This study explored faculty members' perceived importance of family-friendly policies in academia, the extent to which faculty perceive academic institutions as having a social responsibility to make the academy more family-friendly, participants' endorsement of gender-biased norms, and whether the faculty members who participated in this study are considering "opting-out" of academia. Key constructs that were explored include: the ideal worker norm, the motherhood norm, the maternal wall, and bias avoidance. Methodological limitations and the implications for this study were discussed. The participants of this study were 243 female and male tenure-track and tenured faculty members from graduate departments from six nationally accredited, public, U.S. doctoral-granting research universities. The results indicated that although most faculty do not intend to "opt-out" of academia, a substantial proportion reported that they are considering leaving their current institution, or leaving academia entirely. Further, although faculty members' perceptions of whether a family-friendly policy is of personal importance varied, the overwhelming majority of respondents expressed support for such policies. Finally, on average, faculty members did not endorse gender-biased beliefs toward caregiving, with women being less likely to endorse such beliefs.

It is generally accepted among scholars that increases in descriptive representation result in increases in substantive representation. Although women's descriptive representation has increased in recent years, women are still underrepresented in politics. One reason for women's underrepresentation is that female candidates must overcome additional barriers in order to get elected, including on the low number of women in the pipeline to elected office, party gatekeeping, women's lower levels of political ambition, and voters' negative gender stereotypes about female candidates. Changes in women's descriptive representation and recent salience of women-friendly policies, such as abortion and paid maternity leave, has caused me to investigate whether implementation of these women-friendly policies result in an increase in women's descriptive representation. I assert that women-friendly policies reduce the barriers women must overcome to get elected to office. Specifically, the presence of more women-friendly abortion and paid maternity leave policies will result in an increase in women's descriptive representation at the state level. I find partial support for a relationship between these women-friendly policies and higher levels of women's descriptive representation. State-level abortion protections are associated with higher levels of women's descriptive representation in the state legislature.

Using a grounded theory approach, two case studies were carried out in large organisations which have recently implemented family-friendly policies. The studies asked whether or not cultural change has taken place as a result of the implementation of these policies. Using Shein's (1992) three level model and definition of culture, attention was focused on underlying assumptions or 'root' facets of organisational culture (and conceptual distinctions made between culture, image and identity). After establishing which facets are present and how they exist in combination with each other, shifts which have taken place as a direct or indirect result of the introduction of policies were identified. Especial interest was taken in the way the primacy of work was expressed through the ideal worker type and the extent to which this type has been replaced by the integrated worker type (Rapoport et al 2002), which acknowledges that family and other commitments are as legitimate as occupational demands. Both studies conclude that, as yet, there have been only slight adjustments in the construction of this ideal worker type and that employees do not make a permanent shift towards the integrated worker type but `toggle' between these two types. Explanations are developed for shifts in other cultural facets, such as the importance of autonomy, emphases on equality or individuation, sense of entitlement and attitudes to change. The utility of the notion of purposive cultural change is considered, given that high levels of anxiety are released when unconscious and shared mental structures are destabilised in such processes of organizational learning. The merits of a more evolutionary model are explored.

Abstract   Title: How parental leave policies influence employee engagement   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration   Author: Patrick Hammer and Rickard Palmgren   Supervisor: Tomas Källquist and Pär Vilhelmsson   Date: 2019 – June     Aim: Several studies have found that perceived flexibility and the ability to manage the demands of work and personal life are related to higher levels of employee engagement and expected retention. However, little research have been done to explore the relationship between parental leave (a component of work-life balance) and employee engagement and retention. The aim of this study is to increase the understanding about how parental leave influence employee engagement, and subsequent employee retention.   Method: This study is based on a social constructive and hermeneutic perspective. Empirical data was collected through 18 semi-structured interviews with employees in Sweden and the United States. The findings were compared to previous research with an abductive approach. Theoretical and empirical findings were combined and resulted in a new model based on the aim of this study.   Result & Conclusions: Our model illustrates how parental leave influence employee engagement and retention from an employee perspective. Parental leave was found to influence employee engagement and retention in four main ways (themes), which are relationship with manager, salary and career opportunities, alignment of values, and well-being.   Contribution of the thesis: From a theoretical perspective, the model we developed is useful as it highlights how employee engagement is influenced by parental leave policies. From a practical perspective, this model can be used by managers and leaders in organizations worldwide that are looking to understand drivers of employee engagement and how to increase employee retention.   Suggestions for future research: Further research is needed to test this model in different contexts to confirm its accuracy. For future research, this model can be tested from the manager or management perspective, which could identify new components that can be added to the model.   Key words: Parental leave, employee engagement, employee retention, work-life balance, family friendly policies

