The inextricable ties between work and family have been extensively studied, however, with both societal and organizational change there is a continuing need for organizational research to elucidate the effects work can have on family, individual, and job well-being. Through three studies, this body of work demonstrates the role of supervisors, psychological contextual factors, and workplace work-family resources for improving employee and spouse family well-being and employee psychological and job well-being. This dissertation drew upon data from the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) and the Work-family Health Network (WFHN). Study 1 investigated the link between a supportive supervisor training and employee and spouse ratings of spouse and parent-child relationship quality at 3 and 9 months, while examining the moderating effects of baseline stress. Results revealed that the supportive supervisor training is associated with improved spouse reports of spousal relationship quality 3 months following the training. Additionally, results suggested that the training protects against employee and spouse declines in relationship quality under conditions of higher baseline employee stress. Study 2 examined the daily within and between-person link between work-to-family conflict (WFC) and affective well-being for employees and their spouses, with a focus on how daily family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) can protect against WFC associated declines in mood. Findings from Study 2 revealed that daily WFC is related to declines in both employee and spouse mood at the within and between-person levels, however the associations between WFC and spouse mood are nuanced. Specifically, employee WFC was associated with spouse positive mood at the within-person level, but with spouse negative mood at the between-person level. Furthermore, FSSB protected against daily within-person WFC associated declines in employee positive mood. Study 3 utilized a novel theoretical integration of COR theory and climate framework, multi-level methodology, and a time-lagged design in order to elucidate the relationships between supervisor work-family views, unit-level work-family resources (e.g., FSSB and schedule control), and individual well-being. Results revealed that positive supervisor views about flexible work arrangements (FWA) for employees was associated with higher unit levels of FSSB, and that unit level FSSB and schedule control were both strongly related to subsequent employee burnout. Additionally, supervisor FWA was indirectly associated with job-burnout via FSSB. These three studies drew upon multi-level, multi-time points, and multi-source data to further work-family literature and theory, and demonstrate the importance of work-family resources for protecting employees and their families from stress related resource loss. The unique contributions of this dissertation and future directions are discussed.

From 1948 to 2015, there was a dramatic increase of mothers in the workforce. The literature demonstrates that mothers tend to work outside of the home while also maintaining most of the domestic roles. However, the literature does not address how these women are able to balance their roles. There is a gap in the literature concerning the relationship between locus of control, perceived supportive factors, income size, and work-life balance for working mothers. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to fill that gap as measured by Rotter's Internal- External Control Scale, Satisfaction with Work and Family Balance Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), income size, and demographic information. The work and family border theory and the social learning theory were used as the theoretical frameworks. This online study used Facebook to recruit 164 working mothers between the ages of 18-50 with children under the age of 18. Correlations, t tests, and linear regressions were used to analyze the data. The results showed no significant relationship between loci of control on work-life balance. However, perceived support was associated with work-life balance and predicting work-life balance. This study is intended for employers, program developers, and mental health professionals in their efforts to support working mothers in gaining work-life balance. The social change implications of this study are to increase understanding of work-life balance, reduce mental health risks associated with imbalance, decrease job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, isolation, and increase universality and normalcy of the working mother experience.

Senior leaders who fail to implement work-life balance strategies may experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. This single case study explored employers' strategies for improving employee work-life balance. The population for the study included 4 senior leaders of a hospice care agency in North Carolina who successfully implemented employee work-life balance strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and from the review of company documents, website, and social media pages. The conceptual framework for the study was the transformational leadership theory. The trustworthiness of interpretations was supported by member checking. Four themes emerged from inductive analysis of the data: a supportive work environment promotes employee work-life balance, leadership trust is key to the success of employee work-life balance, work-life balance programs minimize stress and improve employee job satisfaction, and flexibility and remote work options increase employee work-life balance. Implementing work-life balance strategies in an organization may increase employee morale, employee productivity, and quality of work life. The application of the findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by providing insights for senior leaders on the implementation of strategies to achieve work-life balance to increase workplace sustainability and meet the physiological and psychological needs of employees as well as contribute positively to the communities and the organizations served.

Abstract not available

In recent years, a growing body of research has examined the issue of work–life balance (WLB). WLB initiatives have been developed by organisations, not only to aid employees in leading healthier and more satisfying lives, but to attract and retain talent. One area where WLB issues have not been examined in detail is from the perspective of Chinese immigrant women. As one of the largest and growing Asian ethnic groups, the WLB issues faced by Chinese women are especially worthy of being examined and addressed. The primary purpose of this research was to explore the WLB experience of Chinese women in administrative roles at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). It also aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on WLB issues for minority ethnic groups and investigated Chinese women’s coping strategies for integrating work with their non-work roles. An exploratory qualitative case study approach was adopted for this study in order to compare and contrast organisational initiatives and policies for WLB with women’s experiences. A triangulated research design was also employed to glean qualitative data by virtue of multiple methods including archival evidence such as publicly available documentation, secondary research on WLB and AUT’s WLB policies, and semi-structured interviews. This study involved 12 Chinese female administrative staff and three staff members from the Human Resource Department (HRD), the Asian Staff Network (ASN) and the AUT Branch of Tertiary Institutes Allied Staff Association (TIASA). Participants were recruited by utilising sources such as the Asian Staff Network (ASN) and the researcher’s network of contacts within AUT. The findings of the study indicated that Chinese women’s WLB experience and ways of handling work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC) were affected by their experiences of immigration and cultural backgrounds. In particular, their family situation had a critical influence on the way they organised their households and arranged for childcare or eldercare. Child/elder care responsibilities, personal/family emergencies, and personal/individual sacrifice engendered tensions around their ability to integrate WLB. In addition, work factors such as heavy workloads, meeting deadlines, and working longer hours, and cultural barriers caused emotional stress and physical consequences. While informal support from managers and colleagues and the WLB policies offered by the university helped women address their WLB issues, some policies were underutilised. A variety of coping strategies such as family members, win-lose strategies, time management, building clear boundaries, changing mindsets, and demonstrating commitment were actively adopted by Chinese women as mechanisms to cope with tensions between their work and family lives. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the theory and practice of WLB.

