The dissertation addresses men and change, intergenerational transmission, historical change and agency, employing as a case a longitudinal follow-up study over two generations of men, where the fathers participated in an experimental research project, the Work-Sharing Couples Project, which aimed to promote egalitarian work–family adaptations in Norway in the early 1970s. The original project was based on both spouses working part-time and shift parenting. The summary presents a multidimensional analysis of the work–family adaptations of the two generations of men: the untraditional adaptation of fathers in the 1970s; and the neo-traditional adaptations of sons in the 2000s. Their different work–family adaptations are discussed as situated agency, taking into account different aspects of time and space, personal biography, discursive and material structures of opportunity, and intergenerational dynamics at the family level as well as at social level. The five articles present the empirical material: Bjørnholt (2009a) presents the impact on the couple relation and the family of the the parents’ work–sharing arrangement, concluding that the work-sharing arrangement was perceived by the participants to have been beneficial for their couple relationship as well as for the family as a whole. Bjørnholt (2011) explores the motivations of the work-sharing men to act as agents of change towards gender equality, concluding that personal biography, an authoritative way of being and new masculinity ideals, notably a partner- oriented masculinity, were important. Bjørnholt (2010b) analyses the consequences of the work-sharing arrangement on the work-sharing men’s careers, concluding that there were few negative career effects. They were rather successful, and their house-father experiences tended to be valued by employers as management skills. Bjørnholt (2009b) concludes that a father–son design is insufficient in explaining intergenerational transmission and Bjørnholt (2010c) finds that the untraditional work–family arrangement had not been passed on to sons.

[pt] Este estudo teve a intenção de descrever as experiências de mulheres profissionais que tiveram que interromper suas carreiras devido ao conflito trabalho-família. A pesquisa teve como foco mulheres que são mães e que possuem formação superior. Seu objetivo foi entender os motivos que as levaram a interromper suas carreiras profissionais, bem como descrever suas vivências atuais, afastadas do mercado de trabalho e dedicadas integralmente à maternidade. A metodologia de pesquisa escolhida para o estudo foi de natureza qualitativa, tendo sido entrevistadas 10 mulheres, com profissões variadas, que interromperam a carreira devido à maternidade. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que as entrevistadas, em sua maioria, se recusaram a terceirizar a criação e educação dos filhos e que a obrigação em cumprir longas jornadas de trabalho foi determinante na sua decisão de parar de trabalhar. Além disso, o apoio dos maridos, tanto emocional como financeiro, foi imprescindível para que elas pudessem tomar a decisão de se dedicarem à maternidade, integralmente. As vivências, após a interrupção da carreira, revelam sentimentos de inutilidade, baixa autoestima e preconceitos vividos por muitas das entrevistadas. Planos profissionais para o futuro são relatados, mas a maioria deseja mudar de profissão ou diminuir as horas de trabalho, pois buscam a flexibilidade de horário por acreditarem que, ao terem maior controle sobre seu horário de trabalho será possível a conciliação dos papéis profissional e materno. / [en] This study was intended to describe the experiences of professional women who had to interrupt their careers due to the work-family conflict. The research focused on women who are mothers and who have higher education. Its purpose was to understand the reasons that led to them to interrupt their professional careers, as well as to describe their current experiences, away from the job market and fully dedicated to motherhood. The research methodology chosen for the study was qualitative, with 10 women interviewed of several professions, who interrupted the career due to maternity. The results of this research suggest that interviewees, in the majority, refused to outsource the raising and education of children and the obligation to undertake long working hours was decisive in their decision to stop working. In addition, the husband s support, both emotional and financial, was imperative so that they could make the decision to dedicate themselves to motherhood, in its entirety. The experiences, after the interruption of the career, reveal feelings of uselessness, low self-esteem and prejudices experienced by many of the women interviewed. Professional plans for the future are reported, but most want to change their carreer or shorten working hours, because they seek flexibility in scheduling due to the belief that by having control over their working hours it will be possible to reconcile professional and maternal roles.

