Family-friendly Policies Research Articles

Uttar Pradesh academics’ occupational stress, organisational work environment and work-life balance: A quantitative study

Orientation: In today’s fast-paced workplace, the notion of work-life balance is becoming increasingly relevant. Work-life balance has emerged as a critical area of human resource management, attracting the attention of government, researchers, and professionals in search of innovative ways to boost employee morale, retain employees, and provide employers with tools to help them achieve a better work-life balance. Employees’ emotional and physical health’s are both affected by an unhealthy work environment. Stress was viewed as a sign of weakness in many businesses.Research purpose: This study investigates the mediating effect of occupational stress on the relationship between work-life balance (WLB) and organisational work environment among academics, as well as the moderating effect of demographic variables such as gender, job levels, and marital status of this relationship.Research approach/design and method: Using a survey method, primary data was collected from academics working in India. A structured questionnaire was drafted and introduced as a method for data collection. Respondents were chosen using a judgemental sampling method. To test the hypothesis, the mediating effect and moderating effect were used, and the statistical regression analysis was done with the help of Professor Andrew’s process macro and partial least squares smart (PLS).Main findings: The organisational work environment had a significant impact on the WLB of academics employed at higher education institutes in India. When comparing male and female academics, the effect of the organisational work environment on occupational stress was found to be higher for female academics. For academics at various job levels, the impact of the organisational work environment on occupational stress was found to be significant. Marital status had no significant moderating association effect on academics between WLB, occupational stress, and organisational work environment.Implications: Institutions are encouraged to provide family-friendly policies and create a good work environment for academics that helps decrease the stress level, improve the WLB and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of academics.Contribution: An investigation into relationships between work-life balance, occupational stress and working environment holds a number of implications in the management of educational set-up. This research might be very useful to school administrators in terms of improving work-life balance and reducing occupational stress among academics, in order to create a work environment that everyone is glad to be a part of. As a result, academic institutions’ organisational efficiency and effectiveness will improve.

Preventing Childhood Adversity Through Economic Support and Social Norm Strategies

Through the Essentials for Childhood program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funds 7 state health departments (states) to address the urgent public health problem of adverse childhood experiences and child abuse and neglect, in particular. Through interviews and document reviews, the paper highlights the early implementation of 2 primary prevention strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's child abuse and neglect technical package with the greatest potential for broad public health impact to prevent adverse childhood experiences-strengthening economic supports and changing social norms. States are focused on advancing family-friendly work policies such as paid family and medical leave, livable wage policies, flexible and consistent work schedules, as well as programs and policies that strengthen household financial security such as increasing access to Earned Income Tax Credit. In addition, states are launching campaigns that focus on reframing the way people think about child abuse and neglect and who is responsible for preventing it. State-level activities such as establishing a diverse coalition of partners, program champions, and state action planning have helped to leverage and align resources needed to implement, evaluate, and sustain programs. States are working to increase awareness and commitment to multisector efforts that reduce adverse childhood experiences and promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children. Early learning from this funding opportunity indicates that using a public health approach, states are well positioned to implement comprehensive, primary prevention strategies and approaches to ensure population-level impact for preventing child abuse and neglect and other adverse childhood experience.

A study on the effect of family-friendly policies on quality of life: Focusing on the mediating effect of work-life balance factors and job satisfaction factors

본 연구는 가족친화정책이 삶의 질에 미치는 인과적 관계와 이에 있어서 일과 삶의 균형과 직무만족의 매개적 관계 및 효과를 확인하는 것에 초점을 두었다.<BR> 이러한 검증을 위해 본 연구의 시간적 범위로는 2022년 1월 5일부터 2022년 1월 14일까지 국내소재의 기업체에서 근무하는 만 19세 이상의 직장인을 대상으로 하였으며, 내용적으로는 가족친화정책, 일과 삶의 균형, 직무만족 그리고 삶의 질 간의 구조적이고 경로적인 관계를 살펴보고 직･간접적인 영향력을 확인하고자 하였다. 또한 실증적 내용을 살펴보기 위한 통계적 분석 도구로는 AMOS 프로그램을 사용하여 자료 분석을 실시하였다.<BR> 분석결과, 가족친화정책과 일과 삶의 균형, 직무만족 모두 삶의 질에 직접적 또는 간접적 영향력을 미치는 것이 실증적으로 입증되었다. 즉, 가족친화정책은 일과 삶의 균형 및 직무만족에 높은 수준의 영향을 미침으로써 삶의 질에 영향을 미치는 인과관계가 있을 뿐만 아니라, 매개변수인 일과 삶의 균형과 직무만족 또한 삶의 질에 직접적, 간접적으로 모두 영향을 미치는 요인임을 실증적으로 확인하였다.<BR> 결론적으로 삶의 질 향상을 위해서는 가족친화정책 뿐만 아니라 이를 통한 일과 삶의 균형과 직무만족을 향상시킬 수 있는 국가와 조직 내･외의 정책적 노력이 필요함을 제시하였다.

