The subject of this study was Swedish women's experiences of their everyday lives as lived between the demands of work and family. Twenty female civil servants were interviewed six times each over a three and a half year period when their work places underwent organizational changes. One purpose of the study was to investigate how women while managing everyday demands reproduce or transform the meanings of gender in their own lives. A second purpose was to discuss the impact of these processes on women's self-understandings and ways of relating to power and issues of gender equality, as well as the meanings of "femininity" in their lives. The repeated semi-structured interviews were analysed using two qualitative approaches: the first focused on the ways individual women understood and negotiated their everyday lives. It yielded four main areas of negotiation: the personal biography as a dynamic context in which a woman understands her experiences; the balancing between work and family generally managed by women; women's often somewhat ambiguous personal fit at work; and the striving for subject positions at work. In the second approach discourse analysis was used to study how gender is locally reproduced or transformed from personal experiences set in specific discursive contexts. Modes of understanding were in focus; i.e. the different ways women may integrate experiences as parts of their sense of self, depending mainly on social positionings. Important discursive themes were the women's self-presentations, their experiences of gender equality and power differentials, and their ways of relating to femininity. The dissertation also discusses the types of psychological theory best suited to the historically changeable contents of "femininity", in contrast to its more stable relational qualitites of subordination vs. superordination, and argues for theory situated in a feminist social constructionist framework. / digitalisering@umu

科学研究費補助金 研究種目:基盤研究(C)(2) 課題番号:09610113 研究代表者:金井 篤子 研究期間:1997-1999年度

Australia is one of the most popular countries for immigrants to settle. Many highly qualified Indians from India have made Australia their home, and they hold important positions in the Australian work-force. The Australian work-force now consists not only of employees from different countries, but also of parents who try to balance their work roles and family roles simultaneously. For dual-earner families this can be difficult and could lead to increased job stress and work family conflict. Due to these cultural and gender differences, experiences in the paid work-force cannot be assumed to be the same for all employees. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of culture and gender among working professionals in Australia and to study the interactional patterns within dual-earner couples in the Australian work-force. This was exploratory research and was conducted using three studies. All studies were cross-sectional, and qualitative as well as quantitative measures were used for data collection. In the first study data were collected from matched pairs of 10 Australian and 10 Indian born mothers who were employed in the Australian work-force. Interviews were conducted and responses to the interview were recorded. Results suggested some significant differences in job stress, with Australian mothers experiencing more job stress than Indian mothers. Further, interview results indicated that women from both cultures were responsible for most of the household work. Study two of the thesis combined culture and gender to investigate job satisfaction, work stress and work family conflict among Australian men and women working in the Australian work-force (N = 58). A 2 X 2 ANOVA was used for this. There were no cultural differences found among men and women of both cultures on measures of job satisfaction, work-family conflict and family-work conflict. However, cultural differences were observed on the job stress scale with Australian men and women experiencing more job stress than Indian men and women. There were also significant gender differences in job stress, workfamily- conflict and family-work conflict. Australian men and Indian men reported higher family-work conflict. Results of this study revealed significant gender differences and therefore, the third study was designed to investigate these gender differences further. Study three investigated the role of gender and work stress variables through crossover and spillover research. Many gender differences in predictors of fatigue, job stress and dyadic adjustment were found among couples both working in white collar professions. This study too strengthened the traditional gender role with women experiencing higher job stress and family-work conflict. It is suggested that these findings contribute to the work-stress literature in three ways. Findings confirm that gender, rather than culture, are responsible for differences among immigrants in their perception of job satisfaction, work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Findings also confirm the traditional gender role of women, who are responsible for most domestic household work, and also demonstrate that increase in work-family conflict and family-work conflict contributes to an increase in job stress among dual-earner couples. This research has provided an insight into factors contributing to both crossover and spillover among Australian dual earner professionals, an area which has not received much attention. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1365266 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2009

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.