Les violences conjugales affectent la santé des individus, influent sur leurs comportements au travail, et impactent les organisations. Outre les pertes financières,elles contribuent à accentuer les inégalités entre les sexes, notamment au sein de la sphère professionnelle. Au travers d’une typologie des incidences des violences conjugales, la présente recherche exploratoire examine les processus à l’oeuvre dans l’interaction des victimes avec l’univers professionnel, et la manière dont les organisations peuvent répondre aux manifestations de ce phénomène familial. Elle repose sur un double cadre conceptuel : les violences conjugales et l’articulation famille-travail. L’accès au terrain s’appuie sur une combinaison de méthodologies qualitatives : 47 entretiens (individuels et collectifs semi-directifs, récits de vie),menés auprès de victimes et de membres d’organisations non-marchandes(associations, Fondation Kering, conseil général de l’Essonne) et marchandes (PSA Peugeot Citroën, BPI group).Outre l’ancrage théorique novateur, les résultats ont permis l’émergence d’un modèle qui articule le déterminant familial (les violences physiques, psychologiques,économiques), la relation famille-travail (débordement, conflit, compensation), ainsi que trois principales incidences organisationnelles (baisse de concentration,changement de comportement, surinvestissement au travail). Parmi ces 3manifestations, la baisse de concentration (débordement négatif) et le surinvestissement au travail (compensation) sont des éléments significatifs en termes de nombre de personnes concernées ; le changement de comportement(débordement négatif) constitue une variable marquante pour son caractère inexploré. Dans des logiques d’intégration ou de respect, les organisations sont susceptibles de contribuer à réduire les difficultés posées par ces interférences,obtenant ainsi des bénéfices économiques et managériaux.Les apports de l’étude se situent à plusieurs niveaux : d’une part, elle importe en France la problématique des incidences organisationnelles des violences conjugales,et d’autre part, elle l’inscrit dans le cadre théorique de la relation famille-travail. / Domestic violence affects the health of individuals, influences their behaviour in the workplace, and impacts organisations. In addition to financial loss, it contributes to emphasize gender inequalities, especially within the professional sphere. Througha typology of the implications of domestic violence, this exploratory research examines the processes in motion during the interactions of victims with their professional environment, and how organisations can respond to the manifestations of this phenomenon which occurs within the family sphere. It is based on a double conceptual framework: domestic violence and work-family articulation. Field access relies on a combination of qualitative methods: 47 interviews (semi-directive individual and collective interviews, life histories) lead with victims as well as with representatives of non-mercantile organisations (associations, Kering Foundation,conseil général de l’Essonne) and businesses (PSA Peugeot-Citroën, BPI group).Besides this innovative theoretical anchoring, the results have allowed the emergence of a model that articulates the family determinant (acts of physical,psychological, and economic violence), the work-family relationship (spill over,conflict, and compensation) as well as the three main organisational effects (decrease in concentration, change in behaviour, and over investment in work). Amongst those three manifestations, the decrease in concentration (negative spill over) and the over investment in work (compensation) are significant elements in terms of the number of people concerned; the change in behaviour (negative spill over) represents a remarkable variable because of its unexplored character. Following logics of integration or respect, the organisations are likely to contribute to reducing the difficulties posed by these interferences, thus receiving economic and managerial benefits.The contributions of the study are found on several levels: on one hand it imports into France the issue of the organisational implications of domestic violence,and on the other, it positions it within the theoretical framework of the work-family relationship.

abstract: This study investigated work-family conflict and related phenomena reported by female teachers in primary and secondary schools in Kenya. Specifically, it sought to first identify general work and family stressors and profession specific stressors, and how these stressors influenced teachers’ work-family conflict (WFC) and burnout. Second, it investigated whether support from home and work reduced these teachers’ perceived work-family conflict and burnout. Third, it investigated the impact of marital status, number and ages of children, length of teaching experience, and school location (city vs town) on perceived work-family conflict (WFC). In this study, 375 female teachers from Nairobi and three towns completed a survey questionnaire with both closed- and open-ended questions. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive and inferential statistics, and content analyses of qualitative data. There were five primary findings. (1) Teachers clearly identified and described stressors that led to work-family conflict: inability to get reliable support from domestic workers, a sick child, high expectations of a wife at home, high workloads at school and home, low schedule flexibility, and number of days teachers spend at school beyond normal working hours, etc. (2) Work-family conflict experienced was cyclical in nature. Stressors influenced WFC, which led to adverse outcomes. These outcomes later acted as secondary stressors. (3) The culture of the school and school’s resources influenced the level of support that teachers received. The level of WFC support that teachers received depended on the goodwill of supervisors and colleagues. (4) Work-family conflict contributed to emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy. Time and emotional investment in students’ parents was related to emotional exhaustion; time and emotional investment in students’ behavior, the number of years teaching experience, and number of children were related to professional efficacy. Support from teachers’ spouses enabled teachers to cope with cynicism. (5) While marital status did not influence WFC, school location did; teachers in Nairobi experienced more WFC than those in small towns. The study highlighted the importance of culture in studies of work-family conflict, as some of the stressors and WFC experiences identified seemed unique to the Kenyan context. Finally, theoretical implications, policy recommendations, and further research directions are presented. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2015

abstract: In recent years, women have made significant advances in traditionally male occupations. Despite this progress, women are still underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the model of Achievement Related Choices are two widely accepted career development theories. Both theories highlight the importance of self-efficacy and personal factors in career development; yet, neither of them has considered the predictive power of a specific outcome expectation, anticipated work family conflict (AWFC), in relation to the career development of men and women in STEM undergraduate programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the incremental validity of AWFC over and above that of self-efficacy and role salience, in predicting educational and occupational aspirations of undergraduate students in STEM programs at a large southwestern university. The study provides evidence that the factor structure of the AWFC scale does not hold up with the undergraduate population, and this finding was seen as reason to combine the AWFC subscales into one composite score. In a hierarchical multiple regression higher levels of STEM self-efficacy predicted higher intentions to persist in STEM. Role salience, AWFC, and the gender-AWFC interaction were not significantly related to intentions to persist. Although the study does not provide evidence for the incremental validity of AWFC, it does suggest that work-family balance considerations that have been observed in mature STEM populations may not yet be salient for students at the undergraduate level. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Counseling Psychology 2014

