The subject of this thesis is the comparison of family policy in the Czech Republic and Federal Republic of Germany in terms of measures adjustment enabling the reconciliation of work and care about the preschool children. The issue of work-life balance is further presented in the context of traditional sociological concepts and welfare state model theories, followed by a description of trends and current order of women's employment on the labor market of both countries and accompanied by the description of demographic trends. Thesis is specifically focused on the description of the governmental family policy of both countries in the perspective of parental leave entitlement settings, facilities of children day care facilities like nursery schools and creche, and formal involvement of fathers in the childcare. The methodological part of thesis is focused on the description of the family policy measures of the respective country. Comparison of both countries in terms of enabling the reconciliation of work and childcare is made on the basis of analyse and comparison of both the secondary quantitative data and the qualitative data drawn from the discussions placed on the free available web sites. The conclusion of thesis tackles the question of possible applicability of the family policy measures in...

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Today, raising children under the best of circumstances represents a daunting endeavor as any parent and a growing body of research confirm. When a single parent is on active duty in one of the U.S. armed forces, there are additional challenges involved that may not exist among civilian counterparts. The phenomenon of single parents on active duty with its unique difficulties associated both with single parenting and with military service was the basis of this study. The purpose of the research was twofold: to describe the experiences of Air Force single parents as related to social support and work-life theory in the context of bureaucracy and to use that understanding to identify needed improvements in support services. The specific aim of this study was to gain an understanding of single parents in the military through a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify the 13 participants. The central question for the study was the following: What are the experiences of single parents serving on active duty in the United States Air Force? The seven themes that were identified as part of the single parent experience were: (a) transition to single parent in the Air Force, (b) better life (c) parental responsibilities, (d) work responsibilities, (e) support provided by the work organizations, (f) informal social supports, and (g) work-life conflict. Major findings include the importance of family-friendly supervisors that alleviated work-family conflict. Participants also noted the military family as being significant to their adjustment and acceptance of military life. Finally, participants were seeking a better life for themselves and their children by either joining as a single parent or deciding to stay as a single parent. This study offers an opportunity to change policy and practice to enhance and encourage the retention of single parents. One application of study findings is the reexamination of the Family Care Plan to alleviate work-family conflict. Another area identified for practice enhancement is the education and training of family-friendly supervisors.

Bakgrund: I takt med att tiden på arbetsplatsen tycks fortsätta öka, blir det allt mindre tid över för familj och fritid. Den primära anledningen till att en person upplever obalans är att en sfär är för dominerande, vilket ger för lite tid till den andra sfären. Work-life balance är ett återkommande fenomen i dagens samhälle med tanke på att fler individer väljer att satsa på både karriärlivet och familjelivet. Fenomenet är värt att uppmärksamma eftersom de syftar till individens möjlighet att balansera de olika delarna.  Syfte: Studien syftar till att förstå hur kvinnliga tjänstemän inom den offentliga sektorn definierar balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv men även hur de upplever balansen. Det är även av sin vikt att förstå och förklara hur och varför de kvinnliga tjänstemännens upplevelser av balans eller obalans påverkas av ett gränslöst arbete.   Metod: Genom en kvalitativ forskning i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer kan studien analysera faktorer som är avgörande för att kvinnliga tjänstemän ska känna en balans mellan sitt arbetsliv och privatliv.  Resultat och slutsats: Upplevelsen av att ha en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv beror till stor del på de individuella förutsättningarna. Majoriteten av respondenterna uppfattar en bra balans som flexibla arbetsvillkor, förmåga att planera sin tid och bestämma var de arbetar. Andra anser att rollkonflikter mellan sfärerna är avgörande för att uppnå balans mellan arbete och privatliv. Nyckelord: Work-life balance, kvinnliga tjänstemän, stress, krav, kontroll, stöd, flexibilitet, tillgänglighet, tjänstemannens roll, arbetstidslagen, gränslöst arbete. / Background: As time at the workplace seems to continue to increase, there is less and less time left for family and leisure time. The primary reason a person experiences imbalance is that one sphere is too dominant, leaving too little time for the other sphere. Work-life balance is a recurring phenomenon in today's society given that more individuals choose to focus on both career life and family life. The phenomenon is worth paying attention to because it aims at the individual's ability to balance the various parts. Purpose: The study aims to understand how female civil servants in the public sector define balance between work and private life, but also how they experience the balance. It is also important to understand and explain how and why the female civil servants' experiences of balance or imbalance are affected by limitless work. Method: Through qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews, the study can analyze factors that are crucial for female civil servants to feel a balance between their work life and private life. Results and conclusion: The experience of having a balance between work and private life largely depends on the individual circumstances. The majority of respondents perceive a good balance as flexible working conditions, ability to plan their time and decide where they work. Others believe that role conflicts between the spheres are crucial to achieving work-life balance. Keywords: Work-life balance, female civil servants, stress, demands, control, support, flexibility, availability, the role of the civil servant, working hours law, borderless work.