'Corporate warriors' and 'company animals' are common terms used to describe Japanese sarariman ( salarymen ), the former referring to salarymen as the samurai of Japan's post - war economic miracle and the latter suggesting servile creatures of Japanese corporations. This thesis explores Japanese salaryman masculinity, that is, the 'hegemonic masculinity' in Japan. The study collects the life - histories of 39 men across three generations of salarymen, so that the oldest men in my sample were in their 70s and the youngest in their 20s. While research on Japanese masculinities has expanded rapidly in recent years, no other study, to the author's knowledge, explores generational changes. This generational approach allows exploration of maintenance of and changes in hegemonic masculinity over time. This thesis pays attention to the phases of salarymen's lives. In the period of growing up, participants were continually confirmed in their self - worth through a hierarchy grounded on age and gender in the settings of the family, school and neighbourhood. Across the three generations, participants grew up in a homosocial and heterosexual world, barely mixing with the opposite sex and focusing on educational outcomes for successful careers after their schooling. Despite their immersion in comradeship, most participants ensconced themselves comfortably in the institution of marriage. While a few unconventional families emerged in the sons' generation, the traditional gendered division of labour is reproduced across the three generations. Many participants rejected equal opportunities for women in the workforce and participated very little in housework and childcare, claiming that providing the family income was their 'childcare'. Participants understood themselves as corporate warriors, or elite male workers, rather than company animals. Nevertheless, some young respondents evinced a tinge of jealousy for increasing number of ' freeters ' ( part - time workers ). Moreover, several men in the grandfathers' generation regretted their current minimal contact with their children and grandchildren as a result of their absence from home while children were growing up. Thus Japanese salarymen in this study expressed aspects of both the corporate warrior and the company animal in reflecting on their experiences. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Social Sciences, 2006.

<p>The study is a qualitative survey with the purpose to through interviews with Employment Office social workers examine their perception of possibilities and obstacles in the employment market for immigrants. This purpose is specified through two specific problems; how are cultural and ethnic affiliations portrayed in relation to what is perceived as Swedish in the communication with Employment Office social workers and whether they reckon that the specifications in the employment market are pragmatically or normatively motivated. The materials are presented using a social constructivist perspective and in relation to previously conducted research and our chosen theory. The results are presented and analyzed in themes. The main conclusions drawn from the interviews are that it primarily is the individual prerequisites that are central, but that structural factors also affect the entry into the employment market. The interviewees refer to the specifications as being reasonably formulated, but that there are also implicit norms that determines the outcome of the recruitment process. Moreover, the Employment Office social workers are affected by the Swedish cultural context they work within, and that they experience ambivalence around the fact that employers assume a Swedish norm. This could conceal the competences of the unemployed and thus be excluding.</p>

<p>The work-life balance is currently in vogue among governments, organizations as well as researchers. Higher managers in organizations all over the world are exposed to significant pressures in their jobs, which further influence the balance between their work and private lives, job satisfaction and overall well-being. In this thesis, we apply a different perspective on the topic of work-life balance than most of the previous scientific research. We have focused on the governmental, organizational and individual factors that affect the work-life balance of higher managers and the consequent influence on their job satisfaction and overall well-being.</p><p>The objective of this study is to contribute to the work-life balance research by exploring the fit between companies’ human resource practices and higher managers’ actual perceptions and needs. In order to gain different perspectives, our empirical research consists of a series of interviews with both HR managers and members of higher management.</p><p>The key findings in terms of the factors influencing higher managers are reported. They suggest that the individuals are influenced by several aspects. The responsibility for personal work-life balance does not only lie on individuals themselves, but the organizations and governments play an important role in treating this issue as well.</p>

<p>Syftet med denna undersökning var att ta reda på vilken betydelse stöd och uppmuntran upplevdes ha i arbetslivet för rådmän, om det fanns en skillnad beroende på kön, samt vilka faktorer som upplevdes vara viktiga för hälsan och arbetsklimatet. Sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med tre kvinnliga och tre manliga rådmän. Resultatet, som överensstämde med tidigare forskning, visade att det sociala behovet av stöd från kollegor och närmaste chef upplevdes ha störst betydelse för både kvinnor och män. Positivt för hälsa och arbetsklimat upplevde både kvinnor och män var att trivas på arbetet, ha kollegialt stöd med ett öppet arbetsklimat samt möjlighet till flexibilitet. Slutsatsen blir att socialt stöd och kollegor är viktigt för att individer ska må bra i arbetslivet.  </p>

<p>Syftet med denna studie var att jämföra ensamstående och gifta/samboende mammors syn på arbetsliv, familjeliv och hushåll samt konflikterna mellan dessa. En enkät lämnades till kvinnor på två förskolor och mailades även till en grupp deltagare, varav 64 svarade. Resultatet visade signifikanta skillnader mellan grupperna; ensamstående mammor upplevde större konflikter angående de nämnda områdena än gifta/samboende mammor. Resultatet visade även att ju sämre upplevd ekonomi, desto större konflikter gällande dessa områden. Upplevd ekonomi visade sig vara en viktigare faktor än civilståndet. Stress över sin ekonomi kanske även bidrar till stress på andra områden. Orsaken till att ensamstående mammor upplever mer konflikter kan bero på att de inte har någon att dela ansvaret med när det gäller familj, hushåll och ekonomi.</p>