Co-worker or supervisor attitudes toward employees whose personal life commitments extend beyond caregiving responsibilities for dependent children. For example, are commitments to extended family members, religion, or community perceived by majority group members as less legitimate non-work activities and less deserving of access to organizational work-life balance practices?
Fairness perceptions of access to and outcomes of organizational work-life balance practices. For example, research shows that men perceive a stigma at work associated with being an involved career at home (Rudman & Mescher, 2013) and that their use of organizational family-friendly initiatives can be seen as subject to question or less than legitimate (Reddick, Rochlen, Grasso, Reilly, & Spikes, 2012). To what extent do organizational practices respond to the work-life needs of a diverse workforce? Who benefits the most from available practices, and what are the repercussions for organizational members who do not benefit?
Boundary management strategies used by individuals who try to keep their work identities distinct from their non-work identities. For example, workers with 'invisible' disabilities or members of the LGBT community may not disclose these aspects of their identity in the workplace in order to avoid discrimination or changed perceptions of their capability and professionalism. How do they manage the segmentation of work and non-work activities, and what are some of the outcomes of this segmentation?
Work-life balance or enrichment experiences of employees who belong to minority groups. For example, minority status is usually considered a negative factor that can potentially generate work-life conflict via increased work demands such as discrimination and stereotyped expectations of others. In addition to these increased work demands, are there additional resources associated with minority identities that can contribute to performance at work or in one's personal life?
Social and organizational policies necessary to address the "triple agenda": enhancing employee work-life balance, sustaining organizational effectiveness, and ensuring social justice. For example, what are best practices in this area? How can we enact a shift in focus from the responsibility of the individual to maintain work-life balance, to the responsibility of the organization? How can we most effectively challenge assumptions about merit and the "ideal worker" that underpin attitudes toward employees with non-work commitments and those using flexible working practices?
References
Khokher, S. Y., & Beauregard, T. A. (2014). Work-family attitudes and behaviours among newly immigrant Pakistani expatriates: The role of organizational family-friendly policies. Community, Work & Family, 17(2), 142-162.
Knodel, J., & Chayovan, N. (2012). Inter-generational family care for and by older people in Thailand. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 32(11/12), 682-694.
Lewis, S. and Cooper, C. (2005). Work–family integration: Case studies of organizational change. Chichester: Wiley.
Mortazavi, S., Pedhiwala, N., Shafiro, M., & Hammer, L. (2009). Work-family conflict related to culture and gender. Community, Work & Family, 12(2), 251-273.
Özbilgin, M. F., Beauregard, T. A., Bell, M. P., & Tatli, A. (2011). Work-life, diversity and intersectionality: A critical review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13(2), 177-198.
Reddick, R. J., Rochlen, A. B., Grasso, J. R., Reilly, E. D., & Spikes, D. D. (2012). Academic fathers pursuing tenure: A qualitative study of work-family conflict, coping strategies, and departmental culture. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 13(1), 1-15.
Rudman, L. A., & Mescher, K. (2013). Penalizing men who request a family leave: Is flexibility stigma a femininity stigma? Journal of Social Issues, 69(2), 322–340.
Voydanoff, P. (2002). Linkages between the work-family interface and work, family, and individual outcomes: An integrative model. Journal of Family Issues, 23, 138-164.
For more information about the conference and to submit your paper, visit: http://edi-conference.org
We look forward to receiving your papers.
Warmly,
Alex and Ed
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Eddy Ng, PhD
Professor and F.C. Manning Chair in Economics and Business
Dalhousie University