Chapter 10

The Intersection of Work and Family Roles:

Implications for Career Management

Key Points in this Chapter

Work-Family Conflict: When Work and Family are “Enemies” Work-Family Enrichment: When Work and Family are “Allies” The Two-Career Family Quality of Life in Two-Career Families Organizational Responses to Work-Family Issues Changing the Organization’s Work-Family Culture Career Management and Quality of Life

The Intersection of Work and Family Roles Work and Family lives touch each other in so many ways. Work-Family Balance is a hot topic on the nation’s social agenda. Why has the need to balance work and family lives become more intense in recent

years? Many individuals are simultaneously pursing a career and committed to a family

relationship. Both spouses are employed in nearly six out of 10 married couple families in the

U.S. The changing composition of the workforce is largely die to the increasing

participation of women in paid employment. In 1960, 30% of all married women in the U.S. were in the workforce; in 2005,

the percentage was 59.3%. In 1960, 19% of all married women with children under six were in the

workforce; in 2005, the percentage was 62.6%. In 1960, the employment rate for married women with children 6-17 was 39%;

in 2005 the percentage was 76.9%. Approximately 28% of the households with children under 18 were single

parent households, and 82% of these were headed by women. In addition, men are increasingly required to juggle their work and family lives.

The Intersection of Work and Family Roles

Advances in communication technology have increased the work pressures of employees in many organizations. Employees feel “on call” 24 hours and 7 days a week. More than 10,000 companies provide PDAs to their

employees. 60% of employees with cell phones or smart phones take

them on vacation. 20% are contacted by their employers while on vacation.

An increasingly global economy requires many employees to communicate with colleagues, suppliers, and clients in different parts of the world and in different time zones.

Heavy work commitments and extensive family responsibilities have created additional stresses.

Work-Family Conflict:When Work and Family Are “Enemies”

There are many times when our work and family lives are in conflict with one another.

Work-family conflict exists when pressures from work and family roles are mutually incompatible.

Three significant forms of work-family conflict are: Time-based conflict occurs when the activities we pursue in life

compete for a precious commodity – time. Strain-based conflict exists when psychological strain produced within

one role affects our functioning in another role. Behavior-based conflict occurs when people cannot shift gears when

they enter different roles. Role pressures can produce work-family conflict. Pressures can come from

role senders, and the expectations we place on ourselves. The pressure we put on ourselves depends on the importance or salience of the role to the self-concept.

Anyone (man or woman) who encounters extensive work and family pressures can experience conflict or interference between these roles.

Work-Family Enrichment:When Work and Family Are “Allies”

When work and family are allies, work can strengthen our family lives and family experiences can improve our work lives. These beneficial effects are work-family enrichment.

Work-family enrichment takes place when resources acquired in one role are used to improve our performance and satisfaction in the other role.

Participating in a role provides opportunities to acquire resources from that role (e.g. new skills, new perspectives, self-confidence, social capital, material resources).

The Two-Career Family

A two career couple is two people who share a lifestyle that includes an ongoing love relationship, cohabitation, and a work role for each partner.

Sources of stress in the Two-Career Relationship Work-Family Conflict

Two career wives often work a “second shift” of home and family chores, with their “work day” only half over when they return home from their paid employment.

The overload and stress experienced by two career partners can threaten the relationship in several ways.

The Two-Career Family

Restricted Career Achievements The two career lifestyle may restrict or slow down an

individual’s career accomplishments. Women may incur a “family penalty” because their

extensive family responsibilities limit their career progress.

Men often experience a “family bonus” that actually helps their career.

The extent to which career achievements are restricted in two-career families may depend, in part, on the time commitments required in a particular career field.

Two career couples often must decide whose career has priority at any particular point in time.

The Two-Career Family

Competition and Jealousy 40% of college educated women earn as much

or more than their husbands. The Impact of Two-Career Status on Children

64% of men and 78% of women believe that an employed mother can have just as good a relationship with her child as a mother who does not work outside the home.

Quality of Life in Two-Career Families

Social Support Individuals who receive extensive support from

organizations and individuals tend to experience less work-family conflict and greater well-being than those who receive modest support.

Coping with Work-Family Stress Hall suggests three strategies for coping with work-family

conflict: structural role redefinition; personal role reorientation; and reactive role behavior.

Flexibility Satisfactory coping requires a great deal of flexibility on

the part of all members of a two career family, including the children.

Organizational Responses to Work-Family Issues

Many, if not most, employers realize that it is in their best interest to help their employees balance their work and family lives.

Organizational Responses to Work-Family

Issues

Organizational Responses to Work-Family Issues

Dependent Care Child care programs include on-site or near-site child care

centers; subsidies; emergency assistance for sick children; flexible spending accounts; a resource and referral system; community partnerships.

A growing concern is the care of elder relatives, especially parents. By 2030, senior citizens will make up 20% of the population. Companies are offering elder care support to their employees.

Organizational Responses to Work-Family Issues

Flexible Work Arrangements Flexible Work Schedules Family Leaves Part-Time Employment

The Mommy Track Flexible Career Paths Telecommuting

Changing the Organization’s Work-Family Culture

Most family-supportive employers provide formal work-family programs within a culture that respects employees’ family and personal lives.

A family responsive organization should establish an explicit corporate policy regarding work and family and communicate this policy throughout the organization.

Career Management and the Quality of Life

The decisions we make in our everyday lives also affect the balance or imbalance we experience.

Career management can help individuals make decisions that are compatible with the type of lifestyle they want to live.

The following four step guide to action can be used by individuals who are concerned about excessive work-family conflict: 1. Understand your priorities regarding career, family,

and other life roles. 2. Understand the nature of the conflict. 3. Develop a plan and experiment with different

approaches. 4. Monitor whether the plans are working and make

changes as necessary; continue to experiment.