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Running head: WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 1
Women and Flexibility in the Workplace
[Author’s Name]
[University]
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 2
Abstract
America is undergoing profound social and demographic changes. These changes the way
women work and balance their family and workplace obligations. This paper provides a brief
analysis of workplace flexibility and related issues. Why workplace flexibility is a social and
structural issue is discussed. The main factors affecting women’s flexibility in the workplace
are identified. Factors affecting women’s pay and future changes for women in the workplace
are evaluated.
Keywords: workplace flexibility, Kathleen Christensen, social, discrimination.
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 3
Women and Flexibility in the Workplace
America is undergoing a series of structural and demographic changes. These changes
greatly affect the way women balance their workplace and family obligations. More women
are entering the American labor force; simultaneously, working women are facing a number
of organizational challenges, which prevent them from accomplishing their workplace and
household tasks. In light of these changes, workplace flexibility is becoming a matter of
serious organizations’ concern. This is particularly the case of large companies, which
experience considerable pressures, trying to provide female employees with greater flexibility
in the workplace. Given the continuity of demographic and social changes, future
organizations will have to ensure more flexible workplace arrangements. Technology
advancements will allow for better workplace flexibility, leading organizations toward
greater efficiency, profitability, and sustained competitive advantage.
Workplace flexibility is an object of continued professional debate. As more women
are entering the American labor force, workplace flexibility is also becoming a matter of
organizations’ concern. Flexibility in the workplace is the central topic of Kathleen
Christensen’s, who treats workplace flexibility as a social and structural issue. Really,
flexibility in the workplace is a compound product of multiple social and structural changes
in the American society. From the social angle, the American way of life has undergone
serious social changes in the past thirty years (Christensen & Schneider, 2010). Women,
especially middle-class mothers, have entered and stayed in the labor force (Christensen &
Schneider, 2010). The prevailing majority of American families have two earners
(Christensen & Schneider, 2010). The number of single-parent and single-earner families
constantly increases (Christensen & Schneider, 2010). As a result, women need greater
flexibility, to manage their workplace and family obligations.
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 4
Structurally, the issue of workplace flexibility reflects and confirms the existing
mismatch between the social and demographic changes and the static nature of workplace
processes. Christensen and Schneider (2010) claims that the one-size-fits-all workplace, with
its full-time arrangements with linear career paths no longer fit in the changeable
demographic and social conditions in the U.S. The needs of the workforce are changing, but
the organization of the workplace in most organizations remains unchanged (Christensen &
Schneider, 2010). “American working parents and older workers are paying the price for this
structural mismatch and private sector employees in the United States, while slow to respond
to this mismatch, are creating opportunities for more flexibility in how work is organized”
(Christensen & Schneider, 2010, p.2). At the beginning of the 21st century nonflexible
workplace does not meet the needs of employees, especially women. The arithmetic of the
American family has changed, and only organizations which realize the importance of
workplace flexibility and provide flexible workplace arrangements can achieve greater
efficiency of operations and outperform their competitors.
A multitude of factors affects flexibility in the American workplace. Basically, large
companies face greater pressures to respond to workers’ flexibility concerns, than smaller
organizations (Blair-Roy & Wharton, 2002). This is mainly because, due to a greater number
of employees, large organizations cannot provide the range of workplace arrangements to
meet the unique needs of all workers. In the meantime, many employees, including female
employees, are either reluctant or fail to voice their flexibility concerns. Christensen (2011)
suggests that many people believe that workplace flexibility is a private problem, which has
little to do with the organization. They work hard to balance their family and career lives.
Yet, as the number of work-family problems increases, workplace flexibility gradually
becomes a public issue which each and every organization should address. Moreover, despite
the growing body of workplace flexibility research, many organizations still believe that
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 5
workplace flexibility is too costly and is not worth the effort (Christensen, 2011).
Organizations do not know how to implement and maintain flexibility in the workplace,
whereas many employees, too, do not ask for flexibility (Christensen, 2011). All these factors
make workplace flexibility an unachievable task.
