Work and Family Issues: Policies, Programs, and Approaches

Abstract

Lewis, S., & Lewis, J. (Eds.). (1996). The Work-Family Challenge: Rethinking Employment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Hardcover ISBN 0 8039 7468 X. Paper ISBN 0 8039 7469 8. Parasuraman, S., & Greenhaus, J. H. (Eds.). (1997). Integrating Work and Family: Challenges and Choices for a Changing World. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Hardcover ISBN 1-56720-038-9. Vannoy, D., & Dubeck, P. J. (Eds.). (1998). Challenges for Work and Family in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Hardcover ISBN 0-202-30567-8. Paper ISBN 0-202-30568-6. The past decades have seen major changes in the economy and family life of the United States. Among these changes are increased global economic competition, growth in technological development, an aging population, increased labor force participation of women, and changes in gender roles and family structure. These changes have affected the structure and texture of work and of family life and the ways in which they influence each other. On an individual level the conditions under which performing work and family roles leads to conflict or satisfactions also have changed. As a result of the impact of these changes on work organizations and family life, researchers and practitioners have attempted to understand the nature of the changes, discover their implications for work, families, and individuals, and formulate policies and programs to address associated problems. Several of these examinations are presented in the three edited volumes. The contributors represent corporations, legal firms, government, private research and consulting organizations, and university departments of organizational psychology, sociology, management, social work, family studies, and counseling. As might be expected from such a diverse group, the contributions cover a wide range of issues within the overall subject area of work and family. The topics include several specific corporate policies and programs, e.g., family leave, dependent care, flexible work schedules, part-time work, relocation, pluralistic career paths, telecommuting, and health insurance. Several chapters consider economic changes, gender issues, and work-family policies and programs outside the United States. This diversity of topics exists both within each volume and across volumes. The Parasuraman and Greenhaus volume addresses workfamily issues from the perspective of several stakeholders, namely, corporate management, consultants, counselors, researchers, individual employees, and consumers. Since the Lewis and Lewis volume concentrates on employment and its implications for families, it is the most focused of the three. However, it also gives the most attention to international comparisons. The Vannoy and Dubeck volume covers the broadest range of topics with chapters discussing downsizing, ethnic differences in economic wellbeing, women in management, parental involvement with children, welfare mothers, and children's reading competencies. Despite this diversity, the three books have several commonalities. They share a common goal, namely to encourage the development of solutions to work-family dilemmas experienced by employees, families, and employers. They focus on program and policy issues rather than theory-based empirical research. The authors generally address the work-family interface from the perspective of work and its impact on family life rather than the reverse. More information is provided about how work organizations operate than about family processes or individual wellbeing. The most common theme is the role and impact of corporate policies and programs that address the current conflicts between work and family. The discussions generally are framed within one of three rationales for developing corporate policies or programs (S. Lewis in Lewis & Lewis). The first, and probably most frequently used, rationale is framed in terms of improving the performance of the work organization. …