In recent years, the working environment and structure have changed as a result of environmental changes and societal improvement. The job market in the past that contained mainly male no longer exists. More and more women join the working space to compete with men. Because there are more opportunities for women to participate in jobs, there are relatively more opportunities for men to participate in family chores. Therefore, both men and women must face problems in work-family conflict. The research done by Frone, Russell & Copper (1992) showed that work-family conflict not only causes negative psychological and physical effects on individuals, but also affects work negatively. Accordingly, in order for a company to retain excellent staff and keep their competitivity, it needs to consider how to help the staff decrease work-family conflict. Among the questions to consider is whether the work-family policy helps the staff decrease work-family conflict and improve their organizational commitment. This study is to investigate whether the implementation of work-family policy helps the staff decrease work-family conflict and improve their organizational commitment. It also studies whether the staff¡¦s work-family conflict and organizational commitment are negatively correlated; whether providing work-family policy affects the staff¡¦s organizational commitment due to the mediating effect of work-family conflict. This research surveyed 3 major sectors including the top 50 companies from the top one thousand manufacturers, top five-hundred service companies and top one hundred finance companies, according to the investigation of the 2005 CommonWealth Magazine. Totally 1600 copies of the questionnaire were released; 296 valid copies were returned with a valid sample return rate of 18.5%. Through statistical analyses such as t-test analysis of independence, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson¡¦s product moment correlation and multiple regression, the results of the investigation demonstrate the following important findings: 1.There exist some significantly different cognitions amongst different people and industries on work-family policy, work-family conflict and organizational commitment. 2.Work-family policy and work-family conflict are partially negatively correlated. 3.Work-family conflict and organizational commitment are partially negatively correlated. 4.Work-family policy and organizational commitment are partially positively correlated. 5.Work-family conflict was found to have partially mediating effects between work-family policy and organizational commitment.

Yes / This paper sets out to capture the missing voices of fathers in discussions around gender, parenting and work. Using Critical Discursive Psychology (CDP), a qualitative methodology that frames discourse, language and action as socially situated, the paper sets out to understand the complexities of involved fatherhood. Using data from two distinct research projects that considered managing tensions around parenting and paid work, alongside the move to ‘involved fatherhood’, we examine the ways in which different discourses are operating in order to construct stories around gender and parenting. We are particularly interested in the ways in which participants use language and, specifically, discourses of parenting, working and caring. Through the interview excerpts we analysed how simultaneously participants position themselves in the discourses and were also being positioned by the wider societal discourses. We consider how CDP can contribute rich insights into the ways in which fathers are arranging sharing parenting caregiving responsibilities, using these insights to inform the policy landscape. We finish the paper by suggesting that CDP methodology can be mobilised by researchers wanting to capture missing voices in shifting policy landscapes.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2001. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-146). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This thesis investigated patterns in, and perceptions of, labour force participation (LFP) amongst a group of mothers with dependent children. A mixed-methods (i.e. questionnaires, interviews and documentary evidence), single case study approach involving a series of three studies, was utilised, involving employees and ex-employees from the Queensland University of Technology. Using questionnaire data (N = 283), Study One explored the predictive value of seven structural (age of youngest child, education, childcare costs, wages, partner's income, number of children and social security payments) and four attitudinal (attitudes towards working mothers, sex-role attitudes, attitudes towards exclusive maternal care and career salience) factors, in a hierarchical logistic regression model using full-time / part-time work status as the dependent variable. Associations between these factors and hours worked, were also tested for a sub-sample of women with under school aged children (N = 112). Results showed that the factors leading to greater LFP for both samples were having older children, less access to social security payments and more liberal attitudes towards working mothers. Lower levels of partner's income also predicted full-time status for the larger sample and more liberal attitudes towards exclusive maternal care was associated with hours worked for women with under school aged children. Study Two explored the way in which women with under school aged children describe the influences, benefits and trade-offs associated with their LFP decisions. Analysis of data from interviews with a sub-sample of women from Study One, indicated four major categories of issues influenced LFP decisions and/or contributed to benefits or trade-offs following on from those decisions. These categories included financial issues, personal independence, work-related issues and value of maternal care. The salience of this issues varied across groups of at-home, part-time and full-time working mothers. The most important consideration for at-home women was the emphasis on caring for their children themselves, as opposed to using familial or formal childcare. Part-time women appeared to be the most satisfied with their work and parenting arrangements, because they could fulfil their roles as wives and mothers, but also benefit from spending autonomy and competence, by engaging in paid work. Full-time women reported greater opportunities in the workplace than part-time women, although they experienced substantial ambivalence about their full-time status. This conflict was ameliorated by the availability of flexible work and when partner's had reduced working hours. Based on the salience of work-related factors reported in Study Two, Study Three explored the degree of consistency between the espoused values evident in organisational work-family policy documentation and women's reported experiences of these policies (N = 24). For example, options such as flexible work arrangements and part-time work appear to promote values related to balance and integration of the work and family spheres. However, interview data suggests women's experiences of part-time work were inconsistent with assumptions about job commitment and career progression. The research extends the current understanding of the range of variables that influence maternal LFP and the processes by which LFP decisions are made. The findings are interpreted in light of a number of existing theoretical perspectives, as well as suggesting a preliminary model of decision-making that could be tested in other groups of women in future studies. The current research may also inform public policy on issues such as childcare and social security allowances and organisational human resource policy in terms of the implementation of work-family options.

Diploma thesis "Služby péče o předškolní děti v České republice jako nástroj úspěšného slaďování práce a rodiny" evaluates the current system of pre-school childcare services in the Czech Republic as a tool for a successful reconciling work and family and tries to recommend particular steps that would contribute to improve the functioning of the system in the future. Within the current system evaluation, on the one hand, the aspects, which contribute to the functionality of the system were identified, but on the other hand, some of the deficiencies which may limit the functionality of the system were detected. Afterwards, the study devoted to the shortcomings in detail and to detecting their causes, which allow to think about the next steps in the future. To develop a new conception of family policy with the aim of removing shortcomings of the current system is presented as the main recommendations for the future. When working on a new concept, a discussion among all the actors who play the role in the current system of pre- school childcare services should take place, the recommendations of supra- national and international bodies and non-profit organizations should be taken into account and inspiration for specific measures should be taken from examples of good practice from abroad.

No description available.