Business Structures, Stereotypes and Knowledge of Discrimination: Understanding Employers’ Support to Paid Family Leave in Hong Kong

Hong Kong society has put family-friendly workplace policies under serious discussion, but the investigation of the views of employers remains insufficient. Adopting the structure-agency paradigm, this study used survey data to examine how structural constraints in business and the subjective world of individual employers influence their support to paid family leave. We found that industry categories were significantly associated with employers’ support but not the size of their enterprises. Employers’ personal stereotypes of family caregivers and their awareness of relevant laws did not exert significant independent effects on their policy support, but the significant interaction of the two suggested that employers with knowledge of regulations were less likely to formulate attitudes towards paid family leave based on their own stereotypes. Policy practices therefore need to consider the rationality of employers in the local contexts of Hong Kong, and aim to integrate legal education with de-stigmatisation of family caregivers in advocacy programs.

Do parenting stress, work-family conflict, and resilience affect retention intention in Korean nurses returning to work after parental leave?: a cross-sectional study

This study investigated whether parenting stress, work-family conflict, resilience affect retention intent in Korean nurses returning to work after parental leave. The participants in this study were 111 nurses recruited from 10 hospitals in Korea, who were working after formal parental leave from their hospitals. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, the Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression. Retention intention (33.80±7.78), parenting stress (101.70±17.57), and resilience (85.02±12.75) were at greater than moderate levels and a midpoint level of work-family conflict (29.63±7.00) was noted in this sample of mostly women nurses in their 30s. The factors affecting retention intent were parental leave duration, the number of times that participants had taken parental leave, health condition, work-family conflict, and resilience. The total explanatory power of these variables was 36.7%. Retention intent had a negative correlation with parenting stress and work-family conflict. Conversely, retention intent was positively correlated with resilience. This study supports the need for flexible adjustment of returning nurses' working hours and family-friendly policies to promote balance between work and family. It is also necessary to develop and apply measures that boost resilience and support health improvement for nurses returning to work.As nurses are often assigned to new areas of work upon return, training programs to aid their adjustment may also be helpful.

“It is ok to be interrupted; it is my job” – perceptions on technology-mediated work-life boundary experiences; a sociomaterial analysis

PurposeThis study aims to explore how and why employees perceive technology-mediated interruptions differently and the role of sociocultural factors in this process using sociomaterial analysis.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered from 34 Sri Lankan knowledge workers using a series of workshop-based activities. The concept of sociomateriality is employed to understand how sociocultural elements are entangled with technology in work-life boundary experiences.FindingsThe findings of the thematic analyses suggest how culture is intertwined in the way employees perceive technology-mediated interruptions and how they manage information communication technologies (ICTs) to balance their work and nonwork demands. Participants have been unable to avoid technology-mediated boundary interruptions from work, as organisations have created norms to keep employees connected to organisations using information communication technologies. Traditional gender roles are specifically found to be entangled in employees' boundary management practices, disadvantaging women more.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight how national culture and gender norms create challenging work-life experiences for female employees than males. This could create a disadvantageous position for female employees in their career progression. It is crucial to consider factors such as boundary preferences and family concerns when deciding on family-friendly work policies. Also, organisations have to consider the development of explicit guidelines on after-hours communication expectations.Originality/valueUsing the lens of sociomateriality, researchers can understand the contextual entanglement of ICTs with national culture and gender norms in creating different work-life boundary experiences. It seems ICTs are creating a disadvantage for female employees when managing work–nonwork boundaries, especially in power distant and collectivist cultures where traditional gender norms are highly valued and largely upheld. This study also contributes to the current discourse on work-life boundaries by providing insights from non-western perspectives.

Impact of Social Support on Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: Does Work–Family Conflict Mediate the Relationship?

