The Influence of Family-Friendly Workplace Policies and Organizational Culture on the Willingness of Female Managers to Have a Child

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of family-friendly workplace policies and organizational culture on the willingness of married female managers to have a child. The analysis includes 353 married female managers from the 6th survey of the 2016 Korean Women Manager Panel. Factors that are found to influence the respondents include age, education, number of children, job position, promotional goals, accessibility to family leave, accessibility to shorter work hours during the child-rearing period, and organizational culture. Female managers who can easily use family leave or who have shorter work hours during the child-rearing period show a higher willingness to have a child. By contrast, those whose work places employ a fair and horizontal organizational culture are less willing to have a child. The introduction of family-friendly policies are not found to be statistically significant determinants of female managers’ willingness to have a child. We find that influencing family-friendly policies between the first and second childbirth differ. The accessibility of family-friendly policies that affect the willingness of female managers to have a child when they have no child include parental leave, employer-supported childcare, and childcare subsidies. For improving their willingness to have a second child, accessibility to both family leave and shorter work hours during the child-rearing period are effective. In conclusion, the government should strongly consider micro-personal factors, such as family-friendly workplace practices and organizational culture, when executing policies to reverse the current trend of low fertility.