Dr. Awais e Siraj Managing Director Genzee Solutions, A Strategy, Balanced Scorecard, Scenario Planning, Competency Based Human Resource Management Consulting Company
What distinct insights do feminist analyses offer to the sociology of work an...Y H
This essay is focused on gender inequality especially wage gap between male and female. A long history of wage gap has promoted a glass ceiling. It is necessary to review women's competences once again and conceive how the glass ceiling and pay gap could be solved.
Work–Life ‘Balance’ Business Case (learning and innovation)Al James
This document discusses how providing work-life balance (WLB) arrangements can benefit employers through enhancing learning and innovation within and between firms. It explores this issue through a case study of IT workers in Dublin, Ireland and Cambridge, UK before and after the 2008 economic downturn. The study finds that making available the types of WLB arrangements identified by workers as reducing gendered work-life conflicts can also improve firms' learning and innovation processes, which are important for long-term competitive advantage. However, more evidence is still needed to fully establish the business case for WLB given recessionary pressures to cut costs.
This document provides an analysis of trends in the gender wage gap in the US from 2000 to 2010. It finds that before the financial crisis, the wage penalty was higher for lower-paid female workers compared to higher-paid workers, but this trend reversed during the financial crisis as the penalty reduced for lower-paid workers but remained stable for higher-paid workers. The document also reviews several theoretical models that attempt to explain the persistence of a gender wage gap, such as taste-based discrimination and statistical discrimination.
The aim of this paper is to dicriminate between alternative compensation policies in Finnish industries using linked employer-employee data covering the period 1987–1992. Our results suggest that earnings equations should have a firm effect with a firm-specific intercept and seniority effect. There is also a strong association of firm-level compensation to education, in contrast to weak correlation to other human capital components such as general experience. Experience payments from initial tenure, and also from general experience, are increasing with educational level. We also examine the efficiency of the compensation policies on the basis of their impact on labor and total factor productivity. We find seniority compensations in general efficient. This holds particularly for the middle educated.
Gender Equality and Work-Family Reconciliation – Balancing Market Income an...Sociology@Essex
Slides from Michael Bittman's CRESI seminar on 27 January 2011 http://cresi.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/seminar-gender-equality-and-work-family-reconciliation-balancing-market-income-and-non-market-production/
3._TRANSFORMATION_IN_LAST_TWO_DECADES_EMPLOYMWENT_RELATIONS.docxAlexander Daniel Gonz
The document discusses changes in employment relations systems over the past 20-30 years in Australia and Spain from an industrial relations model to a contemporary employment relations model. In Australia, the pluralist approach that empowered unions has given way to a growing unitarist approach that has increased employer power over the past 2-3 decades. Employers have gained influence through enterprise bargaining laws and associations that have weakened unions. In Spain, reforms to increase competitiveness including allowing temporary contracts have reduced union influence, though high unemployment remained an issue. Overall the passage argues employers have become more powerful actors under the contemporary employment relations systems in both countries.
This study investigates the transition of middle-skilled workers into the lower class using the Bargaining Theory of Wages. The study analyzes data from the American Community Survey to examine how the bargaining power of middle-skilled workers with bachelor's degrees has declined as their numbers have increased, leading to lower wages. Graphs of the data show slower wage growth for low-skilled occupations as highly skilled workers apply for them in recessions. The results support the hypothesis that a shift to a service economy allows highly skilled workers to obtain low-skilled jobs, decreasing wages for those occupations as bargaining power declines.
The everyday challenges faced by workers ‘struggling to juggle’ competing commitments of paid work, home and family remain stubbornly persistent and highly gendered. Reinforcing these problems, many employers regard work-life balance (WLB) provision as too costly: ‘the luxuries of a booming economy that cannot be sustained as we seek to recover from recession’ (Leighton and Gregory 2011: 11). In response, this paper explores the learning and innovation advantages that can result from WLB provision in knowledge-intensive firms, as part of a WLB ‘mutual gains’ research agenda. These synergies are explored through a case study of IT workers and firms in two high tech regional economies - Dublin, Ireland and Cambridge, UK - prior to (2006-8) and subsequent to (2010) the economic downturn. The results suggest that by making available the kinds of WLB arrangements identified by workers as offering meaningful reductions in gendered work-life conflicts, employers can also enhance the learning and innovation processes within and between firms, which are widely recognised as fundamental for firms’ long-term sustainable competitive advantage.
What distinct insights do feminist analyses offer to the sociology of work an...Y H
This essay is focused on gender inequality especially wage gap between male and female. A long history of wage gap has promoted a glass ceiling. It is necessary to review women's competences once again and conceive how the glass ceiling and pay gap could be solved.
Work–Life ‘Balance’ Business Case (learning and innovation)Al James
This document discusses how providing work-life balance (WLB) arrangements can benefit employers through enhancing learning and innovation within and between firms. It explores this issue through a case study of IT workers in Dublin, Ireland and Cambridge, UK before and after the 2008 economic downturn. The study finds that making available the types of WLB arrangements identified by workers as reducing gendered work-life conflicts can also improve firms' learning and innovation processes, which are important for long-term competitive advantage. However, more evidence is still needed to fully establish the business case for WLB given recessionary pressures to cut costs.
This document provides an analysis of trends in the gender wage gap in the US from 2000 to 2010. It finds that before the financial crisis, the wage penalty was higher for lower-paid female workers compared to higher-paid workers, but this trend reversed during the financial crisis as the penalty reduced for lower-paid workers but remained stable for higher-paid workers. The document also reviews several theoretical models that attempt to explain the persistence of a gender wage gap, such as taste-based discrimination and statistical discrimination.
The aim of this paper is to dicriminate between alternative compensation policies in Finnish industries using linked employer-employee data covering the period 1987–1992. Our results suggest that earnings equations should have a firm effect with a firm-specific intercept and seniority effect. There is also a strong association of firm-level compensation to education, in contrast to weak correlation to other human capital components such as general experience. Experience payments from initial tenure, and also from general experience, are increasing with educational level. We also examine the efficiency of the compensation policies on the basis of their impact on labor and total factor productivity. We find seniority compensations in general efficient. This holds particularly for the middle educated.
Gender Equality and Work-Family Reconciliation – Balancing Market Income an...Sociology@Essex
Slides from Michael Bittman's CRESI seminar on 27 January 2011 http://cresi.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/seminar-gender-equality-and-work-family-reconciliation-balancing-market-income-and-non-market-production/
3._TRANSFORMATION_IN_LAST_TWO_DECADES_EMPLOYMWENT_RELATIONS.docxAlexander Daniel Gonz
The document discusses changes in employment relations systems over the past 20-30 years in Australia and Spain from an industrial relations model to a contemporary employment relations model. In Australia, the pluralist approach that empowered unions has given way to a growing unitarist approach that has increased employer power over the past 2-3 decades. Employers have gained influence through enterprise bargaining laws and associations that have weakened unions. In Spain, reforms to increase competitiveness including allowing temporary contracts have reduced union influence, though high unemployment remained an issue. Overall the passage argues employers have become more powerful actors under the contemporary employment relations systems in both countries.