Sammanfattning Titel: En kvantitativ studie om balans mellan arbete och privatliv i relation till självmedkänsla, utbrändhet, arbetstillfredsställelse och uppsägningsintention Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Sara Tosterud Lundin och Cornelia Widmark Handledare: Dr Jonas Kågström Datum: 2023 - juni Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur balansen mellan arbete och privatliv ser ut för anställda inom finanssektorn i kontrast till mer traditionella vårdyrken, samt vilken betydelse balansen har på organisatorisk nivå. Därtill ämnar studien undersöka hur faktorerna självmedkänsla, utbrändhet, arbetstillfredsställelse och uppsägningsintention förhåller sig tillbalans mellan arbete och privatliv. Metod: Kvantitativ metod av deduktiv art där det empiriska materialet samlats in med hjälpav två digitala enkäter som skickades ut till 7 104 bankanställda respektive publicerades somett inlägg i en Facebook-grupp för 22 600 socionomer. Totalt resulterade enkäterna i 531 svar som kunde användas. Den empiriskt insamlade datan har analyserats i statistikprogrammet JASP genom deskriptiva-, korrelations- och nätverksanalyser samt ett t-test. Resultat & slutsats: Studien visar att bankanställdas balans mellan arbete och privatliv är god, dock bör organisationerna ha en medvetenhet om att frågan om balans är komplex då det finns många faktorer som kan påverka nivån av balans. Samtliga av studiens hypoteser bekräftades, vilket var i enlighet med tidigare forskning. Bland annat visade studiens resultat att balans mellan arbete och privatliv har ett positivt samband med självmedkänsla och arbetstillfredsställelse, samt ett negativt samband med utbrändhet och uppsägningsintention. Utöver studiens hypoteser framkom två nya korrelationer. Dessa korrelationer visar att en högre självmedkänsla härleder en högre arbetstillfredsställelse och en lägre uppsägningsintention. Examensarbetets bidrag: Bidraget är ökad kunskap kring hur dessa fem ämnesområden påverkar varandra i en svensk kontext avseende finansbranschen. Detta då tidigare studier inom dessa ämnesområden framförallt är riktade till populationer inom sjuk- och hälsovården. Studien har även påvisat ytterligare två direkta samband mellan två ämnesområden: självmedkänsla och arbetstillfredsställelse samt självmedkänsla och uppsägningsintention. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: 1. Genomföra en liknande generaliserbar studie avseende finansbranschen; 2. Undersöka hur det ser ut för dem som varit utbrända men sedan kommer tillbaka till jobbet; 3. Undersöka om svaren skiljer sig mellan olika roller inom yrket; 4. Kombinera enkätundersökningen med intervjuer för att undersöka ämnet mer på djupet genom direkta interaktioner. Nyckelord: Balans mellan arbete och privatliv, självmedkänsla, utbrändhet, arbetstillfredsställelse, uppsägningsintention, finanssektorn, vårdyrken, bankanställda, socionomer / Abstract Title: A quantitative study of work-life balance in relation to self-compassion, burnout, jobsatisfaction, and turnover intention Level: Bachelor’s thesis in business administration Authors: Sara Tosterud Lundin and Cornelia Widmark Supervisor: Dr Jonas KågströmDate: 2023 - juni Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the work-life balance of employees in the finance sector compared to more traditional healthcare professions, and the balance impact at organizational level. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the relationships between self-compassion, burnout, job satisfaction and turnover intention with work-life balance. Method: A deductive quantitative approach was employed, and the empirical data was collected through two digital surveys distributed to 7 104 bank employees and posted in a Facebook group comprising 22 600 social workers. A total of 531 usable responses were obtained. The empirically collected data was analyzed in the statistics program JASP, employing descriptive, correlational, network, and t-test analyses. Results & conclusions: The study demonstrates that the work-life balance of bank employees is satisfactory; however, organizations should be aware that the issue of balance is complex, as there are numerous factors that can influence the level of balance. All of the study'shypotheses were confirmed, which aligns with previous research. Among other factors, the study's findings indicate that work-life balance is positively related to self-compassion and job satisfaction, while being negatively associated with burnout and turnover intention. In addition to the study's hypotheses, two new correlations emerged. These correlations reveal that higher levels of self-compassion are linked to increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover intention. Contribution of the thesis: This thesis contributes to increased understanding of how these five research areas interrelate within the Swedish context, specifically in the finance industry. Previous studies have primarily focused on populations within the healthcare sector. Furthermore, the study identified two direct relationships between two research areas: self-compassion and job satisfaction as well as self-compassion and turnover intention. Suggestions for future research: 1. Conduct a similar generalizable study regarding the financial industry; 2. Examine the experiences of individuals who have experienced burnout but returned to work; 3. Explore potential differences in responses among different job roles within the profession; 4. Combine the survey method with interviews to delve deeper into thetopic through direct interactions. Key words: Work-life balance, self-compassion, burnout, job satisfaction, turnover intention, finance sector, healthcare professions, bank employees, social workers.