Work gets more seamless and the demand on workers increases because of changes in the labour market. Studies show benefits for workers and companies if the employee achieves a balance between work and family, a way to facilitate it is family-friendly policies. A study done by Unionen shows that three out of four white collar workers choose to vobba (working and caring for a sick child), which blurs the boundaries between work and family. Research on flexibility, organisational culture and gender structures shows how these aspects affect the balance between work and family. This is a study where seven white collar workers (three men) that vobbar and two managers (one man) were interviewed. The study adds deeper insights into how white collar workers and managers are experiencing vobb and the results suggest that they experience vobb as something positive to achieve a balance between work and family, but there is a risk of vobb being considered a constraint, creating a lack of boundaries where one is working almost all the time. / Förändringar på arbetsmarknaden gör arbetet mer gränslöst och ökar kraven på arbetstagarna. Studier visar på vinster för arbetstagare och företag om arbetstagaren uppnår balans mellan arbete och familjeliv, ett sätt att underlätta är genom familjevänliga policies. En undersökning genomförd av Unionen visar att tre av fyra tjänstemän väljer att vobba (jobba och vårda sjukt barn), vilket suddar ut gränserna mellan arbete och familj. Forskning om flexibilitet, företagskultur och könsstrukturer visar hur de påverkar balansen mellan arbete och familjeliv. Detta är en kvalitativ studie i form av intervjuer med sju tjänstemän (tre män) som vobbar och två chefer (en man). Studien tillför en fördjupad insikt i hur tjänstemän och chefer upplever företeelsen vobb och resultaten tyder på att de upplever vobb som positivt för att uppnå balans mellan arbete och familjeliv, men med en risk för att uppfattas som ett tvång och skapa en gränslöshet där man halvjobbar nästan hela tiden.

In Canada, new parents have access to maternity and parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Parental leave, which follows maternity leave, entitles new parents to 35 weeks of leave. Although both parents have access to parental leave, only a small percentage of fathers utilize it, despite the benefits for both fathers and their children. This gendered usage perpetuates the belief that family responsibilities are mothers’ responsibilities. This multi-level research study explored the organizational, manager, and employee characteristics that influence support for and use of parental leave by male employees. In 2012, seven large, Manitoba employers were recruited for participation and the sample included 550 male employees and 354 female and male managers. Data were collected using a structured interview at the organizational level and two self-administered questionnaires for managers and male employees. The hypotheses were tested using OLS regression and hierarchical logistic regression. Results indicated strong managerial support for parental leave use by men, although female managers were significantly more supportive than male managers. The strongest influence on support for parental leave use for both employees and managers was the personal use of parental leave. Male employees who perceived organizational family support and the view that men could take leave without negative career impact reported higher levels of perceived supervisory family support. Twenty-five percent of the sample had used parental leave, but those who had access to an Employment Insurance top up from their employer reported the highest leave use and the longest leave duration. Parental leave was extended from 10 to 35 weeks in 2000; the results indicate that fathers who had access to 10 weeks of parental leave were 80 percent less likely to report leave use, compared to those with access to 35 weeks of leave. Therefore, to increase fathers’ use of parental leave, organizations are encouraged to increase awareness and explicit support for parental leave, as well as offer a top up. To increase fathers’ leave use, future parental leave policy development should focus on both increasing wage replacement and the addition of a non-transferable leave for fathers, similar to that offered in Quebec.

Men and women are both faced with daily decisions that affect their families and their work. This paper will look at the overall satisfaction of employees as it relates to work &ndash life conflict. The concept has expanded as there are more responsibilities outside of the job setting that include volunteer commitments, personal development, home life and elder care. Since lifestyles have changed and there are significant pressures that all employees are facing, work &ndash life has become a significant benefit issue. Family &ndash friendly policies may help organizations to assist employees with balancing work and family. Conflict roles can spillover from the work domain to the family domain and from the family domain to the work domain. Time and technical connectivity are factors in work overload. Supporting employees could contribute to job satisfaction by offering alternative work schedules and family-friendly benefits. Organizations that offer flexible alternatives can engage employees and decrease job turnover.

AtkinsonThis study explores Work Life Balance (WLB) in two Palestinian organisations. It argues that the nature and content of WLB policies and the reasons for their adoption in many Arabic organisations differ from those in Western organisations. Additionally, research is under-developed concerning the role of line managers in interpreting access to WLB practices, and to what extent such WLB practices are accessed and utilised by individuals. Based on a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 49 employees and managers, this study shows that WLB policies involve, particularly for female employees, mainly family support, and financial, social, and religious benefits. These reflect cultural and religious characteristics of an Arab, Islamic country. In addition to identifying the role of government, and the needs of a female workforce, this study develops a new theoretical framework explaining the role of religious and cultural variables, as well as international networking of the organisations, as factors underlying adoption of WLB policies. Line managers often used Wasta, being the political and religious origin of individuals as criteria in granting benefits to individuals. WLB practices are useful for women, but males made less use of these practices, preferring strong ‘breadwinner Arabic cultural norms. A valuable contribution in understanding the extension of WLB policies in Arabic settings is offered, as well as cultural, social and religious reasons for their implementation. The study presents a theoretical model of the adoption and application of WLB policies which can be used in further crosscultural research.

