Over the past fifteen years, Manitoba’s aggressive immigration strategy has brought thousands of newcomers to the province, many of whom relocated with spouses and families. The proposed study aims to explore the struggles and successes that immigrant women face when they relocate to Manitoba primarily for their partners’ work opportunities, with the intention of informing education and settlement services for these women. The study adopts gender role theory as the main theoretical framework, exploring assumptions and the impact they might have on the relationships and decision making of couples who immigrate to Manitoba (Mincer, 1978). Data collection techniques include a semi-structured interview and email communication. The findings will illuminate the experiences and perspectives of immigrant women who relocate with their partner or spouse to Manitoba, and may inform the work of educators, policy makers, settlement services, and dual-career consultants who support this population.

This thesis investigates the experiences of Malaysian dual-career couples combining career and family. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were used to collect data from 23 dual-career couples. The findings indicate that being in a dual-career relationship impacts upon how they perceive the family’s provider role; career priorities; how decisions are made; and how family work is divided. The experiences described by the participants reflect their gender role ideologies and the salience of family and work roles. The results also reveal how interaction between partners can shape their ideologies and role salience, in addition to how religious and cultural values influence their gender attitudes. A number of challenges faced by the couples are identified. The supports and strategies that help them cope with housework, childcare and work demands are also critiqued. The thesis also highlights the implications of the government and organization’s policies and support to the couples and the kind of policies and support that the couples would like to see introduced. The similarities and differences between dual-career couples in the Malaysian context compared with the West are explored. Additionally, the findings extend the use of gender role ideology and role salience theories to develop an understanding of the couples’ experiences. A summarizing framework of their experiences based on the analysis is presented. In summary, the thesis firstly fills a gap in the dual-career couples’ literature which has previously focused upon Western couples only. Secondly, the study has examines the utility of gender role ideology and role salience as a framework to understand the context of dual-career couples. Thirdly, the current research also makes an important methodological contribution in a Malaysian context. Finally, it provides some recommendations for the government and organizations in Malaysia in terms of policies that promote work-family balance and gender equality for dual-career women.