Australia is one of the most popular countries for immigrants to settle. Many highly qualified Indians from India have made Australia their home, and they hold important positions in the Australian work-force. The Australian work-force now consists not only of employees from different countries, but also of parents who try to balance their work roles and family roles simultaneously. For dual-earner families this can be difficult and could lead to increased job stress and work family conflict. Due to these cultural and gender differences, experiences in the paid work-force cannot be assumed to be the same for all employees. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of culture and gender among working professionals in Australia and to study the interactional patterns within dual-earner couples in the Australian work-force. This was exploratory research and was conducted using three studies. All studies were cross-sectional, and qualitative as well as quantitative measures were used for data collection. In the first study data were collected from matched pairs of 10 Australian and 10 Indian born mothers who were employed in the Australian work-force. Interviews were conducted and responses to the interview were recorded. Results suggested some significant differences in job stress, with Australian mothers experiencing more job stress than Indian mothers. Further, interview results indicated that women from both cultures were responsible for most of the household work. Study two of the thesis combined culture and gender to investigate job satisfaction, work stress and work family conflict among Australian men and women working in the Australian work-force (N = 58). A 2 X 2 ANOVA was used for this. There were no cultural differences found among men and women of both cultures on measures of job satisfaction, work-family conflict and family-work conflict. However, cultural differences were observed on the job stress scale with Australian men and women experiencing more job stress than Indian men and women. There were also significant gender differences in job stress, workfamily- conflict and family-work conflict. Australian men and Indian men reported higher family-work conflict. Results of this study revealed significant gender differences and therefore, the third study was designed to investigate these gender differences further. Study three investigated the role of gender and work stress variables through crossover and spillover research. Many gender differences in predictors of fatigue, job stress and dyadic adjustment were found among couples both working in white collar professions. This study too strengthened the traditional gender role with women experiencing higher job stress and family-work conflict. It is suggested that these findings contribute to the work-stress literature in three ways. Findings confirm that gender, rather than culture, are responsible for differences among immigrants in their perception of job satisfaction, work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Findings also confirm the traditional gender role of women, who are responsible for most domestic household work, and also demonstrate that increase in work-family conflict and family-work conflict contributes to an increase in job stress among dual-earner couples. This research has provided an insight into factors contributing to both crossover and spillover among Australian dual earner professionals, an area which has not received much attention. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1365266 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2009

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2017-05-30T18:28:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Aline Silva Ferreira.pdf: 1292757 bytes, checksum: 95de701640eb65c840c7627a1e07ed1a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-30T18:28:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aline Silva Ferreira.pdf: 1292757 bytes, checksum: 95de701640eb65c840c7627a1e07ed1a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Due to competitivity, companies adhered to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for increasing productivity and results. In this sense, technology improved quality and productivity in workers’ routine, but excessive use of ICT can lead to the technological stress known as technostress. Some aspects of creating technological stress relates to information overload and constant connectivity, denominated as techno-overload and techno-invasion. This study analyzed reflexes of the technostress in the organizational behavior. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected through a research instrument with 331 questionnaires answered. It concludes that techno-overload and techno-invasion influence positively work-family conflict, so excessive use of ITC can generate discomfort in the professional’s life. Results point that it was not possible to indicate influence of techno-overload and techno-invasion relating to affective organizational commitment and turnover intention. It verifies that there is low influence of the Techno-invasion relating to job satisfaction, and it was not possible to confirm influence on job satisfaction by techno-overload. / Devido à competitividade de mercado, as empresas aderiram as Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TIC) buscando cada vez mais elevar sua produtividade e os resultados da organização. Nesse sentido, a tecnologia melhorou a qualidade e a produtividade na rotina dos trabalhadores, mas o uso excessivo das TIC pode levar ao estresse tecnológico conhecido como Tecnoestresse. Alguns aspectos de criação de estresse tecnológico estão relacionados à sobrecarga de informações e conectividade constante, denominados como Tecnosobrecarga e Tecnoinvasão. Este estudo analisou os reflexos do Tecnoestresse no Comportamento Organizacional. Através de uma abordagem quantitativa, os dados foram coletados por meio de um instrumento de pesquisa com obtenção das respostas de 331 questionários. Conclui-se que a Tecnosobrecarga e a Tecnoinvasão influenciam positivamente o Conflito Trabalho – Família, desta forma o excesso do uso da TIC pode gerar dissabores na vida do profissional. De acordo com os resultados deste estudo não foi possível afirmar que há influência da Tecnosobrecarga e Tecnoinvasão em relação ao Comprometimento Organizacional Afetivo e a Intenção de Rotatividade. Verificou-se que existe uma baixa influência da Tecnoinvasão em relação à satisfação no trabalho, e não foi possível confirmar a influência referente à satisfação no trabalho pela Tecnosobrecarga.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka huruvida det finns en skillnad i graden av Work life balance (indelat i grupperna Work Family Conflict och Family Work Conflict) mellan de som har möjlighet att distansarbeta och de som inte har det och mellan de som har barn under 13 år och de som inte har det. Vidare undersöktes om arbetsengagemang kan predicera WLB. För att genomföra studien användes en pappersenkät som delades ut till samtliga anställda på den deltagande organisationen. Totalt samlades 85 enkäter in, varav 84 hade besvarats fullständigt. Resultatet visade en huvudeffekt av distansarbete gällande Work Family Conflict, där de anställda med möjlighet att distansarbeta upplevde en högre grad av Work Family Conflict än de som inte har möjlighet att distansarbeta. Resultatet visade dessutom att de anställda med högre värde på arbetsengagemang upplevde mindre av både Work family Conflict och Family Work Conflict.