Šis darbas yra orientuotas šeimos ir darbo sferų derinimą, kuomet moteris dirba pamaininį darbą. Pagrindinis jo tikslas - išsiaiškinti, ar pavyksta suderinti šeimos ir darbo sferas, kuomet moteris dirba pamaininį darbą ir kokiu būdu tai daroma. Pagrindiniai uždaviniai, kuriuos bandoma įgyvendinti darbe, yra išanalizuoti šeimai palankią politiką, taikomą Europoje, pristatyti darbo ir šeimos vaidmenų derinimo modelius, atskleisti su šeimos ir darbo pareigų derinimu susijusias problemas bei ištirti, ar šeimose, kuriose moteris dirba pamaininį darbą, yra šeimos ir darbo pareigų derinimas ir kaip tai vyksta. Tai atlikti padeda kiekybinių tyrimų metodas – apklausa raštu, t.y. anketavimas. Tyrimu buvo išsiaiškinta, kad moterys yra nepatenkintos dirbdamos pamaininį darbą, todėl yra susiduriama su inter – vaidmenų konfliktu, kuris rodo vieno arba kelių vaidmenų lūkesčių neatitikimą. Šiuo atveju konfliktai kyla dėl laiko, skiriamo šeimai stokos. Tačiau, kaip tyrimas atskleidžia, konfliktai sprendžiami atsakomybę už namų ūkį bei vaikų priežiūrą pasidalinant tarp moters ir vyro. Toks atsakomybės pasidalinimas rodo, kad derinant šeimos ir darbo sferas yra vadovaujamasi iš dalies sutampančių sričių modeliu (Jančaitytė, 2006) Taip pat tyrimu buvo atskleista, kad moterys yra patenkints, kaip skirstosi namų bei vaikų priežiūros darbus tarpusavyje, kadangi jų sutuoktiniai/partneriai rodo iniciatyvą užsiimti minėtomis veiklomis. Toks atsakomybės pasidalinimas atskleidžia dedamas pastangas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This work is oriented family and work spheres approximation, when the woman works shift work. Its main purpose - to find out if they were to reconcile family and work spheres, where women working shift work and how it is done. The main challenges to attempt to implement the work is to analyze the family-friendly policies for Europe, the present work and family roles of coordination models, the disclosure of family and professional responsibilities relating to coordination problems and to investigate whether the families where women work shift work, a family and work function approximation and how it happens. This facilitates quantitative research method - written survey, ie questionnaire. The study has found that women are dissatisfied with their working shift work, so there is a inter - role conflict, which displays one or more role expectations of conformity. In this case, conflicts arise due to the time allocated to the family. However, as the study reveals, conflicts are solved responsibility for household and child care is shared between a woman and a man. Such a division of responsibility shows that combining work and family spheres is guided overlapping zone model (Jančaitytė, 2006) This study also revealed that women are happy with the way distinguish the home and child care work together because their spouses / partners showing the initiative to engage in those activities. Such a division of responsibility reveals efforts to adapt to each other creating movable two... [to full text]

AtkinsonThis study explores Work Life Balance (WLB) in two Palestinian organisations. It argues that the nature and content of WLB policies and the reasons for their adoption in many Arabic organisations differ from those in Western organisations. Additionally, research is under-developed concerning the role of line managers in interpreting access to WLB practices, and to what extent such WLB practices are accessed and utilised by individuals. Based on a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with 49 employees and managers, this study shows that WLB policies involve, particularly for female employees, mainly family support, and financial, social, and religious benefits. These reflect cultural and religious characteristics of an Arab, Islamic country. In addition to identifying the role of government, and the needs of a female workforce, this study develops a new theoretical framework explaining the role of religious and cultural variables, as well as international networking of the organisations, as factors underlying adoption of WLB policies. Line managers often used Wasta, being the political and religious origin of individuals as criteria in granting benefits to individuals. WLB practices are useful for women, but males made less use of these practices, preferring strong ‘breadwinner Arabic cultural norms. A valuable contribution in understanding the extension of WLB policies in Arabic settings is offered, as well as cultural, social and religious reasons for their implementation. The study presents a theoretical model of the adoption and application of WLB policies which can be used in further crosscultural research.