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Magister Commercii - MCom / Research indicates that approximately fifteen years ago there were over three (3) million dualcareer couples representing 20% of dual-worker couples. It is expected that the amount of dual-career couples will continue to increase, as most college students, both men and women, anticipate participating in a career as well as in a family (Spiker- Miller & Kees, 1995).Individuals and organizations are confronted with a hyper turbulent environment and individuals are also faced with a myriad of challenges and adversity in their work and personal lives. Due to the economy and the changing needs of individuals, today very few families reflect the configuration of a typical family (a husband who worked outside the home, a wife who fulfilled the duties of homemaker and child-carer), as both partners are normally employed. The dual-career couple phenomenon has added to the pressure of managing multiple demands and has a considerable impact on the nature of people's careers(Greenberg & Baron, 2003). Dual-career couples‘ career advancement is largely affected by the career barriers they perceive to encounter. The perceptions of career barriers encountered differ from one couple to another based on factors such as: age, race and parental demand(children). Differences may also exist between partners in a dual-career relationship based on their gender.Most studies that have been conducted have looked at work-life balance of dual-career couples or have focused on the problems dual-career couples face solely from the woman‘s perspective. The aim of this study is to look at dual-career couples not only from female‘s perspective and to tap into their perceptions regarding career barriers encountered in the workplace. The findings could help organisations realize the importance of assisting dualcareer couples and how they could improve their career development. Dual-career couples therefore warrant attention as a special group seeing as the career salience, strategies and transitions of one partner inevitably affects those of the other, which could also have repercussions for their employers (Smith, 1997).A self-developed Demographic Questionnaire and the Career Barriers Inventory (Revised) was used to gather the data. The research was conducted within a large retail organisation. The sample comprised of men and women, permanent and contract employees within the following departments: Human Resources, Marketing, Logistics, Finance, Group Merchandise Procurement (GMP), Buying, Sourcing, Audit, Planning and Group Services.The sampling procedure that was utilised was non-probability sampling. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics (Frequencies, Means and Standard deviations) and inferential statistics (T-Test and Analysis of variance). The study revealed that the most highly rated career barriers which respondents perceived to experience or which affected their career advancement were multiple-role conflict, decisionmaking difficulties, sex discrimination and racial discrimination. Whilst, the career barriers which were rated the lowest by respondents included disapproval by significant others, disability/health concerns and discouraged from choosing non-traditional careers.Furthermore, the findings indicated that the perceptions of dual-career couples based on gender regarding career barriers in the workplace is partially accepted because there are statistically significant differences regarding the perceptions amongst females and males in terms of lack of confidence as a career barrier. The hypothesis proposing that there are significant differences in the perceptions of dual-career couples who have and those who do not have children, is partially accepted, as there was a statistically significant difference regarding disapproval by significant others. The findings for the perceptions of dual-career couples based on race regarding career barriers in the workplace is partially supported because significant differences were found for the following career barriers: difficulties with network/socialisation, lack of confidence and race discrimination based on employees‘ race.Lastly, significant differences in the perceptions of dual-career couples based on age regarding career barriers in the workplace was rejected, as no significant differences regarding career barriers based on employees‘ age were found.Amongst others, a limitation of this study is evident. The study may lack generisability as the sampling procedure used was non-probability sampling and only included those employees who were easily accessible. Additionally, a quantitative study was used by making use of questionnaires, but no observation or interviews were used. The present study also only focuses on the differences in perceptions of dual-career couples, based on biographical factors such as; gender, age, number of children (parental demands), race and age. Ideally all research should have a broad speck of people or participants, to ensure higher generalizability.In an effort to deal with the limitations of the current study, the following are recommended, future research should use a large proportionate stratified random sample as this would allow the findings to be reliably generalised to the population. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative methodology would help to develop detailed understanding of dual-career couple‘s and their differences in perceptions of career barriers.It is important for organisations to have continuous negotiations with employees in order to integrate the demands of the organisation and the career needs of its employees. Furthermore,they should respond to the shifting demographics by adopting voluntary policies such as alternative work schedules and child and elder care assistance to help workers meet family needs, which in turn will be beneficial to the organisation by attracting and retaining the best talent.

Significant shifts in social ideology and legislation have brought about considerable changes in work and family dynamics in the Western world, and the male as breadwinner-wife as homemaker model is no longer the norm. However, despite increasingly gender egalitarian ideals, the division of labor among dual-earner couples tends to adopt a "neo traditional" once children are born, where women devote more time to family labor and men spend more time in paid employment Although asymmetrical divisions of labor have clear workplace and societal consequences in terms of women's earnings, organizational advancement, and inequality, the effects on individual well-being are not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to apply the theoretical lens of person-environment fit to examine how misfit between dual-earner couples' pre-child division of labor preferences and post-child actual divisions of labor relate to affective (career, marital, and family satisfaction) and health-related (depression and physical health symptoms) well-being. Additionally, several conditions were posited to temper the strengths of these relationships (domain centrality, gender, voice in division of labor decision making, and satisfaction with the current division of labor). Participants were 126 dual-earner couples with small children, and hypotheses were testing using polynomial regression analyses. The results suggested that congruence between an individual's own pre-child desires for the division of paid labor and the actual post-child division of paid labor relates to his/her own career and marital satisfaction, depression, and physical health symptoms. Congruence in the family domain is also important, as desire-division of family labor fit related to affective sentiments toward family and one's spouse. With the exception of career satisfaction, these relationships were curvilinear, such that deviations in either direction from perfect fit related to poorer well-being. On the other hand, there was little evidence for spousal effects, as dual-earner well-being did not relate the congruence between division of labor abilities and spousal demands. Finally, evidence of moderation was only found in a few cases, and none were consistent with prediction, highlighting the need for future research on the contextual conditions of P-E fit in the dual-earner context.