Trabalhar e ter família sempre foram fatos presentes na vida dos seres humanos. Em cada momento histórico os significados atribuídos ao trabalho e à família foram diversos, bem como os modos de viver e de relacionar estes dois âmbitos. Este estudo propõe uma reflexão sobre a interação entre as esferas do trabalho e da família, remetendo um olhar específico para a sociedade contemporânea. No momento atual, confrontados pelas características peculiares de organização social e econômica, os indivíduos experienciam a velocidade, a incerteza, a impermanência e a complexidade como fatos corriqueiros em suas vidas. O avanço tecnológico, a informatização e a globalização também fazem parte hoje do trabalho e da família. Os indivíduos hoje convivem com as exigências de um mercado dinâmico, embasado na rentabilidade econômica e no consumo, cujos efeitos são refletidos em todas as esferas da vida. Utilizando-se de histórias de vida como técnica investigativa, este estudo propiciou a análise desta realidade a partir de compreensões particulares de quatro gestores intermediários atuantes em indústria petroquímica. O relato de histórias pessoais possibilitou aos narradores um retorno a momentos específicos de suas vidas, onde compreensões e valores foram destacados. Os resultados demonstram a complexidade do relacionamento entre o trabalho e a família. Os modos de se experienciar a confluência de solicitações do trabalho e da família dependem de momentos de vida e variam de indivíduo para indivíduo, não sendo possível afirmar que são conflitantes e causadores de sofrimento em todas as situações. É possível identificar também situações de ganho em ambas as esferas, tendo a família um efeito positivo no trabalho e vice-e-versa. Do mesmo modo, é possível identificar nos relatos que o trabalho e a família hoje são territórios habitados por ambos os sexos: a administração do lar, a criação e educação dos filhos devem ser também funções masculinas, sinalizando as mudanças nos modos de viver e de se relacionar. Contudo, percebe-se que as crenças sobre trabalho e família destes gestores ainda estão arraigadas a padrões culturais da época de sua formação profissional, educacional e moral, seguindo as conformações de trabalho e de família da geração dos seus pais. O transitar entre concepções antigas e novas remete às características da sociedade contemporânea, traduzindo um momento incerto e de mudança. / To work and to have a family have always been basic in human life. In every historical moment, different meanings were given to work and family, as well as were different the ways of living and interacting between these two domains. This study aims to allow thought about work-family interactions, especially regarding the contemporary society. At this particular social/economical moment, people are being confronted with particular characteristics and are experiencing uncertainty, constancy of changes and complexity. The information technology revolution and globalization are part of work and family: individuals face today the demands of the economical market, based on profitability and consumption, and its effects are spread in both work and family domains. Using life stories as the methodological approach, this study analyses this reality through the personal experiences of four middle managers working in a petrochemical industry. The act of telling about their lives gave them the possibility to re-experience some critical moments, where values and beliefs were enunciated. The results confirmed the complexity of work-family interactions, and showed that there are different ways of facing the multiplicity of demands, with choice differing from person to person and depending on the moment of life. It is not possible to assure that family and work are conflicting spheres and that there are always negatives spillovers. In this study, work-family interactions with positive spillovers were identified s well. It is also possible to conclude, based on their speeches, that nowadays work and family are common territories: household tasks and child care and education are also men requirements and this fact enlightens the changes in the way people live and interact in the work and in the family. However, it was perceived that their beliefs about work and family are still strongly based on their parents values and realities, under which these middle managers were raised. Applying at the same time old and new values leads to the present society specificities, reinforcing the uncertainty and the lack of patterns.