This master thesis highlights employees’ perceptions and experiences of working remotely in the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of the thesis is to understand how remote work during pandemic times impacts employees’ perception of their overall working life. In addition to that, it highlights employees’ experience of their social interaction, impression exchange, feedback sharing, trust-building, and performance at work. It strives to illuminate employees’ impression of their work-life balance and the specific company’s organizational culture when working remotely in pandemic times. The research problem is built upon possible reductions of informal interaction between employees when working remotely, which further on can cause separation of teams and a decreased employee identification with the organization. The research problem also has its foundation in the possible blurring of boundaries between two components, personal- and professional life, when working from home. The thesis was formed by a qualitative research approach where the empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with employees at a specific company. The analysis illuminates insightful findings with support from previous research, theories, and concepts. The empirical results show that employees have a variety of opinions about their work situation. Some argued for positive work-life balance, workflow, and collaboration, whereas other interviewees pointed out that informal interaction, trust-building, and feedback-sharing suffer when working remotely. Empirical data claim that remote work influences employees’ identification and sense of belonging within organizations, especially for new employees. Additionally, work-life balance became more balanced for some but challenging for others. Another finding shows that the perception and experience about the overall work life and organizational culture might not only be impacted by Covid-19 but also by the fast-growing company size.

Introduktion Arbetsrelaterad känsla av sammanhang (eng. WSOC) kan användas som en indikator för arbetstrivsel och bygger på hur anställda ser på sitt arbete utifrån hanterbarhet, begriplighet och meningsfullhet. Kunskapsläget gällande hur WSOC påverkar anställdas vilja att stanna hos sin arbetsgivare är begränsat. Syfte Syftet var att undersöka hur WSOC relaterar till anställdas intention att stanna kvar hos sin arbetsgivare. Metod Syfte och frågeställningar besvarades genom en kvantitativ analys baserad på en enkätundersökning bland 450 personer i den svenska Marinen. De statistiska test som genomförts är oberoende t-test och envägs-ANOVA. Resultat De som ser sig stanna kvar hos sin arbetsgivare om tre år eller inte har funderat på att lämna det senaste året har signifikant högre WSOC än de som inte ser sig stanna kvar eller har övervägt att sluta. Starkare WSOC tyder på en högre intention för värnpliktiga att ta anställning och för GSS/K att söka officersutbildning. Resultatet tyder även på ett samband mellan WSOC och balansen mellan arbete och privatliv. Slutsats Resultatet tyder på ett samband mellan ett högre WSOC och en vilja att stanna hos sin arbetsgivare. Med vetskapen om hur personalen uppfattar sin känsla av sammanhang på arbetet kan en arbetsgivare vidta åtgärder för att öka behållandegraden och även som i Försvarsmaktens fall, öka rekryteringsgraden till myndigheten. Nyckelord Arbetsrelaterad känsla av sammanhang, behålla personal, rekrytering, Försvarsmakten, balans mellan arbete och privatliv. / Introduction Work related sense of coherence (WSOC) can be used as an indicator of well-being at work and is based on how employees view their work in terms of manageability, comprehensibility and meaningfulness. Research on how WSOC affects employees’ willingness to stay with their employer is as of now limited. Aim The aim of the study was to investigate how WSOC relates to employees' intention to remain with their employer. Method The aim and sub-questions were answered through a quantitative analysis based on a survey among 450 employees in the Swedish Navy. The statistical tests carried out are independent t- test and one-way ANOVA. Results People who see themselves staying with their employer for the next three years or those who have not considered leaving in the past year have a significantly stronger WSOC than those who do not see themselves staying or have considered leaving. Stronger WSOC furthermore indicated a higher intention for conscripts to take up employment and for employed sailors to enroll for officer training. The results also indicate a relationship between WSOC and work- life balance. Conclusion The results indicated a relationship between a stronger WSOC and a willingness to stay with one's employer. With the knowledge of how the employees perceives their sense of coherence at work, an employer can take measures to increase the retention rate and also, as in the case of the Armed Forces, increase the recruitment rate. Key words Work related sense of coherence (WSOC), retention, recruitment, Armed forces, work-life balance.

博士(政策科学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Policy and Management / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

博士(政策科学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Policy and Management / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Theoretically, inter-role conflict can occur between any life domains that place competing demands on an individual. However, inter-role conflict research has mainly focused on the conflict between only two domains: work and family. This limited focus is problematic because it has excluded many other potential life domains in which people participate. In order to focus more attention on other life domains, however, it is necessary to understand which life domains people are participating in. As such, the goal of the present qualitative research was to identify and define the full spectrum of life domains by asking two questions: What life domains are relevant to work-life conflict, and how do people value the various life domains in which they are involved? A total of 13 life domains emerged from the data. Participants engaged in an average of 9 of these domains, indicating that people engage in many activities in life outside just work and family.