This study investigates the transition of middle-skilled workers into the lower class using the Bargaining Theory of Wages. The study analyzes data from the American Community Survey to examine how the bargaining power of middle-skilled workers with bachelor's degrees has declined as their numbers have increased, leading to lower wages. Graphs of the data show slower wage growth for low-skilled occupations as highly skilled workers apply for them in recessions. The results support the hypothesis that a shift to a service economy allows highly skilled workers to obtain low-skilled jobs, decreasing wages for those occupations as bargaining power declines.
The everyday challenges faced by workers ‘struggling to juggle’ competing commitments of paid work, home and family remain stubbornly persistent and highly gendered. Reinforcing these problems, many employers regard work-life balance (WLB) provision as too costly: ‘the luxuries of a booming economy that cannot be sustained as we seek to recover from recession’ (Leighton and Gregory 2011: 11). In response, this paper explores the learning and innovation advantages that can result from WLB provision in knowledge-intensive firms, as part of a WLB ‘mutual gains’ research agenda. These synergies are explored through a case study of IT workers and firms in two high tech regional economies - Dublin, Ireland and Cambridge, UK - prior to (2006-8) and subsequent to (2010) the economic downturn. The results suggest that by making available the kinds of WLB arrangements identified by workers as offering meaningful reductions in gendered work-life conflicts, employers can also enhance the learning and innovation processes within and between firms, which are widely recognised as fundamental for firms’ long-term sustainable competitive advantage.
Dr. Awais e Siraj Capacity Building and Strategic Processes ConsultantAwais e Siraj
This document contains contact and biographical information for Awais E Siraj, including his address, date of birth, education history, professional experience, areas of expertise, clients, publications, and references. It outlines his experience as a management consultant specializing in areas like strategy, balanced scorecards, and competency-based performance management. He has over 20 years of experience working with various pharmaceutical, healthcare, and other organizations in Pakistan and the Middle East.
The document presents the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) concept being developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The SmAHTR is a 125 MWt, integral, thermal spectrum fluoride salt-cooled reactor designed to produce both electricity and process heat up to 700°C initially with a future goal of reaching 1000°C. It employs a compact prismatic core with removable TRISO fuel stringers, uses passive decay heat removal systems, and is designed to be transportable.
This document discusses the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) project. It provides an overview of the presentation, which will cover fluoride salt coolants, fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors, the SmAHTR design objectives, a preliminary SmAHTR concept, concept optimizations and design trades, and principal development challenges. Fluoride salt coolants can achieve very high temperatures and have favorable properties for compact nuclear reactor designs with integral primary systems. The SmAHTR targets both electricity and high/very high temperature process heat production from a small, modular reactor design.
Constraints of management dynamics in hecAwais e Siraj
1) The document discusses the constraints of management dynamics in higher education in Pakistan. It identifies major constraints as financial problems, socio-cultural factors, availability of skilled workforce, quality of infrastructure, and technological issues.
2) A sample of 500 students from 3 public universities in Islamabad were surveyed to understand these constraints. The findings showed that poor economic conditions and financial problems of students are significant constraints. Socio-cultural values between regions also pose challenges.
3) Recommendations include that the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan needs to formulate concrete measures to address these constraints in order to improve higher education management and student outcomes in the country.
Corporate profile aronagh genzee collaborating partnerAwais e Siraj
This document provides a portfolio of training and development workshops for various audiences. It offers workshops for project, programme and change managers focused on soft skills like neuro-linguistic programming, negotiation, and cross-cultural awareness. It also provides leadership development workshops, self-development offerings, and health and wellness workshops. All workshops are standalone but can be combined to create tailored programmes depending on client needs, and use techniques from neuroscience, coaching, and other modalities.
Genzee Solutions Strategy Balanced Scorecard and Competency Based Human Resou...Awais e Siraj
Strategy
Strategy Maps
Scenario Planning
Competency Based Human Resource Management
Competency Based Hiring and Interviewing
Competency Based Employee Development
Assessment Centers
Consulting
Open Enrollment Capacity Building and Training Programs Genzee Solutions Pvt...Awais e Siraj
This document summarizes several one-day certificate workshops on strategic management topics offered by Genzee Solutions in major Pakistani cities. The workshops focus on implementing strategy using balanced scorecards, developing outside-in strategies by considering external environmental factors, using scenario planning to develop long-term strategies for turbulent environments, measuring readiness of intangible assets like human capital, information capital and organizational capital, and setting goals and key performance indicators. The workshops employ interactive discussions and exercises to provide practical skills to professionals in strategy, planning, and management.
The document provides an outline for a course on scenario planning. Scenario planning involves exploring multiple plausible futures rather than a single predicted outcome. It draws on both internal and external perspectives to develop coherent narratives about how the future may unfold. The course aims to explain why scenario planning is important for strategy, policymaking, and organizational learning by having participants collaboratively develop scenarios and strategies for a case study. Through this interactive process, participants will gain experience applying scenario planning tools and framing strategic conversations around uncertainty.
The document summarizes a presentation on the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) concept. Key points include:
- SmAHTR is a 125 MWth, integral, truck transportable, high temperature salt-cooled reactor concept designed for both electricity and process heat production.
- It uses annular cylindrical fuel compacts, has a core inlet/outlet temperature of 650-700°C, and employs a two-out-of-three approach for operational and passive decay heat removal via in-vessel and ex-vessel heat exchangers.
- Challenges include optimizing the fuel and core design, matching with Brayton power conversion, and developing
This paper presents a new small modular advanced high temperature reactor (SmAHTR) concept developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The 125 MWt SmAHTR uses TRISO-coated particle fuel and a liquid fluoride salt coolant to achieve core outlet temperatures of 700°C. It has an integral primary system within the reactor vessel and can be transported on a standard tractor-trailer. The paper provides an overview of the SmAHTR system concept and discusses ongoing work related to neutronics, thermal design, and materials.
Advantages and disadvantages of the ‘distance’ that quantitative research est...Awais e Siraj
Dr. Awais e Siraj Managing Director Genzee Solutions, A Strategy, Balanced Scorecard, Scenario Planning, Competency Based Human Resource Management Consulting Company
This document provides a summary of work identifying and assessing strategies for mitigating severe accidents in boiling water reactors (BWRs) involving damage to the reactor core. It reviews dominant BWR severe accident sequences identified through probabilistic risk assessment. These include station blackouts and anticipated transients without scram. It assesses the current status of strategies in the BWR Owners' Group Emergency Procedure Guidelines for addressing these accidents. It also identifies additional candidate strategies not currently included, such as injecting boron if control blade damage occurs. The document evaluates two strategies in detail: keeping the reactor vessel depressurized and containment flooding to maintain core debris within the vessel. It provides recommendations to enhance accident management procedures and considerations for further developing strategies
Strategies for Creating Work-Life BalanceKelly Howarth
This workshop explores strategies for creating and maintaining work-life balance. It will include case studies and small group activities to brainstorm plans for balancing work and personal life. The session highlights flexibility in the workplace and making time for things we love while feeling competent professionally. The 75-minute interactive workshop is aimed at teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking to apply effective strategies for work-life balance.
