n negatiewe impak het op tyd beskikbaar vir ontspanning of gesinsverantwoordelikhede, en „n toename in die aantal ure gewerk. Die bestaande korporatiewe kultuur en verwante negatiewe persepsies rondom werknemers wat gebruik maak van werk-lewe balans inisiatiewe, kan verder bydra tot die konflik tussen werk en lewe. Die resultate van die opname het aangedui dat die afwesigheid van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke in „n maatskappy mag „n negatiewe impak hê op organisatoriese aspekte soos verlaagde werksbevrediging, swak retensie, verhoogde afwesigheid en meer negatiewe oorloopgevolge tussen lewe en werk. Die afwesigheid van werk-lewe balans praktyke kan werknemermoraal nadelig beïnvloed as gevolg van „n afname in welstand weens „n gebrek aan balans; swak gesondheid as gevolg van stres en „n gevoel van oorwerk; „n toename in werk-lewe konflik; meer negatief oorloopsgevolge tussen werk en lewe; en „n toename in die werk-lewe konflik as gevolg van „n toename in werksure. Gebaseer op die resultate van die studie, was verbeterde produktiwiteit, beter werwing en verbeterde loopbaan toewyding nie direk beïnvloed deur „n gebrek aan werk-lewe balans praktyke nie. Om die volle voordele van effektiewe werk-lewe balanspraktyke te realiseer, verg „n paradigmaskuif weg van „n fokus op beleid na „n benadering wat die aard van betaalde werk ondersoek, sowel as die onderliggende aannames, in „n poging om innoverende maniere van die verandering hiervan te ontbloot tot voordeel van organisasies, werknemers en gemeenskappe. Daar word gehoop dat hierdie navorsing sal help om die debat aan te moedig wat die moontlikheid van „n sosiale volhoubaarheid metodologie wat sommige van die bestaande aannames van mededingende kapitalisme, wat ekonomiese groei bo alles nastreef, ongeag verwante sosiale kwessies sal ondersoek. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / Wolosin, 2003). Female officers are often overlooked in military QOL research, however they face the same, if not more difficult work/family conflicts than their civilian counterparts or their male military compatriots. Data from the 2002 Navy Quality of Life Survey were used to examine life domains where work/family conflict has the greatest impact on retention. Hierarchical regression was used to identify life domains (e.g., family factors, job experiences, job satisfaction, and commitment) that are key drivers of retention intent among female Naval officers. By identifying areas that are strongly related to female officer retention intentions, policymakers can explore developing strategies to support female officers, such as family support programs, mentoring programs, or professional support networks. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

The individual's ability to balance between family and work depends on social support from the individual's environment. Social support has been shown to be an important source for an individual's well-being. The purpose of this study was to study Family-to-Work Conflict (FWC) in Sweden in order to discover: which preferences have participants regarding the sources of social support during the FWC: society, family, work? A questionnaire based on the WAFCS scale was answered by 350 participants between 18-65 years who were living in Sweden, of whom 172 women. Participants reported a low level of FWC, partly explained by their life priorities and social support from the society. Despite this they did not consider society as a primary source of support. Results showed that the family is no longer a single cause for the FWC but accepted by the participants as an important supportive source. During the study gender and age-related differences were also found.

Changes in workforce demographics, employee sentiments, and working conditions have increased attention on employees' needs to balance the demands of work life and family life. Despite apparent growing interest among companies to be responsive to these needs, the number of companies demonstrating high levels of work-family responsiveness is relatively small. The frameworks of resource dependence theory and institutional theory were used to develop a model to explain differences in work-family responsiveness among for-profit companies. The theoretical models were tested on survey data collected through a stratified random sample of 692 for-profit companies. The data were further enhanced with secondary data sources. While the institutional model explained more variance in work-family responsiveness than the resource dependence model, a model combining both theories best explains work-family responsiveness among for-profit companies. High industry-region diffusion of family-friendly benefits was one of several strong predictors of work-family responsiveness. Also, the greater the proportion of professionals in a company's industry, the greater was the level of work-family responsiveness. Companies that measured effectiveness outcomes were more likely to offer family-friendly benefits. The same was true for companies with more positive assessments regarding the impact of their family-friendly benefits. Organizations that were large, publicly traded, or had human resource departments also demonstrated greater levels of work-family responsiveness. Future research should include variables introduced in this study and should expand the range of variables as to include other theoretical perspectives. Policy makers for companies, advocacy groups and government leaders will find the results of this study beneficial. Companies operating in environments characterized by strong diffusion of family-friendly benefits among similar companies will be well served by developing policies and programs that conform to these norms. Advocates and government leaders should understand that recent interest in work-family responsiveness is unlikely equally benefit all sectors of employment.

This diploma thesis deals with thema of harmonization of family and working duties in women at managerial positions. Background is drawn from the area of psychology of work and organization in theoretical part and from personal experiences of manager women in empirical part. The thesis analyzes the meaning of work in nowdays society, its changes and raising work demands in each individual. Next there are underlined themes of woman in management and social expectations from woman. Used strategies in 7 women were investigated with hep of qualitative research with usage of semistructured interview in real conditions. The thesis draws conclusion that spousal support, supportive family background, a need of self-fulfillment at work, use of flexible working time arrangements and the use of modern technologies are crucial points. Discovered data were recorded and women feelings emerging from building their careers and gaining work success as well. Keywords work, woman, management, harmonization of work and family life, leadership, children

The current study aimed to contribute to research in the areas of Sex-Role Identity (SRI) and Work-Family Conflict (WFC), as no research to date has examined how socially desirable and socially undesirable SRI‟s effect this inter-role conflict. The EPAQ-R was used to examine a differentiated model of SRI and Carlson et al.‟s WFC scale measured the bi-directional nature of WFC. This study made use of a cross-sectional, exploratory research design with 268 working mothers participating in this research. Under the COR framework and social constructionist theory, this study demonstrated that sex-role personality traits serve as resources that influence individual experiences of WFC. Results from a series of one and two-way ANOVA‟s indicated that socially desirable SRI‟s were associated with lower WFC than their undesirable counterparts. The results from this study provide support for the differentiated model of SRI. The practical and theoretical implications of this research are presented in this study.