Women experience the lack of workplace flexibility; simultaneously, gender gaps in
earnings continue to persist. The gender pay gap is usually associated with differences in
men’s and women’s skills and qualifications: women are believed to lack skills and
knowledge needed to pursue the main organizational goals (Blau & Kahn, 2000). Women
devote themselves to family obligations and tasks; for this reason, they cannot accumulate
labor experience to grow professionally (Blau & Kahn, 2000). There is the general consensus
that “women anticipate shorter and more discontinuous work lives, they have lower
incentives to invest in market-oriented formal education and on-the-job training” (Blau &
Kahn, 2000, p.80). Here, the gap in pay is integrally linked to flexibility in the workplace, as
the latter could give women better chances to accumulate experience and skills. Workplace
flexibility may help women and organizations reduce the gap in pay, but human capital is not
the only factor affecting salaries. Many women intentionally avoid jobs that require extensive
skills and knowledge, whereas employers are reluctant to hire women for challenging
positions (Blau & Kahn, 2000). Here, labor market discrimination is a significant factor of
gender pay gaps. Discrimination comes in a number of forms, mostly due to the
discriminatory conceptions and tastes of employers (Blau & Kahn, 2000). Many employers
keep to a misleading belief that women are less productive than their male colleagues; in the
meantime, the lack of employment opportunities do not allow women showing and realizing
their productivity potential. Finally, wage structure can be responsible for persistent pay gaps
in U.S. organizations (Blau & Kahn, 2000).
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 6
The future holds a promise to offer greater flexibility of workplace arrangements for
women. Organizations are coming to realize the value of workplace flexibility and its
implications for growth and profitability. Flexibility in the workplace can become an
effective defensive response to business and market uncertainties (Sanchez et al., 2007). In
the meantime, technologies provide greater workplace flexibility: teleworking, part-time
workplace arrangements, and freelancing are becoming part of organizations’ routines.
Moreover, workplace flexibility can readily become the source of organizations’ competitive
advantage: in case of female workers, flexibility in the workplace allows hiring and retaining
the most prospective staff. The intensity of competition constantly increases, and
organizations want to reduce their costs. In the next 10 years, women may be able to find jobs
and workplace arrangements that meet their family and career needs. Everything depends on
whether or not organizations are willing to address the existing structural mismatch.
Conclusion
Workplace flexibility is an object of continued professional debate. As more women
are entering the American labor force, workplace flexibility is also becoming a matter of
organizations’ concern. Flexibility in the workplace is a compound product of multiple social
and structural changes in the American society. Workplace flexibility is a structural issue, as
it reflects and confirms the existing mismatch between social changes and the static nature of
workplace processes. Workplace flexibility is subject to numerous influences; many
organizations believe that flexibility in the workplace is too costly to afford. Simultaneously,
gender gaps in earnings continue to persist. Women are claimed to lack sufficient knowledge
and skills; but how can women grow professionally, if organizations do not allow them to
balance their workplace obligations with family tasks? The future holds a promise to offer
greater flexibility of workplace arrangements for women. Organizations are coming to realize
the value of workplace flexibility and its implications for growth and profitability.
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 7
Technology advancements will allow for better workplace flexibility, leading organizations
toward greater efficiency, profitability, and sustained competitive advantage.
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 8
References
Blair-Loy, M. & Wharton, A.S. (2002). Employees’ use of work-family policies and the
workplace social context. Social Forces, 80(3), 813-845.
Blau, F.D. & Kahn, L.M. (2000). Gender differences in pay. The Journal of Economic
Perspectives, 14(4), 75-99.
Christensen, K.E. (2011). Building a grassroots movement: Taking workplace flexibility from
private to public. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-e-christensen/workplace-
flexibility_b_1021717.html
Christensen, K. & Schneider, B.L. (2010). Workplace flexibility: Realigning 20th-century jobs
for a 21st century workforce. Cornell University Press.
Sanchez, A.M., Perez, M.P., Carnicer, P.L. & Iimenez, M. (2007). Teleworking and
workplace flexibility: A study of impact on firm performance. Personnel Review,
36(1), 42-64.