The Myths and Magic of
Work Life Balance
In this seminar participants learn the most potent myths that make work life balance so elusive
and they emerge with clarity and commitment to changes to have more of the balance they
seek.
This document provides advice on achieving work-life balance for business owners. It discusses how working long hours can negatively impact health and social life. It suggests business owners evaluate if they are spending enough time on important non-work activities and relationships. The document then provides tips for business owners dealing with being too busy or too quiet, such as prioritizing tasks, learning to delegate, and using technology to be more efficient without being constantly connected. Maintaining flexibility and disconnecting from work periodically are presented as important for work-life balance.
You need to devote more time at work, but then home life suffers. You devote time to home life, and work suffers: this is the Time Seesaw. How can you effectively balance home and work, and still have time for yourself? Impossible, you think, but.... perhaps not.
This document reviews factors that affect work-life balance. It discusses how organizations face pressure to improve performance in competitive markets and how empowering employees can positively impact outcomes. Maintaining work-life balance is important for employee well-being, health, and reducing stress. The literature review examines how job satisfaction, work stress, career growth, absenteeism, appreciation, and competitive work environments relate to work-life balance policies and practices. The document aims to provide an overview of work-life balance factors through a review of existing literature sources.
13. Exploring Career And Personal Outcomes And The Meaning Of Career Success ...Bryce Nelson
This document summarizes two qualitative studies on part-time professionals. The first study in 1996-98 interviewed 87 part-time professionals about their careers, personal lives, and reasons for working reduced hours. A follow-up study in 2002-03 re-interviewed 81 of the original participants to understand how their careers and lives evolved over time. The document provides context on changing workforce demographics and pressures, as well as an overview of the research methodology used in the two studies. It aims to help fill gaps in understanding the outcomes and evolving conceptions of career success for professionals who work reduced hours.
Dr. Awais e Siraj Capacity Building and Strategic Processes ConsultantAwais e Siraj
This document contains contact and biographical information for Awais E Siraj, including his address, date of birth, education history, professional experience, areas of expertise, clients, publications, and references. It outlines his experience as a management consultant specializing in areas like strategy, balanced scorecards, and competency-based performance management. He has over 20 years of experience working with various pharmaceutical, healthcare, and other organizations in Pakistan and the Middle East.
The document presents the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) concept being developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The SmAHTR is a 125 MWt, integral, thermal spectrum fluoride salt-cooled reactor designed to produce both electricity and process heat up to 700°C initially with a future goal of reaching 1000°C. It employs a compact prismatic core with removable TRISO fuel stringers, uses passive decay heat removal systems, and is designed to be transportable.
This document discusses the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) project. It provides an overview of the presentation, which will cover fluoride salt coolants, fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors, the SmAHTR design objectives, a preliminary SmAHTR concept, concept optimizations and design trades, and principal development challenges. Fluoride salt coolants can achieve very high temperatures and have favorable properties for compact nuclear reactor designs with integral primary systems. The SmAHTR targets both electricity and high/very high temperature process heat production from a small, modular reactor design.
Constraints of management dynamics in hecAwais e Siraj
1) The document discusses the constraints of management dynamics in higher education in Pakistan. It identifies major constraints as financial problems, socio-cultural factors, availability of skilled workforce, quality of infrastructure, and technological issues.
2) A sample of 500 students from 3 public universities in Islamabad were surveyed to understand these constraints. The findings showed that poor economic conditions and financial problems of students are significant constraints. Socio-cultural values between regions also pose challenges.
3) Recommendations include that the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan needs to formulate concrete measures to address these constraints in order to improve higher education management and student outcomes in the country.
Corporate profile aronagh genzee collaborating partnerAwais e Siraj
This document provides a portfolio of training and development workshops for various audiences. It offers workshops for project, programme and change managers focused on soft skills like neuro-linguistic programming, negotiation, and cross-cultural awareness. It also provides leadership development workshops, self-development offerings, and health and wellness workshops. All workshops are standalone but can be combined to create tailored programmes depending on client needs, and use techniques from neuroscience, coaching, and other modalities.
Genzee Solutions Strategy Balanced Scorecard and Competency Based Human Resou...Awais e Siraj
Strategy
Strategy Maps
Scenario Planning
Competency Based Human Resource Management
Competency Based Hiring and Interviewing
Competency Based Employee Development
Assessment Centers
Consulting
Open Enrollment Capacity Building and Training Programs Genzee Solutions Pvt...Awais e Siraj
This document summarizes several one-day certificate workshops on strategic management topics offered by Genzee Solutions in major Pakistani cities. The workshops focus on implementing strategy using balanced scorecards, developing outside-in strategies by considering external environmental factors, using scenario planning to develop long-term strategies for turbulent environments, measuring readiness of intangible assets like human capital, information capital and organizational capital, and setting goals and key performance indicators. The workshops employ interactive discussions and exercises to provide practical skills to professionals in strategy, planning, and management.
The document provides an outline for a course on scenario planning. Scenario planning involves exploring multiple plausible futures rather than a single predicted outcome. It draws on both internal and external perspectives to develop coherent narratives about how the future may unfold. The course aims to explain why scenario planning is important for strategy, policymaking, and organizational learning by having participants collaboratively develop scenarios and strategies for a case study. Through this interactive process, participants will gain experience applying scenario planning tools and framing strategic conversations around uncertainty.
The document summarizes a presentation on the Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (SmAHTR) concept. Key points include:
- SmAHTR is a 125 MWth, integral, truck transportable, high temperature salt-cooled reactor concept designed for both electricity and process heat production.
- It uses annular cylindrical fuel compacts, has a core inlet/outlet temperature of 650-700°C, and employs a two-out-of-three approach for operational and passive decay heat removal via in-vessel and ex-vessel heat exchangers.
- Challenges include optimizing the fuel and core design, matching with Brayton power conversion, and developing
This paper presents a new small modular advanced high temperature reactor (SmAHTR) concept developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The 125 MWt SmAHTR uses TRISO-coated particle fuel and a liquid fluoride salt coolant to achieve core outlet temperatures of 700°C. It has an integral primary system within the reactor vessel and can be transported on a standard tractor-trailer. The paper provides an overview of the SmAHTR system concept and discusses ongoing work related to neutronics, thermal design, and materials.
Advantages and disadvantages of the ‘distance’ that quantitative research est...Awais e Siraj
Dr. Awais e Siraj Managing Director Genzee Solutions, A Strategy, Balanced Scorecard, Scenario Planning, Competency Based Human Resource Management Consulting Company
This document provides a summary of work identifying and assessing strategies for mitigating severe accidents in boiling water reactors (BWRs) involving damage to the reactor core. It reviews dominant BWR severe accident sequences identified through probabilistic risk assessment. These include station blackouts and anticipated transients without scram. It assesses the current status of strategies in the BWR Owners' Group Emergency Procedure Guidelines for addressing these accidents. It also identifies additional candidate strategies not currently included, such as injecting boron if control blade damage occurs. The document evaluates two strategies in detail: keeping the reactor vessel depressurized and containment flooding to maintain core debris within the vessel. It provides recommendations to enhance accident management procedures and considerations for further developing strategies
Strategies for Creating Work-Life BalanceKelly Howarth
This workshop explores strategies for creating and maintaining work-life balance. It will include case studies and small group activities to brainstorm plans for balancing work and personal life. The session highlights flexibility in the workplace and making time for things we love while feeling competent professionally. The 75-minute interactive workshop is aimed at teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking to apply effective strategies for work-life balance.
