Involved fatherhood and the workplace context: A new theoretical approach

Abstract

AbstractThe prevalence of the ideal worker norm and the unwillingness of organizations to acknowledge the transition to fatherhood as a life‐changing event are key factors that continue to inhibit men who pursue greater involvement as parents. This article applies fresh theoretical perspectives that influence the situated agency of new fathers in the workplace. It argues that informal structural conditions at organizational level, specifically the organization of working time (materialized by the influence of organizational rhythms) and the difficulty of articulating a caring masculine identity are factors that significantly contribute to the debate on fathers' reluctance to embrace involved fatherhood. Drawing together the issues discussed above, the article presents a conceptual model, which argues for a recursive relationship between fathers' ability to achieve involved fatherhood and these structural conditions in an organizational context. The article concludes by considering the practical implications of the model for fathers and organizations and presenting a research agenda based on the issues raised.