Thesis advisor: Maureen E. Kenny / Work can be a very satisfying experience; for many people, work defines a large piece of their identity. Yet work sometimes intrudes into other aspects of our lives in ways that are problematic. Work-family conflict results when the needs of the family and the needs of the workplace cannot both be met, because the time and effort required by one of these roles makes it difficult to fulfill the other. When it is present in people's lives, work-family conflict can have negative effects on physical and psychological health and the overall quality of life. Certain personality characteristics and learned skills can mediate or exacerbate the effects of work-family conflict. A family systems perspective aids in understanding the many ways in which work-family conflict can affect and can be affected by different subsystems and family members. Finally, the employer has a role in mediating work-family conflict by creating formal programs and fostering an organizational culture that help people to reduce or eliminate work-family conflict in their lives. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Education, Lynch School of. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / “The obligation for working-mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one did not have a job.” – Annabel Crabb, Author of The Wife Drought Women play a vital role in organisations, yet world-wide remain under-represented in key leadership positions. South Africa is no different. In addition, research indicates that professional women are ‘opting-out’ of the talent pipeline, further reducing the pool of women available to step in to senior leadership roles. Becoming a mother is life-changing, and when combined with a desire for a fulfilling career, role-conflict can occur. The guilt which accompanies role-conflict can often be overwhelming and may lead to professional women exiting organisations, taking with them valuable industry knowledge and expertise. Hence, retaining female talent is increasingly becoming a business imperative. This study aims to contribute to the field of Business Coaching by researching Maternity ‘Transition’ Coaching in an organisational context. As such, the study explored four research questions aimed at providing a systemic view of the experiences of professional women during the maternity transition period, the line manager’s role during this period, the influence of organisational culture on working-mothers, and the emergence of maternity transition coaching as a support mechanism in organisations. Following a detailed review of the literature, the research methodology of a qualitative, multiple-case study approach was selected. Two organisations (cases) were researched using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 15 respondents, as the primary sources of data collection. The research was further supported by an analysis of secondary data, both of which allowed for a full investigation of the research questions. The key findings indicated that maternity transition coaching is a strategic necessity for organisations wishing to attract and retain female talent in the 21st Century. Transitional theory along with an understanding of life and career stages are important aspects of this genre of coaching. Coaching increased support at critical transition points, leading to the retention of the professional women in the study along with a more seamless re-integration with their careers. Further, it surfaced that line managers play a critical role in a successful maternity transition, and as such also require support. It was further concluded that a family-friendly organisational culture is an enabler to a successful maternity transition. Maternity transition coaching therefore supports professional women in their desire for a satisfying career and work-life integration. / MT2017

Canada has an urgent need for more engineers to support its infrastructure, advance technology, and solve increasingly complex human, economic, and environmental problems. Women have often been identified as a resource who can provide new perspectives, solutions, and innovations. While women’s participation in engineering programs has increased over the last 50 years, their participation rate in the workforce has not, keeping engineering as a male-dominated occupation. Despite challenges, women graduates have entered the engineering workforce, but often they have not stayed. The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore the early career experiences of engineering graduates to identify patterns shaped by the graduates’ gender. Applying feminist lenses to the most recent data on Canadian graduates available at Statistics Canada and utilizing advanced quantitative methods, we study BEng graduates from Canadian universities. This study provides a broader understanding of the phenomenon of women’s underrepresentation in engineering and presents findings that can help retain more women in the occupation. Three samples of BEng graduates with over of 10,100 participants were included in this study to answer three main research questions: a) are there gender differences in the duration of job search and types of jobs these graduates obtained after graduation?; b) are there gender differences in job satisfaction among young engineers?; c) are there gender differences in the intention to look for another job once in a first engineering job? Themes and subthemes relevant to women’s underrepresentation in the occupation are found to help answer these questions. Recommendations for policy and future research are discussed.

Occupational stress has become a world-wide epidemic exacting severe tolls on both businesses and employees alike. Of all the workplace stressors, the perceived dangerousness of one's job is ever present within the occupation of corrections. The current study examined the mediating process of perceived stress on the relationship between perceived dangerousness of the job and the negative employee well-being outcomes of work-family conflict and symptoms of psychological distress, as well as the moderating effects of family supportive supervisor behaviors on this process. As part of a larger study, survey data were collected from 1,370 state correctional officers. It was hypothesized that perceived stress would fully mediate the relationship between perceived dangerousness of job and the negative well-being outcomes and that family supportive supervisor behaviors would moderate this mediation such that increased levels of family supportive supervisor behaviors would mitigate the negative well-being outcomes. The mediation hypotheses were not found to be supported. However, family supportive supervisor behaviors were found to moderate the relationship between perceived dangerousness of the job and work-to-family conflict. Additionally, family supportive supervisor behaviors were found to moderate the relationship between perceived stress and physical symptoms of psychological distress.