The Myths and Magic of
Work Life Balance
In this seminar participants learn the most potent myths that make work life balance so elusive
and they emerge with clarity and commitment to changes to have more of the balance they
seek.
This document provides advice on achieving work-life balance for business owners. It discusses how working long hours can negatively impact health and social life. It suggests business owners evaluate if they are spending enough time on important non-work activities and relationships. The document then provides tips for business owners dealing with being too busy or too quiet, such as prioritizing tasks, learning to delegate, and using technology to be more efficient without being constantly connected. Maintaining flexibility and disconnecting from work periodically are presented as important for work-life balance.
You need to devote more time at work, but then home life suffers. You devote time to home life, and work suffers: this is the Time Seesaw. How can you effectively balance home and work, and still have time for yourself? Impossible, you think, but.... perhaps not.
This document reviews factors that affect work-life balance. It discusses how organizations face pressure to improve performance in competitive markets and how empowering employees can positively impact outcomes. Maintaining work-life balance is important for employee well-being, health, and reducing stress. The literature review examines how job satisfaction, work stress, career growth, absenteeism, appreciation, and competitive work environments relate to work-life balance policies and practices. The document aims to provide an overview of work-life balance factors through a review of existing literature sources.
13. Exploring Career And Personal Outcomes And The Meaning Of Career Success ...Bryce Nelson
This document summarizes two qualitative studies on part-time professionals. The first study in 1996-98 interviewed 87 part-time professionals about their careers, personal lives, and reasons for working reduced hours. A follow-up study in 2002-03 re-interviewed 81 of the original participants to understand how their careers and lives evolved over time. The document provides context on changing workforce demographics and pressures, as well as an overview of the research methodology used in the two studies. It aims to help fill gaps in understanding the outcomes and evolving conceptions of career success for professionals who work reduced hours.
Running head BALANCING FAMILY AND WORK LIFE .docxjoellemurphey
This document summarizes a research paper about balancing work and family life for academics in Iceland. The paper analyzes how academics organize their time between work and family responsibilities, and whether there are gender differences. The summary found that while flexible work hours help academics balance their responsibilities, women seem to take on more of the unpaid domestic and childcare work. So the flexible work hours remove the ability for women more than men to separate work from home or work reduced hours. This reinforces traditional gender roles and an unequal division of labor at home.
This document summarizes a research paper on work-life balance challenges and opportunities in Indian companies. It discusses trends pressuring employers to rethink people practices and how this generates potential to meet organizational and worker goals. It outlines work-life balance definitions and reviews literature on its importance. Challenges include long work hours, aging workforce, and technology advances. Benefits of work-life policies include improved employee retention, motivation, productivity and reduced absenteeism, which positively impact organizations. The document recommends organizations evaluate compensation, support employees, offer flexible policies and programs, and create an enabling environment to achieve work-life balance.
IRJET- Relationship of Work-Life Balance with Occupational Stress among Femal...IRJET Journal
This study examines the relationship between work-life balance and occupational stress among 110 female personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Delhi, India. A survey was conducted using measures of work-life balance and occupational stress. Results found a strong negative relationship between occupational stress and work-life balance, indicating that higher work-life balance is associated with lower occupational stress. The study suggests that understanding the relationship between these factors can help armed forces support female personnel in balancing work and personal life to reduce stress levels.
Instrument Development for Studying Work Life Balance Programs in Information...IOSR Journals
This document describes the development of an instrument to study work-life balance programs in the Indian information technology industry. The researchers constructed a questionnaire with four parts to measure independent variables that may impact work-life balance, including breadwinning status, quality of work life, influence of money and consumerism, and other interests. The instrument was designed specifically for the Indian context based on its unique social and cultural factors. It includes questions on demographics, work hours, work-life conflicts, benefits programs, work and family roles and demands. Experts validated the instrument and pilots tests and reliability analyses were conducted before use to ensure it would effectively collect relevant data for analyzing work-life balance in the target population.
Work Life Balance and Employee Retention Evidence from a Selected Deposit Mon...ijtsrd
This study examined the effect of work life balance on employee retention in deposit money banks. Specifically to examine the how work life balance enhance employee's work demands in deposit money banks and ascertain the work life balance improve on employees welfare packages in deposit money banks. The study employed survey research design and data were collected from questionnaires distributed to the targeted respondents. The formulated hypotheses were tested with paired sample t test with aid of SPSS version 20.0. The findings showed that there is significant effect between work life balance and employee's work demands and employee's welfare packages in deposit money banks. Based on the findings, it was recommended that banks should ensure that reward system to be fair to each employee, hence the study revealed that some of the respondents are not comfortable with the present compensation system in their institution where they worked. Afodigbueokwu, Hillary E. | Ofurum, Darlington I. | Clement Ikwuoche G. "Work Life Balance and Employee Retention: Evidence from a Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-4 | Issue-1 , December 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd29504.pdfPaper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/hrm-and-retail-business/29504/work-life-balance-and-employee-retention-evidence-from-a-selected-deposit-money-banks-in-nigeria/afodigbueokwu-hillary-e
Work-life balance becomes an important issue for organizations and individuals at various stages of working life. For young people, career choices may influence later work-life balance, and they expect better balance than previous generations. In mid-career, work commonly interferes more with life or vice versa as responsibilities increase. Older workers near retirement face questions around being valued as assets or problems, and whether retirement will be gradual or sudden. Employers' flexibility in offering options like part-time work, remote working, and leave policies can support balance for all life stages.
Camparative analysis of overall work life balance of medical professionalsprjpublications
This document summarizes a study that analyzed work-life balance and stress levels among medical professionals in India. The study aimed to compare stress between male and female medical professionals, specialists and non-specialists, and those working long hours in public versus private hospitals. It provided background on work-life balance and stress in the medical field. Tables presented demographic details of respondents and organizational role stress scores among medical professionals in public and private hospitals in India. The study examined how work-life balance/imbalance and other factors impact overall stress levels among these professionals.
This paper analyzes the effects of job displacement on fertility using Finnish longitudinal employer-employee data (FLEED) matched to birth records. We distinguish between male and female job losses. We focus on couples where one spouse has lost his/her job due to a plant closure or mass lay off and follow them for several years both before and following the job loss. As a comparison group we use similar couples that were not affected by job displacement. In order to examine the possible
channels through which job loss affects fertility we examine also the effect on earnings, employment and divorce. The results show that a woman’s own job loss decreases fertility mainly for highly educated women. For every 100 displaced females there are approximately 4 less children born. A man’s job loss has no significant impact on completed fertility.