Globally, developed economies show the largest gender gaps in entrepreneurial activity. This analysis examines one potential cause of low rates of female entrepreneurship, work-family policies, specifically in France. The objective of this paper is to test whether or not there is a relationship between entrepreneurship and childcare accessibility in France, and if this relationship exists, to learn about its nature. Using data from 2009 to 2013, probit regressions are run for different outcomes of entrepreneurial activity with early childhood care aid eligibility as the explanatory variable of interest. These regressions are run separately for men and women and for the whole sample. This paper does not find conclusive evidence that childcare accessibility significantly affects the probability that one is involved in entrepreneurial activity either for women or for the whole sample. However, it does suggest that if the relationship is significant, childcare aid has a negative impact on the decision for entrepreneurship. Finally, I consider other variables closely correlated with childcare financial aid that may negatively impact involvement in entrepreneurial activity.

This thesis investigates the view of the Swedish government on how working hours can be used as a tool to promote equality in Sweden. Previous research shows how women are experiencing a bigger challenge than men in achieving a balance between work and family life since they take a larger responsibility for the unpaid work at home. This leads to inferior prerequisites in life for women, which in turn means that we live in an unequal society. At the same time research shows that there are two ways to go when it comes to changing working hours in favour of equality: an extension of the working hours for women who work part-time or a shortening of the working hours over all in the Swedish society. The aim of this thesis is to investigate which of these alternatives that is promoted by the Swedish government. This will be done through a critical discourse analysis.   The investigation shows that the Swedish government promotes the alternative where the women working part-time extend their working hours to full-time as a solution to the equality problem. This goes in line with what previous research has shown on this matter; that the working culture in Sweden is strong and that the idea of a “working line” is a strong concept that has been used since the start of the 20th century to this day. This also shows that there is a reigning discourse where it is not possible to talk about a shortening of working hours as a solution to the equality problem. As previous research has shown, this investigation also finds that the government continues to emphasize the economic consequences that come out of the fact that women to a large extent work part-time. The question of who is going to take care of the unpaid work at home when women starts to work full-time, however, remains unanswered.

Work and family embody two of the most fundamental areas of adult life. The increased participation in the labour force of working women with children has had a major impact on the work and family interface. Theories of work and family have been incorporated to analyse potential relationships of conflict with undesirable work outcomes such as reduced job satisfaction and burnout. The study investigates whether work-family conflict ultimately leads to working women with children’s experiences of burnout and lower job satisfaction. The research study also explores the effects of the mother-role identity on the manifestation of family and work conflict in working women with children and posits that working women with children experience role salience differently from other working women without children. The study employed a quantitative research design using electronic self-administered questionnaires. Using the data from 545 employees in a fast-moving consumer goods industry showed that working women with children who identified closer with the mother-role identity, experienced greater work-family conflict. The mother-role identity forms a greater part of working women with children’s self than that of the employee-role identity and the results infer that role identity plays a significant role when conflict is experienced. In working women with children, strong relationships were found between family-work conflict and burnout, and moderate inverse relationships between work-family conflict and job satisfaction. Work-family conflict may ultimately lead working women with children to experience higher burnout and lower job satisfaction owing to their preoccupation with family-related responsibilities. The concept of role identity is introduced as a significant variable to consider into the work and family conflict investigation, as well as in the development of burnout and job satisfaction for working women with children. The current research also assists in understanding the work and family role integration of working women with children and provides a consolidated overview of the current work and family theories within a conceptual and unifying model. This research offers an explanatory model that outlines the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, by investigating the mechanisms by virtue of which such relationships exist. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

This study examines the role of race, socioeconomic status, and individualism-collectivism as moderators of the relationship between selected work and family antecedents and work-family conflict and evaluates the contribution of energy-based conflict to the work-family conflict (WFC) research. The study uses data obtained from a survey questionnaire given to 414 participants recruited from an online labor market. Study hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that while moderating effects were slight, a proposed model where energy-based conflict is included outperforms traditional time/strain/behavior-based models and that established variables may drop to non-significance when additional variables are included in prediction. In addition, novel individual difference variables such as individualism and collectivism were demonstrated to have effects beyond moderating antecedent-outcome relationships in the model. The findings imply that WFC models would benefit from the inclusion of variables found in the current study.

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.