1. Abstract
Work Family Balance in Dual Career Families
by
Jude Fernando
Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayawardenepura
The reconciliationof multipleroles,performedbythe menandwomenin dual career families has been
subjectof majorconcernsto those whoare interestedingenderandfamilystudies,women’sissues and
organizational productivity. A major share of the domestic duties continues to be associated with
womeninmanycommunitiesdespitetheircontributionasincome earners. The concept of work family
balance,whichentailsthe sharedresponsibilityandreconciling multiple roles, is important to promote
the individual, family, social and organizational well-being.
The purpose of this study is to broaden the knowledge on how equitably the dual career families
employed in the formal sector reconcile multiple gender roles and to evaluate whether the relative
economic prosperity they enjoy, promotes the gender equality and the self and career development.
The study was undertaken to fulfill the partial requirements to the award of Master of Science in
ManagementDegree fromthe Facultyof Graduate Studiesof the Universityof Sri Jayawardanapura and
was conducted in 2002 –2003. As the case, the private banking sector in the Colombo district of Sri
Lanka waschosen.The survey research methodology was adopted and a structured questionnaire was
administered among 54 females and 38 males. Interviews and observations were conducted among
selectedgroupof respondents, their spouses and employers. Data was analyzed to identify the socio-
economic status, gender division of labour and five constructs; work family conflict, social support,
economic well-being, job satisfaction and the decision making which affect the work family balance.
Findings revealed that gender responsibilities are unfairly distributed between sexes. Women’s
traditional share in reproductive duty continues irrespective of their contribution in economic
provisioning. Women’s ability to invest time in self and career development activities has been
significantlyconstraineddue tothe greaterinvolvementindomesticroles. On the other hand, men are
engaged in more productive work, more concerned about career and self-development and have
greater social interaction.
The analysisof socio-economicvariablesrevealedmajorityof householdsare nuclearfamilies. The level
of education, employment position, career mobility and motivation recorded greater among men.
Women do not value the career to the same level that men do indicating possible influence of social
psyche that they are primarily homemakers and engagement in career is unnatural to women.
In the analysis of perceptual constructs, workingmen perceived a higher level of interferences to the
employment from the family; workingwomen perceived a higher level of support from outside the
family, more decision-making in day-to-day consumption activities and economic security with lesser
numberof children. Findings will be important to the employers in optimizing employee productivity
and to the state institutions and activists in establishing gender equality.