This article analyzes work-life balance (WLB) in the Irish IT sector. It discusses the limitations of conventional business case analyses that focus only on benefits to firms. The article aims to develop an alternative analysis considering both business and social factors. It examines: [1] gendered experiences of work-life conflict for IT workers; [2] WLB arrangements preferred by workers to reduce conflict; and [3] how these arrangements support learning and innovation in knowledge-intensive firms. The analysis moves beyond narrow economic rationales to consider WLB's importance for equity, well-being, and gender roles.
This study investigates the role of adverse working conditions in the determination of individual wages and overall job satisfaction in the Finnish labour market. The potential influence of adverse working conditions on self-reported fairness of pay at the workplace is considered as an alternative, indirect measure of job satisfaction. The results show that working conditions have a very minor role in the determination of individual wages in the Finnish labour market. In contrast, adverse working conditions substantially increase the level of job dissatisfaction and the perception of unfairness of pay at the workplace
Using propensity score matching combined with the differences-in-differences method this paper investigates gender differences in the wage effects of job mobility among young white-collar workers in the Finnish manufacturing sector over the period 1997–2006. A novel feature of our paper is that besides distinguishing between intrafirm and interfirm job changes we also investigate mobility and wage growth by educational level. These refinements prove to be important. Our results indicate that both kinds of mobility boost wage growth, but the positive effects are much higher for interfirm mobility. Also the gender gap in the returns to job changes varies with the type of mobility, the gap being 1.2 percentage points with interfirm mobility and non-existent when job changes within firms are considered. Furthermore, we find that there are differences in the returns to mobility between educational levels. The low-educated women benefit less from mobility than the high-educated women, especially with employer changes. For men, on the other hand, no such variation in the wage effects of mobility across educational levels is observed.
'Reconciliation' Policies and Gender RegimesCarmen Castro
1. The document discusses different models of welfare states and their relationship to gender equality, labor markets, and women's rights.
2. It analyzes how 'reconciliation policies' around maternity, paternity and parental leave are influenced more by a country's 'gender regime' than its political party.
3. The direction of public policies is examined in terms of whether they promote gender equality or reinforce gender biases.
This document summarizes a study that analyzes the effect of fathers taking parental leave on their involvement in childcare, household duties, and mothers' labor market participation. The study uses a fixed effects model to compare outcomes for fathers in Germany who had a first child before a 2007 policy reform promoting parental leave, and a higher-order child after the reform. The identification strategy relies on the assumption that differences in leave-taking and behaviors for first versus higher-order children were driven by the policy change, not other factors. The results suggest fathers who take parental leave spend more time on childcare and housework both during and after leave, while mothers work more hours. However, the effects on labor market participation are only short-term
THE BALANCE BETWEEN SOCIAL LIFE AND WORK AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH WORK STRES...IJDKP
The aim of this research is to identify the degree of the balance between social life and work and to measure the level of work stress of the employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. One hundred employees were surveyed through a random stratified sample. The
analysis is based on the outcomes of the questionnaire survey that was given out to a representative sample in the ministry. The researchers hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between the balance of social life, work, and work stress for the employees in the Ministry. Findings revealed the
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Subjugation of work life balance policies to pressures of work
1. Subjugation of Work-Life Balance Policies to
Pressures of Work
Dr. Awais e Siraj Managing Director/CEO Genzee Solutions, Islamabad, Pakistan
Abstract:
This paper has critically looked at the changing patterns of work in the last few decades
specifically considering the ‘non-standard’ and contractual nature of jobs leading to
major shifts in the skills requirement, growing levels of job insecurity, patterns of
employee resistance and intensification of labor and concludes that despite the
increasing interest in the practices and policies of “work-life” balance, there is conflicting
evidence to conclusively demonstrate that the pressures of work are so great that work-
life balance policies will inevitably fail to deliver.
Introduction:
The fundamental causes of change in the world and more specifically in the UK have
been the rising levels of life expectancy, mortality rates, birth rates and migration
whereby the population of UK alone rose from 38 million in the year 1900 to 59 million in
2000. (CLMS: 2006) Likewise the labor market of the early decades of twentieth century
marked by ‘standard’ connotations of fixed location, time specificity, and open ended
nature changed to ‘non-standard’ connotations of self – employment, flexi – working,
franchising, outsourcing, home-working and sub contracting. These changes started
from the simple traditional factors whereby a vacancy had to be filled temporarily in the
absence of an employee on holiday, sick leave or maternity leave. Later on, bowing to
the increasing demand of employees to take up non-standard and flexible work
responsibilities, employers gave it a serious thought and incorporated the same into
their systems. This was eventually followed by market flexibility induced by market
uncertainty.
Defining Work – Life Balance:
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) once remarked, "Why is it that I always get
the whole person when what I really want is a pair of hands?" Employment may be
regarded as the ownership on an employee’s time and presence by the employer for a
certain number of hours of part of the day. (Harvey, 1999; Felstead and Jewson, 1999)
But since people are different from machines, the boundaries between work and non-
work times remain indistinguishable and the spill-over effect is a common phenomenon.
Many attempts have been made to keep the life and work separate from one another
some of which have been partly successful. In societies where labor markets generate
2. and distribute income, the relationship between spaces of work and non work and
institutional and cultural times is defined as work-life balance. (Felstead et al, 2002)
Work – Life Balance Practices and Policies:
Work – life balance may also be defined as practices that enhance the independence of
workers to synchronize, coordinate and integrate work and non work facets of their lives
during employment and non-employment times. The core philosophy is that the workers
should be able to relate periods of work and non-work between short and long intervals
i.e. the breakup of number of hours in a day as well as the breakup of days in a year.
Work – life balance practices must enable the workers to improve autonomy and
flexibility in order to allocate full attention to work while they are attending to
employment. A small number of workers consider work and life as separate entities and
therefore balanceable. For a majority, life and work are amalgamated and intertwined
and this indistinguishable and inseparable from one another. (Eikhof and Haunschild,
2006) The underlying premise of all discussions is that employees have too much work
and long working hours. (IDS 2000) The management practices that explicitly recognize
work-life balance practices and incorporate them into their systems in order to improve
profitability and productivity of organization are work-life balance policies.