The study investigates the impact of work social support (WSS) and family social support (FSS) on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) through both forms of work–family conflict (WFC), namely, work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW). Analysis has been performed based on 277 responses from employees working in different organizations in the Western region, Saudi Arabia. It uses the SmartPLS 3-based structural equation model. The investigation finds full mediation of both WIF and FIW for WSS–OCB and partial mediation for FSS–OCB relationships. The results demonstrate that support from both family and work domains have a reciprocal relationship, and they play important roles in reducing WFC with their ultimate desirable impact on OCB. The result implies that WSS focussing on WFC is crucial for motivating employees for OCB. Management should create a supportive environment for the employees within the workplace and ensure family-friendly policies, so that, the employees can minimize WFC. The study indicates that family members have a crucial role in reducing the stress associated with the work domain. The study is a pioneering attempt in the context of Saudi Arabia, where the family has a pivotal role in individual decision-making in both familial and professional domains.

The Relationship Between Family-Friendly Workplace Policies and Accountant Turnover

Prolonged high turnover rates have caused a shortage of accountants; unfortunately, managers have not successfully taken action to avoid these circumstances. Reducing the high turnover is necessary for accountant managers to replenish the accountant shortage, reduce turnover costs, and protect the accounting industry’s reputation for supporting its employees. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between three family￾friendly policies, childcare support, alternative work schedules, and work-family culture and accountant turnover intention. The participants comprised of 185 accountants who responded to the NSCW questionnaire. The results of the multiple regression analyses were significant, indicating that formal and informal family-friendly policies were significantly related to turnover intention. Further, demographic subgroups displayed different relationships between variables.

Family friendly policies: a double-edged sword?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand the effects of usage of family friendly policies on the careers of women executives.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth and systematic review of literature on family friendly policies (FFPs) was carried out using Scopus database.FindingsThe study consolidates positive and negative consequences of usage of FFPs on women executives’ careers.Originality/valueThis study is one of the foremost attempts to consolidate the literature on different effects of usage of FFPs.

To Change or Not to Change: A Study of Workplace Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees were suddenly required to work more from home. Previous literature on working from home may not be applicable to this mandatory and overall change. In this study, we drew on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model to explore the relationships between job demands (workload and work–home conflict) as well as resources (support from leaders, coworkers, and the family) and wellbeing (burnout and work engagement) in employees who still went to the workplace (no-change group) and employees who transitioned into working from home (change group) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed with multivariate structural equation modeling. The results indicate that work–home conflict was detrimental for employee wellbeing in both groups. Interestingly, the workload seems to contribute to work engagement for employees who worked from home. Regarding the resources, the three different sources of social support, leaders, coworkers, and family, were all related to employee wellbeing, but in different ways. It seemed that family support was most important for employees’ wellbeing in the change group. This study presents implications for the wellbeing of employees in both the change and no-change group during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of family-friendly policies.

Dyadic associations between COVID-19-related stress and mental well-being among parents and children in Hong Kong: An actor-partner interdependence model approach.

The spread of COVID‐19 and its subsequent social distancing policies have profoundly impacted the lives of parents and children. Prolonged exposure to parenting‐related responsibilities and heightened levels of family conflict under stay‐at‐home orders coupled with reduced access to support systems and resources have rendered parents and children more prone to stress and mental health difficulties. Drawing on a transactional model of parent–child interactions, the present study applied an actor–partner interdependence model approach to examine the transactional relationship between COVID‐19‐related stress and mental well‐being among parents and children. Data from 109 Chinese parent–child dyads in Hong Kong were included in the study. Parents and their 8‐ to 10‐year‐old children completed a questionnaire on COVID‐19‐related stress, parent–child relationships, and mental well‐being. The results showed that 53.2% and 30.3% of the parents and children, respectively, showed poor mental well‐being, indicating possible emotional problems. Both actor and partner effects of parent COVID‐19‐related stress were found. Parent COVID‐19‐related stress was indirectly related to lower levels of parent and child mental well‐being, through the mediation of parent–child conflict. To facilitate psychological adjustment following the COVID‐19 outbreak, effective family‐based mental health and parenting interventions are needed to promote family cohesion and alleviate stress‐induced psychological symptoms. Even in the time of social distancing, telepsychotherapy and other online non‐psychotherapeutic interventions can serve as a valid alternative for parents and children who experience excessive distress. Implications for psychological services, family‐friendly policies, and social protection measures are also discussed.