As the literature on work–family conflict grows and absenteeism increasingly comes into the spotlight, one cannot help but ask the question: “What is an acceptable absenteeism rate and how can an organisation control and manage absenteeism?” With current absenteeism rates as high as 12% and with an estimated R12 million lost per annum because of absenteeism, the idea of an on-site employer-sponsored childcare facility seems viable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between absenteeism and on-site employer- sponsored childcare. The following dimensions of absenteeism will be examined over a period of a year: absence frequency, absence intensity, attitudinal absence and medical absence. The results of two companies, one with a facility and one without, will then be compared in order to establish the relationship between absenteeism and an on-site facility. To date, evidence remains mixed and the ongoing challenge of establishing real return on equity remains a major barrier to the support of on-site employer-sponsored childcare. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:30:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4687.pdf: 2147587 bytes, checksum: fb3ffdc3f9a7de1a4f918afe236b0c49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-24 / The need to study work-family balance derives from the experiences of couples who are developing their careers at the same time as they are raising children, and who enter into conflicts at home and at work as a result of the great difficulties that exist to integrate these involvements, in the absence of strategies and supports that would better enable them to establish an adequate level of balance. Focused on couples in this phase of their lives, this study was designed to address two key objectives: a) compare men and women with respect to five factors: personal resources; their professional, marital, household and parental involvements; use of external resources; satisfaction with their involvements; and psychological well-being, so as to identify similarities and differences in the trajectories for each sex, at this stage of their lives; and b) verify the relationships that exist among these five factors, for men and for women, on the basis of the work-family model that underpins this study. As such, an interview protocol was developed, based on a new model of work family balance derived from other models described in the research literature. Individual interviews were conducted with each member of 50 couples, who differed widely in terms of their ages, occupations, and socioeconomic levels. All the study participants were engaged in paid work and were raising a child of up to 5 years of age. The interview protocol included open-ended questions, as well as standardized scales used in other studies in the area of work-family balance. The responses of male and female participants were compared by examining the frequency with which different categories of answers emerged in their verbal accounts, using inferential statistics to compare their results on the standardized scales, and, finally, comparing the relationships that emerged among the five factors included in the theoretical model of work-family balance, using linear regression analyses. The results indicate distinct family and professional trajectories for the men and women who participated in this study. The undervaluing of women s professional work was reflected in the lower salaries paid to the women in comparison with the men. The women also reported greater difficulties than the men to reconcile the demands they faced, together with higher levels of burden, stress and lower satisfaction with workplace support. The strategies used by the couples were marked by the unequal division of family work, reflecting traditional gender perspectives. In a similar vein, the support that was available via organizational strategies was insufficient for both sexes and didn t meet the needs of parents of young children. Given that simultaneous work and family involvements are becoming normative, the results of this study point to the need to create interventions that can prepare couples to more equally share family demands, as well as widening institutional strategies to support workers and introducing public policies that can help couples with young children. / A necessidade do estudo de equilíbrio entre demandas profissionais e familiares parte da experiência de casais que procuram desenvolver suas carreiras ao mesmo tempo em que criam seus filhos e que passam por conflitos em casa e no trabalho, em função das reais dificuldades que existem para conciliar estes envolvimentos, na ausência de estratégias e recursos que lhes permitem estabelecer um equilíbrio mais adequado. Focando nesta fase de vida destes casais, com este estudo, buscou-se abordar dois objetivos principais: a) comparar homens e mulheres em relação a cinco fatores: recursos pessoais, envolvimentos profissionais, conjugais, domésticos e parentais; utilização de recursos externos; satisfação com seus envolvimentos e bem estar psicológico, buscando desta forma verificar semelhanças e diferenças nas trajetórias para cada sexo, nesta fase de suas vidas; e b) verificar as relações entre estes cinco fatores, para homens e para mulheres, segundo o modelo de equilíbrio trabalho família que embasa este estudo. Para tal, foi desenvolvido um roteiro de entrevista, estruturada a partir de um modelo de equilíbrio trabalho família novo, baseado em outros já existentes na literatura científica. Entrevistou-se, individualmente, ambos os membros de 50 casais, que eram de diferentes idades, profissões e níveis sócio-econômicos. Todos estavam trabalhando e criando um filho de até 5 anos de idade. A entrevista continha questões abertas, junto com escalas padronizadas, utilizadas em pesquisas na área de equilíbrio trabalho-família. Comparou-se as respostas dos homens e mulheres que participaram por meio do exame da freqüência com a qual diferentes categorias de respostas emergiram nos seus relatos verbais, utilizando análises estatísticas inferenciais para comparar os escores obtidos nas escalas padronizadas e, por fim, observando as relações que surgiram entre os cinco fatores que o compunham o modelo teórico de equilíbrio trabalho e família, por meio de análises de regressão linear. Os resultados indicam trajetórias familiares e profissionais distintas para os homens e as mulheres que participaram deste estudo. Notou-se a subvalorização do trabalho profissional feminino, uma vez que as mulheres recebiam salários mais baixos do que os homens. As mulheres também relataram maiores dificuldades do que os homens para conciliar as demandas que enfrentavam, junto com níveis mais altos de sobrecarga e estresse e menor satisfação com o apoio no ambiente de trabalho. As estratégias utilizadas eram marcadas pela divisão desigual de tarefas familiares entre os cônjuges, embasadas na concepção tradicional de gênero. De forma similar, as estratégias institucionais de apoio se mostraram insuficientes para ambos os sexos e não contemplavam as necessidades dos pais de filhos pequenos. Visto que envolvimentos simultâneos no trabalho e na família estão se tornando normativos, os resultados deste estudo apontam para a necessidade da criação de intervenções que preparem os casais para dividir de forma mais igualitária as demandas familiares, ao mesmo tempo em que sejam ampliadas as estratégias institucionais para apoiar funcionários e implementadas políticas públicas que apóiem casais com filhos na primeira infância.