The history of work-life balance policies started with labor market trends made it difficult
to working parents to strike a balance between family responsibilities and work
commitments. (CLMS 2006) The classical pattern of families in UK comprises of a full –
time working father and a part – time working mother. The percentage of working
mothers with a child under five years of age rose from 43% in 1999 to 54% in 2001
whereas no change was seen in the employment rates of fathers. (Dex, 2003) More
than half of mothers and a majority of fathers (79%) were found to be working outside
the routine office hours of 9 to 5. More than half of fathers and more than one third of
mothers work on at least one Sunday in a calendar month. (La Valle et al., 2002)
Despite the Working Time Directive 6% mothers and 30% fathers cross the limit of 48
hours work week and over half of fathers and 13% of mothers work more than 40 hours
a week. Self employment together with atypical and long working hours, and weekend
working is a distinguishing phenomenon in 16% fathers and 8% mothers with
dependent children. (Bell and La Valle; 2003)
The percentage of “model employers” in the UK till 1996 was approximately 5. The term
‘model employers’ was designated to those who provided a family friendly atmosphere
to their employees through paternity leaves, extra-statutory maternity leaves, an
arrangement for non-standard form of work and childcare facilities. (Forth et al. 1997:
195) However these practices were more prevalent in public sector organizations and
3. large organizations. The demand or desire for flexi hours from employees rose
considerably between 1996 and 2000. (Hogarth et al. 2000: 16-17)
There are differing interests between employees and employers on the family friendly
employment policy. While employees wish for flexible working hours, non-standard
forms of work, paid leaves etc. etc., employers try to off-set the cost benefit of all these
facilities. (Holtermann, 1995; Scheibl and Dex, 1998) The private sector employers,
already pushed by the effects of globalization and competitiveness to keep a close
watch on the bottom line profits, find it difficult to justify the cost of disruption caused by
temporary reduction in productivity caused by absent colleagues and extra expenditures
on these family friendly policies. Moreover, they find it hard to justify the reduced level of
input to those who are not covered by such arrangements leading to resentments within
the team. It is difficult to compare the cost benefit ratio of such arrangements before and
after effecting these policies but some organizations in the UK have made their before
and after benefits public. Organizations like Asda, Chubb Group, National Westminster
Bank and Abbey National have reported and publicized that they have benefited from
these policies in terms of increased retention, reduced sickness and boosted morale
thus challenging the notion of a net loss through such activities. However, much more
data is awaited to reach a definitive conclusion.
In a landmark study done by Dex (2003), it has been revealed that father and mothers
put family life at the center of their attention. There are challenges at all levels, starting
from a little change in school time – tables of their children to changes in working hours
and changes in geographical locations of work, each one exerting a pressure of its own
kind on the parents. This, augmented by the shift towards atypical work has forced
families to take some drastic decisions about their personal and family life by either
moving to part time work or self employment. Some families have moved to convenient
geographical locations in order to adjust to these changes.
The Pressures of Work
The levels of occupational stress are increasing and work is intensifying. The impact of
work life pressures into domestic and family environment demonstrates itself in the
shape of exhaustion, stress and sleepless nights. (Hyman et al. 2003) The pressures of
work on employees are immense despite the repeated expression of the government to
provide opportunities for the employees to balance their personal life alongside work
life. (CLMS 2006)
The following key factors have been identified by researchers to be biggest source of
work pressures:
4. Non-Standard Employment
Although many positive connotations have been associated with the non standard form
employment, noteworthy among them being flexibility, creativity, positive response to
change and innovation, the list of negative connotations is equally long and strong. Non
standard form of employment is also associated with high turnover, insecurity, coercive
management, lowest wage rates, inconvenient and unsocial working hours and
intensified labor processes. (Felstead and Jewson: 1999) Evidence suggests that young
workers, women with dependent children, near retirement people and those from ethnic
minorities are more likely to be in non-standard jobs. (Dex and McCulloch, 1995:
Blossfield and Hakim, 1997) However some consider non standard work a blessing
because they can enjoy work as well as family. (Watson and Fothergill 1993) However,
majority of them were women with children who could thus find time to attend to family
as well as make some extra money.
The critical pressures for choosing between standard and non-standard works and
workforce have always been emanating from the strategy of organizations to remain
internationally competitive through flexibility, agility, subcontracting, niche marketing,
franchising or networking. Felstead and Jewson argue that it is the strategy whether
deliberate (Hunter et Al 1993) or emergent (Procter et al 1994) that decides which form
of work to choose for employees in order to remain competitive and profitable. Non –
standard form of work is also influenced by social process (Lane 1989) and economic
development and could be one of the ways of mobilizing cheap labor for rapid economic
growth necessary for globalization. Therefore the root of pressure on workers to
become a victim of non-standard form of work has its origins in globalization,
managerial decisions, society and economy.
Another element of pressure on the employees within the non-standard framework
emerged from the concept of “core” and “Peripheral” groups in an organization which
meant that an organization has to have a central group of smaller number of people
who are multi-skilled and could handle multi – tasking thereby remaining ‘flexible’ to the
changing environment. This phenomenon was labeled as ‘functional’ flexibility. On the
other hand, the same organization had a much larger ‘peripheral’ group of employees
who were labeled ‘flexible’ in terms of balancing out the ‘number’ of people in an
organization. Both groups remain under duress: The core group because of its
expectations to remain multi-skilled and ready for multi-tasking (which also means
extended work hours and handling of various functions simultaneously). The ‘peripheral’
group had the pressure of redundancy, low wages, absence of fringe benefits and
insecurity. (Pollert: 1988; Atkinson 1984; NEDO, 1986) A third type of ‘flexibility’ is the
decision ability of managers to upward and most commonly (and painfully) downwards
5. revision of wages by linking them to business environment. An interesting form of
numerical flexibility as described by Streeck (1987) is to engage the ‘core’ employees in
over-time work. Irrespective of the ways in which we classify this ‘flexibility’, it only adds
to the nervousness of employees because of uncertainty.
In a landmark study done by Felstead and Gallie (2002) have concluded that full time
employees are more skilled than part-time employees in terms of their computational,
people management and problem solving skills. Likewise, temporary workers are rather
more disadvantaged than their part time counterparts when compared to full time
employees vis-à-vis development and strategic planning opportunities. Temporary
workers also felt the most ‘insecure’ followed by part time and full time workers. Payne
and Payne (1993) found strong correlation between non-standard form of employment
and recent unemployment implying that people who remain our of employment for a
long period of time either restart at a lower skill level positions or prefer to engage in self
employment.
Changing Skills
Skills can be classified as A) Skills in Person i.e. the attributes in an individual acquired
by an individual through education, training, experience and qualifications. B) Skills in
Job i.e. discretion and complexity learned to comply with job requirements and C)
Setting i.e. social relations like teamwork, people skills, leadership, communication
(CLMS: 2006)
During the early decades of the second half of 20th century, educational qualifications,
analytical abilities and technical know-how was considered to be the main determinant
of skill. (Keep and Mayhew 1999) As early as 1977, it was recognized that in addition to
educational qualifications and certifications, the soft skills like personality, attitudes,
manners, appearance, teamwork etc. are the key distinguishing elements between the
employed and unemployed youth. (MSC 1977: 17, DES 1979a) Afterwards,
globalization, economic and technological changes tilted the understanding and
recognition towards relational and soft skills while still building on educational
qualifications and technical know-how. (Payne: 2000) The implications for this on the so
called ‘knowledge worker’ focused on processing of increasing amount of information
and knowledge across diverse contexts for decision making. (Reich: 1992) The
pressure is now on the employees to receive not only a broader formal education but
also get generic training on soft skills as well as vocational learning. (Green 1999b: 12)
The pressure of achieving an all round skill level is so great that a lot of employees
improve their educational qualifications during their employment to stay competitive.
(Murray and Steedman: 1998)
6. Intensity of Work and Job Security
Increasing level of work intensity and decreasing level of job security has been a focus
of attention of researchers despite high levels of employment. (CLMS 2006) However, it
is interesting to note that there is a big gap in the actual unemployment and perceived
unemployment. Employees are under the ‘impression’ and ‘fear’ that they have higher
chances of job loss and lower chances of getting an equally rewarding job if they are
laid off. Similarly the intensity of work, as measured by the number of hours spent on
work (Green: 2001) is also based on perception and not much reality because the
number of working hours have reduced over the years. However the distribution of
working hours shifted from majority to fewer numbers of people who worked much more
than others. (Green: 2001) Thus the increased number of hours increased for some but
not the entire work force.