Work Life Balance Auditor Influenced By Work Family Conflict And Support Supervisor

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Abstract&#x0D; This research examines whether the role of supervisor support could affect the work-life balance of auditors in public accounting firms, both big four and non-big four. If so, whether it could be mediated by work-family conflict (work-interfering family and family-interfering work). A web-based survey is used to this research in deploying and delivering the questionnaires to 222 auditors from some public accounting firms listed in Indonesia. The result shows that work-interfere family has been partially mediated the relationship between supervisor support and work-life balance, while family-interfere work has not mediated that relationship. The result also demonstrates that supervisor support has a negative correlation and significant effect on work-family conflicts (work-interfere family and family-interfere work). This study suggests creating and developing organisational policies such as family-friendly policies that could help supervisors maintain auditor's life commitments by minimising work-family conflict that will affect the improvement of work-life balance.&#x0D; .&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Effect of Job Demand and Support on Work-Family Conflict in Selected Banking Institutions in Ghana

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of job demand and job support on employees' work-family conflict. Of paramount interest was to verify whether work-family conflict differed among male and female employees in the banking sector of Ghana. Design/Methodology: This study used a descriptive survey design and a quantitative approach to collect data from banking institutions with the help of a standardized questionnaire. The independent sample t-test and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Findings: The study results showed that job demand had a positive effect on work-family conflict while job support also had a negative effect on work-family conflict. The study also revealed no significant difference in the experience of work-family conflict among males and females in the banking sector of Ghana. Practical Implications: The study's findings indicate that for employees in the banking sector of Ghana to contribute their quota towards the competitiveness of their banks, there is the need for their work-family interface to be aligned appropriately through family-friendly policies, realistic job targets, and substantial work-resources.

Корпоративная политика, ориентированная на семьи работников: потенциал внедрения в российских регионах

Various social institutions may be involved in the implementation of the state’s pro-natalist policy. Family-friendly corporate policies, common in many countries, are still quite rare in Russia. At the same time, many socio-economic indicators significantly differ across Russian regions. The study aims to identify regional development models of the Russian corporate sector and determine those models that have the highest potential for dissemination of family-friendly corporate policies aimed at increasing the birth rate of the population in these regions. It is hypothesised that such Russian regions can be identified based on a multidimensional classification of socio-economic indicators. The hierarchical cluster analysis was used to model the Russian economic space. Then, the clusters were further grouped according to additional variables. The article analysed official regional statistics characterising the development of the corporate sector. Five clusters of Russian regions were identified. It is proved that corporate family-friendly policies can be disseminated in two regions in particular. Specific demographic (in particular, low birth rate and growth potential) and economic (high innovative activity, small number of loss-making enterprises, the highest demographic indicators among organisations and the average level of priveate consumption) conditions are observed in these clusters. It is concluded that in the corporate sector of these Russian regions, family-friendly policy may gain popularity among staff. This approach, accessible to enterprises, can act as an effective tool of demographic policy. Further research should focus on the analysis of cases of Russian enterprises implementing family-friendly policies, identification of benchmarks, assessment of the possibilities of scaling such experience and forecasting its demographic results.

Social Support and Employee Turnover Intention: Mediating Role of Work-Family Conflict

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of work social support (WSS) and family social support (FSS) on employee turnover intention (TI) through both forms of work-family conflict (WFC), namely, work interfering family (WIF) and family interfering work (FIW). Theoretical framework – The theoretical foundation of the study is grounded on Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964), Job Demand-Control-Support Model (Johnson &amp; Hall 1988). Cognitive Appraisal Theory (Lazarus &amp; Folkman, 1984), and Hobfoll’s (1989) Theory of Conservation of Resources. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a cross-sectional survey design. The multi-item measurement scales were developed based on prior studies to design survey questionnaires. Analysis has been performed on 277 responses from employees working in different government and private firms in the Western Region, Saudi Arabia. The hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS3. Findings – The investigation finds that both WSS and FSS significantly predict TI, and both WIF and FIW partially mediate the WSS-TI and FSS-TI relationships. The results demonstrate that support from both family and work domains have a reciprocal relationship, and they play important roles in reducing work-family conflict with their ultimate desirable impact on turnover. Research Practical &amp; Social implications – Management should create a supportive environment for the employees within the workplace and ensure family-friendly policies so that the employees can minimize work-family conflict. The study indicates that family members have a crucial role in reducing the stress associated with the work domain. Therefore, everybody should extend support to his/her working members of the family. Originality/value – It is a pioneering attempt to investigate the implications of both WSS and FSS on both types of WFC (i.e., WIF and FIW) and their ultimate effect on TI. Keywords – Work social support. Family social support. Turnover intention. Work-family conflict. Saudi Arabia

Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong: Assessing Current Working Conditions and Avenues for Integration