No description available.

Este estudo pretendeu investigar como a variável trabalhar fora interfere na constituição do lugar da mãe para o filho. Utilizamos uma metodologia de pesquisa de campo, de natureza qualitativa a partir do estudo comparativo de seis famílias da classe média paulistana. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-dirigidas com os casais e com as crianças aplicamos o Procedimento de Desenhos de Família com Estórias, proposto por Walter Trinca (1997). Nosso estudo procurou articular o conhecimento advindo da história da trajetória da família burguesa, com os aportes oferecidos pela análise dos desenhos e entrevistas com as famílias inseridas nesse contexto, contando também com o auxilio do substrato teórico da psicanálise. Nossos dados apontaram que o fato da mãe trabalhar fora, enquanto fator isolado, não parece discriminar entre os dois grupos. Verificamos que os fatores mais importantes têm relação com a constituição da conjugalidade e da parentalização. Outro aspecto identificado esteve associado à possibilidade de um pai participativo, esse aspecto demonstrou ter forte relação com a satisfação conjugal, igualmente influente na percepção da criança sobre seu lugar na família / This study aimed to investigate how the variable \"out-of-home work\" affects the constitution of the place of the mother to the child. We used a methodology of field research, qualitative in nature, from the comparative study of six middle-class families in São Paulo. We executed semi-directed interviews with the couples and applied the Procedure of Family Drawings with Stories, proposed by Walter Trinca (1997), with the children. Our study sought to articulate the knowledge gained from the history of the trajectory of the bourgeois family, with contributions offered by the analysis of drawings and interviews with the families inserted within this context, also counting on the help of the theoretical basis of psychoanalysis. Our data showed that the mothers that work out of home, as an insulated factor, does not seem to discriminate between the two groups. We found that the most important factors are related to the establishment of conjugality and parenthood. Another aspect identified was associated with the possibility of the participation of the father. This aspect has demonstrated a strong relationship with marital satisfaction, equally influential in the child´s perception of his place in the family

Este estudo pretendeu investigar como a variável trabalhar fora interfere na constituição do lugar da mãe para o filho. Utilizamos uma metodologia de pesquisa de campo, de natureza qualitativa a partir do estudo comparativo de seis famílias da classe média paulistana. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-dirigidas com os casais e com as crianças aplicamos o Procedimento de Desenhos de Família com Estórias, proposto por Walter Trinca (1997). Nosso estudo procurou articular o conhecimento advindo da história da trajetória da família burguesa, com os aportes oferecidos pela análise dos desenhos e entrevistas com as famílias inseridas nesse contexto, contando também com o auxilio do substrato teórico da psicanálise. Nossos dados apontaram que o fato da mãe trabalhar fora, enquanto fator isolado, não parece discriminar entre os dois grupos. Verificamos que os fatores mais importantes têm relação com a constituição da conjugalidade e da parentalização. Outro aspecto identificado esteve associado à possibilidade de um pai participativo, esse aspecto demonstrou ter forte relação com a satisfação conjugal, igualmente influente na percepção da criança sobre seu lugar na família / This study aimed to investigate how the variable \"out-of-home work\" affects the constitution of the place of the mother to the child. We used a methodology of field research, qualitative in nature, from the comparative study of six middle-class families in São Paulo. We executed semi-directed interviews with the couples and applied the Procedure of Family Drawings with Stories, proposed by Walter Trinca (1997), with the children. Our study sought to articulate the knowledge gained from the history of the trajectory of the bourgeois family, with contributions offered by the analysis of drawings and interviews with the families inserted within this context, also counting on the help of the theoretical basis of psychoanalysis. Our data showed that the mothers that work out of home, as an insulated factor, does not seem to discriminate between the two groups. We found that the most important factors are related to the establishment of conjugality and parenthood. Another aspect identified was associated with the possibility of the participation of the father. This aspect has demonstrated a strong relationship with marital satisfaction, equally influential in the child´s perception of his place in the family