Beatson (2002) found out that a majority (60%) of employees feel secure in their jobs
and only 19% feel insecure. This demonstrates that "Our perceptions not any objective
reality govern our emotional response and resulting behavior” (Dr Valeri O'Hara PhD,
Clinical Psychologist) On the other hand, work intensity, measured by the ‘work-efforts’
is demonstrated to have increased from 29% in 1986 to 50% in 2001. (Falstead et al
2002: Chapter 6)
The cost of enhancement in skills of employees is an increased work pressure and
deterioration in employee health and wellbeing. (Green et al 2002) The range of tasks
the employees perform, the pace at which they work, the pressure from managers,
colleagues, the responsibilities and the quantity of work have increased over time.
(Burchell et al 1999) The employee involvement programs were a welcome option only
if they allowed greater control over work and organization. However, all efforts remained
inadequately rewarded. One of the worst fears of changing intensity and increasing
flexibility was the perception of losing control over job and organization.
Falstead et al have demonstrated that job insecurity remained almost statistically
insignificant in their study through 1986 to 1997. They have still argued that insecurity at
work has a direct impact on the psychological ill health of the unemployed as well as its
household. The intensity of work, as measured by the ‘intensive effort’ was at its peak in
the 1980’s in the manufacturing sector which in the 1990’s shifted to public sector.
Green (2001) also established that across Britain, from 1992 to 1997, there was a steep
rise in ‘constrained efforts’ from employees at work followed by a rise in ‘discretionary
effort’. It was surprising to note that the rise in work intensity was primarily associated to
‘peer pressure’ instead of ‘supervisor pressure’.
7. “Higher skilled jobs engender greater enthusiasm but also greater anxiety” (Green and
Duncan: 2002) People with falling or stationary skills are less prone to stress than those
with an increasing levels of stress as higher levels of skills are directly proportional to
higher levels of arousal. The reason for this arousal as put forward by Green and
Duncan is greater involvement and task discretion in addition to empowerment and peer
support in learning new skills. Inexorably, high skilled jobs are associated to hard work
and there is hardly any doubt in the premise that hard work is associated to anxiety,
stress and physical well being. Another negative aspect for high engagement at
workplace is the spillover of work into non-work or family activities. (White et al. 2003)
Patterns of Resistance
The representation of workers in the unions has reduced from 40% to 18% in the last 30
years. (CLMS 2006) Trade unions are becoming less attractive to workers because of
shifting nature of power and “intellectual rediscovery of individualized forms of
resistance”. Historically trade unions at large workplaces had much higher penetration
levels and lower penetration at small workplaces. This tradition has changed to lower
penetration at large workplaces yet small workplaces are still the same. A new concept
of union employer partnership emerged and heavily supported by the government has
shifted the power and strength of trade unions to more of a promotion of shared interest
of the organizations. Workers became part of the corporate family because their
financial stakes in organizations gave them more say in day to day activities of the
organization. Therefore the most visible and obvious form of resistance two or three
decades ago have virtually disappeared. Hyman and Summers (2007) have found out
that the involvement of employees in work – life balance issues leads to ‘greater
breadth, codification and quality’ in the presence of recognized independent unions.
However most organizations remain within the minimal statutory levels of provision of
work-life balance practices.
Four theoretical positions have been identified for association of factors related to the
use work-life balance and family friendly working practices. They are briefly explained
as under:
Institutional Theory
According to institutional theory, the conformation and manifestation of organizations is
a direct reflection of the norms and pressures of a society. (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983;
Oliver, 1991) “Social legitimacy” has been identified as the reason why these
organizations tend to remain in conformity with the societies in which they operate.
Large size corporations of public and private sector have a strong inclination to be
identified as ‘conformists’ because their size and business is clearly visible at local as
8. well international level and they are also accountable to the body of voters. Small
organizations of private sector can choose to remain unyielding to the social pressures
but those who have strategic intentions of growing bigger in future tend to remain
competitive by imitating the actions of ‘big brothers’. They understand that it is ultimately
their reputation that will help them attract good human resource for their operations.
(McKee et al. 2000) Trade unions in organizations may prove to be a double – edged
sword. If on one hand, their presence may encourage organizations to present
themselves as a family friendly organization to the society, yet on the other hand,
organizations may choose to react by remaining ‘within their shell’. Therefore according
to institutional theory, the espousal of work life balance policies in an organization is
related to its sector, size, industry and unionization.
Organizational Adaptation Theory
Organizational Adaptation Theory puts the values of senior management at the center
of all decisions relating to interpretation and perception of societal norms. Therefore it is
one step ahead of the Institutional Theory whereby in addition to mere response to the
societal norms, work-life balance practices are recognized, known and taken heads on
by the board of management. (Morgan and Milliken, 1992; Goodstein, 1992; Ingram and
Simons, 1995) The theory suggests that the characteristics of workforce would
determine the way in which work-life balance is organized. It is highly likely that if the
ratio of female to male employees in an organization, it will be more responsive to
societal pressures as women are under much greater pressure to succumb to family
demands. But on the other side, if the percentage of part-time employees is higher for
women, other aspects of work-family balance may take backstage position. In addition
to this, the negotiating position of highly skilled workers is much stronger as they are
difficult to replace, thus putting the management under pressure to adapt to their
demands of work0life balance policies. Last but not the least, if the composition of
management team is such that they have a ‘soft heart’ or one or more of its members
are going through a similar phase in life, the policies and practices are definitely going
to have a major inclination towards the resolve and commitment to implement
conducive and employee friendly work-life balance policies.
High Commitment Theory
One step ahead of organizational adaptation theory is the “High Commitment Theory”
whereby organizations use work-life balance policies and practices to raise the level of
commitment of employees towards their organization. (Gallie et al. 2001; Wood, 1999)
HR function can improve the ‘marketability’ of their organization by actively promoting,
supporting as well as propagating the family friendly environment thus improving the
binding of existing employees to the organization as well as attracting highly skilled
9. workforce for future recruitment. (Felstead and Aston, 2000; Osterman 1995) While this
looks very attractive, there are some downsides of ‘work at home’ and flexi working
environments. Employers need to devise specific performance measurement systems
to monitor, control and execute the work of those working at home or during flexi hours
when formal checking systems are not in place. (DTI 2000; Dwelly, 2000; Huws, 1993)
The ones commonly in use are virtual meetings, conference calls, team get together
etc. that with the wider use of ICT has become much more prevalent.
Situational Theory
“Well established pressures towards profitability and productivity drive managers
towards work-life balance solutions to difficulties in recruiting and retaining high-quality
labor forces” (Felstead et al. 2002) Situational theory is not about ‘normative pressures
of society’ or ‘adaptation to organizational environment’ or ‘a step ahead in caring’. It is
purely a business proposition whereby the broader contextual environment is taken into
consideration and its dynamics of work environment are brought into practice. The
believers and practitioners of this theory wish to control the challenges of staff turnover,
absenteeism, recruitment, retention and unfilled vacancies on the premise that
situational theory sees the work life balance practices and policies as a direct
undertaking. This phenomenon does not consider the basis which may however lie in
the shifting gender proportions at workplace.