ABSTRACT Diversity management is increasingly important as economies globalize, and workforce compositions diversify. However, with the diversification of workforce comes the necessity to best manage this phenomenon such that minority contributions are valued and organizational production increases. This study aims to empirically test Olsen and Martins’s proposed theoretical framework on diversity management, using a small sample of ethnic minority and ethnic Chinese workers in Hong Kong. Specifically, this study looks at whether differences in working conditions exist between minorities and Chinese, and whether the supervisor’s role – specifically with provision of family-friendly policies (FFPs) – helps with assimilation and integration of minorities into the workforce by reducing work/family conflict. The study finds that ethnic minorities work longer hours and have less access to FFPs, but are more content with work-life balance, which may not be related to FFPs. In addition, the role of the supervisor is important in this process, but not necessarily by the pathway of providing FFPs. The findings propose that more supervisor sensitivity training should be implemented to understand the diverse needs of ethnic minorities, and a gradual normalization of FFPs should eventually be implemented.

Women-friendly human resource management practices and organisational commitment amongst female professionals

Orientation: Despite the growing feminisation of the global labour market, discrimination against women in the workplace remains entrenched. Such discrimination of women is largely attributed to human resources management (HRM) policies and management practices which are inherently masculine, designed by men for men.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the influence of human resources management practices on the organisational commitment among female professionals in Zimbabwe.Motivation for the study: Notwithstanding the growing scholarly interest in the factors which can help retain women in the workplaces, there remains a paucity of studies from developing countries on how HRM practices influence female professionals’ organisational commitment in the workplace. Dearth in empirical literature is pronounced in Africa, particularly in a society such as Zimbabwe punctuated by patriarchy and an economy that has been depressed for over two decades.Research design, approach and method: The study adopted a quantitative research approach and employed a cross-sectional survey of 210 female professionals employed in the private and public sectors in Zimbabwe. Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis using AMOS 25.0.Main findings: The results of the study revealed positive and significant relationships between women-friendly HR management practices and organisational commitment of female employees.Practical/managerial implications: Premised on these findings, the study recommended that it is imperative for HR management to implement non-discriminatory rewards systems, increase family-friendly policies, prioritise continuous training and charter clear progressive career development programs for the female employees.Contribution/value-add: This study provides managers with a better perspective of the predictors of organisational commitment among female professionals in an African context.

Active Fathers in the United States: Caught Between De-Gendering Care and Caring Masculinities

The United States occupies a unique position among OECD countries because the US provides little policy support for working parents. Despite the resulting extreme time scarcity, US fathers perform similar amounts of child care as European fathers under more family-friendly policy conditions. Using recent national time use survey data, this paper examines whether time scarcity among American working parents, coupled with limited access to affordable child care and traditional masculine identity ideas, is associated with American fathers’ involvement in the daily care of their young children. Results show that fathers do one third of all care activities, contribute one third of the care time, and perform over one half of the 10 activities analyzed here daily. Multivariate analysis indicates that time scarcity, lack of alternative child care options, and traditional masculine identity affect the degree of fathers’ involvement in daily care activities with their under five year olds. Implications for the development of caring masculinities are discussed.

Diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: Effects of workplace support for families and work-to-family enrichment in dual-earner parents with adolescent children

Organizational support goes beyond the work domain, supporting workers' family role and thus generating resources that lead to work-to-family enrichment. Workers may invest these resources in improving their, and their family's, diet quality. However, data on the link between work resources, enrichment and diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic is still emerging. The present study contributes to this literature by exploring the actor and partner effects between perceived workplace support for families, work-to-family enrichment, and diet quality in different-sex dual-earner parents with adolescent children; the potential mediating role of work-to-family enrichment between perceived workplace support for families and diet quality was also explored. A sample of 430 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (mean age 13.0 years, 53.7% female) were recruited in Rancagua, Chile, during March and June 2020. Mothers and fathers responded to a measure of work-to-family enrichment, and a measure of Perceived Workplace Support for Families. The three family members answered the Adapted Healthy Eating Index. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modelling. Results showed that fathers' perceived workplace support for families positively and directly affected their own diet quality (actor effect) as well as the mothers' diet quality (partner effect), while indirectly positively affected the adolescents' diet quality via work-to-family enrichment (partner effect). Mothers' perceived workplace support for families enhanced their own work-to-family enrichment, which in turn improved their diet quality (actor effects). These results suggest that resources that both parents acquire through family-friendly workplace policies have positive effects on the three family members' diet quality by different mechanisms. Policymakers and organizations must aim to promote family-friendly workplace policies, particularly during ongoing crisis such as a pandemic.

A 12-Year North American Longitudinal Study of Gender Equity and Equality in Gastroenterology

A 12-Year North American Longitudinal Study of Gender Equity and Equality in Gastroenterology