Are Work – life Balance Policies Doomed to deliver?
There is conflicting evidences and debates on defining a ‘real pressure’ on employees
and its credible source (s). There is even hazier clarity and inconclusive support as to
whether work-life policies and practices are doomed or not. What is now known is that
one factor alone is not responsible for employee stress but it is a combination of various
factors exerting varying degree of pressures at various times leading to work pressures.
We will look at them in bit more detail.
Hyman et al (2003) have found that organizational pressures and lack of work centrality
intrude into the non-work areas of employee lives. However their manifestations depend
on levels of worker autonomy, type of work and organizational support. These
interrelated factors result in conflicts because they create sizeable dents in the only
resources of ‘time and energy’ available to employees. (Cooper et al. 2001) Therefore,
this directly deals with lives of people and invites attention of employers and law makers
towards the need and process of striking balance between domestic life and compelling
demands of work. But despite this hullabaloo there are no recognized standards of
family friendliness or work-life balance. This becomes even more complicated in the so
called ‘knowledge economy’ and ‘information society’ where the intangibles like ideas,
10. services, softwares and relationships are more important than tangibles. (Newell et al.
2002) Such kind of economy is characterized by a variety of organizational forms,
greater percentage of women in workforce, different geographical boundaries and an
array of contractual employment options. Nevertheless, the most common element
among all such forms of employment would be the time as a measurement for
performance and use of Information Communications and Technology. (ICT)
The “Baseline Study on Work Life Balance” conducted by DfEE demonstrated that staff
working at most places worked for hours beyond their paid time. Employees explained
this phenomenon as a backlog or temporary addition in the workload. Almost 80% of all
work places reported that some employees would regularly stay in the office much
longer than they were expected to or paid for. Simpson (1998) attributed this to ‘growing
perceived insecurity’ which in fact is a demonstration of ‘commitment’ of technical,
managerial and professional staff to the organization. Managers and professionals work
the longest additional hours and that too without any financial rewards. (Hogarth et al.
2000) Surprisingly almost 10% men (one in nine) living as couple with dependent
children men worked at least 60 hours a week.
Historically, the ideal worker was expected to carry out the prescribed behavior of
obedience, punctuality and reliability within a rigidly prescribed managerial guidelines in
a factory setting. However, emotions, cognition and attitudes are seen as the primary
resources of production in a flexible workplace and the worker is supposed to surrender
his ‘self’ and relate it only to the organization. The management is clearly focused on its
goals and expects its employees to achieve them through an empowered feeling,
thought and action. (Cunningham et al. 1996) Studies of the exploitation of labor have
should that employees in the services sector are increasing expected demonstrate their
commitment by engaging their whole person into the job. (Scase 2002) However if the
organizations get the whole worker, the distinctions between home-life and work-life
begin to disappear. Social activities, team nights out, competition, ceremonies and
prizes for the employees or staff of modern organizations who are now labeled as
associates or members at workplace are all attempts to smudge distinction between
home and work life.
Increasing number of lone parent households, decline in the extended family
characterize the evolving structure of family life. (Crow and Hardey 1999) While
household life is becoming increasingly complex, work is playing an increasingly
prominent role in lives of people. The number of single parents with dependent children
has multiplied three times its figure in 25 years to 20% of all families. The resultant step-
relationships itself are a major source of tension and complexities in these families.
Because of longer life expectancy, the requirements of elder care have increased in the
11. absence of institutional care. 45% of women are now in work of which 70% are in paid
work and 65% have dependent children. There has been minimal or no change in the
domestic responsibilities of women despite the fact that their numerical representation
has grown considerably in paid work.
Men in Great Britain work for 3.5 hours per week more than men in Greece (second
highest in Europe) and women in Sweden (second highest in Europe) follow British
women by 0.8 hours per week. (Social Trends 2001) This phenomenon is more
attributable to ‘long hours culture’ than actual work load. (White et al 2003) However,
raising hue and cry about this phenomenon is also commonly evident in the shape of
stories in the press about the damaging effects of long working hours to the workers
and their families. Politicians and government have been quick to respond to the call as
a result of which family policy and Child Care Strategy was evolved in Green Paper (DTI
1998). Work – Life Balance Campaign was launched by labor government in the year
2000 which was aimed at propagating work life balance practices as a benefit to the
employers. The Green Paper did not only seek family friendly policies for married
people or parents but it included everyone’s personal and professional life challenges. It
strongly promoted the philosophy that work-life balance is beneficial not only for
employees but also for the employers.
Employees, overwhelmed by work intensification, increased influx of women in labor
market, widespread feelings of job insecurity, non standard forms of work, increasing
use of information and communication technologies and work at odd hours tend to hold
time pressures responsible for everything. (Roberts 2007) Employees complaint about
time pressures, work-life imbalance and long hours irrespective of the fact the working
time has not lengthened. It is highly unlikely that the number of hours will be reduced
further because of high opportunity costs. The good thing to note is that competitive
employees have started using self help strategies to get the most out of their time and
life.
Moore (2007) conducted a research to compare and contract managers and workers of
a multinational company to see how they made attempts to reach and maintain worklife
balance. She found out that although the work-life balance initiatives were primarily
focusing on managers, the workers did better in terms of balancing their work with life.
Managers displayed more loyalty to the organizations. Neither managers nor workers
displayed a positive attitude to their work. While the focus of workers was on personal
satisfaction, managers focused on achieving status. The conclusion drawn from this
study is that work-life balance initiative may in fact have a deleterious impact on work
and family life.
12. Summary and Conclusion:
The debate is still open and ongoing whether work-life balance policies and practices
deliver their desired results of employee satisfaction and lesser degree of pressures at
work. Hyman et al (2003) have found that organizational pressures and lack of work
centrality intrude into the non-work areas of employee lives. The “Baseline Study on
Work Life Balance” conducted by DfEE demonstrated that staff working at most places
worked for hours beyond their paid time. Cunningham et al demonstrated that the
management is clearly focused on its goals and expects its employees to achieve them
through an empowered feeling, thought and action. Crow and Hardey identified step
relationships as a source of stress. White et al concluded that work pressure is more
attributable to ‘long hours culture’ than actual work load. Roberts emphasized a
combination of many factors and Moore identified conflicting interests between
managers and worker. Scheibl and Dex propagate that a relationship of trust and
commitment between employer and worker can be a new way of addressing these
challenges.
It is yet to be conclusively decided whether the actual pressure on employees is
emanating from time, family, ‘non-standard’ and contractual nature of jobs leading to
major shifts in the skills requirement, growing levels of job insecurity, and intensification
of labor increased influx of women in labor market, widespread feelings of job insecurity,
increasing use of information and communication technologies, globalization,
competition or work at odd hours. It could also be combination of all or few that gives an
overwhelming feeling to employees about work. Therefore, it would not be intelligent to
lay everything on work-life balance policies let alone declare them doomed to deliver.
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