Four factors influencing conversion to a four‐day work week

Hartman, Richard L.; Weaver, K. Mark

doi:10.1002/hrm.3930160104

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…This is not surprising, given the "distance" between work-schedule characteristics and reactions such as general job satisfaction (see Figure 1). Hodge andTellier (1975), Hartman andWeaver (1977), and Steele and Poor (1970) all claimed positive effects due to 4/40 schedules. ivancevich (1974) identified positive impact on several facets of satisfaction .…”

Section: General Worker Reactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative Work Schedules: Two Field Quasi‐experiments

Dunham

Pierce

Castañeda

1987

Personnel Psychology

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In the first (N = 140) of two quasi-experimental field studies, trial group employees were changed from a 5/40 to a 4/40 work schedule for four months then returned to a 5/40 schedule. In a second study (N = 102), trial group employees were changed from 5/40 to flextime. Reactions were evaluated using a model for understanding the impact of work schedules. The effects of schedule changes matched those anticipated by pre-intervention surveys of employees. Factors related to organizational effectiveness were enhanced where specific organizational needs were met. Interference with personal activities was reduced where employees had experienced specific difficulties. The most powerful effect, however, was on worker attitudes toward specific work schedules. In addition, a mild positive (perhaps Hawthorne) effect was evident for a wide range of general worker reactions. The authors would like to thank Joel R. Levin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his very helpful input regarding the design of the statistical analysis reported in this paper. COPYRIGHT 0 1987 PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, INC. 215 2. Does the introduction of an alternative work schedule (4/40 or flextime) influence the extent to which work interferes with the following personal activities of workers: (a) interactions with family and friends; (b) access to services, events, and consumables; and (c) the conduct of financial activities? It is predicted that movement from 5/40 to 4/40 or from 5/40 to flextime RANDALL B. DUNHAM ET AL. 217 INTERFERENCE WITH PERSONAL ACTIVITIES EMPLOYEE NEEDS AND PREFERENCES t GENERAL REACTIONS W SPECIFIC WORK SCHEDULE ATTITUDES EFFECTIVENESS / NEEDS AND --T ENVIRONMENT Figure 1: The Impact of Work Schedule Characteristicswill cause interference to decrease, while movement from 4/40 to 5/40 will cause interference to increase.'3. Does the introduction of an alternative work schedule (4/40 or flextime) influence worker satisfaction with the work schedule? It is predicted that movement from 5/40 to 4/40 or from 5/40 to flextime will cause satisfaction with the work schedule to increase, while movement from 4/40 to 5/40 will cause satisfaction to decrease. 4.Does the introduction of an alternative work schedule (4/40 or flextime) influence general worker reactions (e.g., overall satisfaction, job involvement, motivation, and stress reactions)? It is predicted that movement from 5/40 to 4/40 or from 5/40 to flextime will cause overall satisfaction, job involvement, and motivation to rise slightly and stress reactions to decrease slightly.'This prediction is quite straightforward for the flextime schedule if we assume that schedule will allow individual workers to alter their schedules to reduce interference. A 4/40 schedule could, however, produce mixed results. The extra day off should reduce some interference on a weekly basis, but the two extra hours of work per day could increase interference during these days.

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Section: General Worker Reactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative Work Schedules: Two Field Quasi‐experiments

Dunham

Pierce

Castañeda

1987

Personnel Psychology

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“…Perhaps surprisingly, 24 of the 33 studies explicitly assume the 4DWW is defined as a 4DFT schedule. An additional two studies implicitly interpret 4DWW as 4DFT: Hartman and Weaver (1977) mention unions bargaining for a 32‐hour 4DWW in the 1950s, but define the 4DWW as one where employees ‘fulfill the [traditional week] work commitment’ (1977, 24); and Henderson (2014) discusses a broad range of potential 4DWW arrangements, but relies upon two case studies of 4DFT. Less surprisingly, pay was not discussed in any of these cases and in only two of these cases was any type of individual employee flexibility involved.…”

Section: Initial Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, production data for female workers in two factories revealed no changes in productivity following the change to a 4‐day, 38‐hour work week (Calvasina and Boxx 1975). Hartman and Weaver (1977) found a strong link between the 4DWW and its effects on productivity especially for manufacturing companies, which saw their start‐up times decrease. Hedges (1973) found longer daily work hours and adverse working conditions (e.g.…”

Section: Initial Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Could the 4‐day week work? A scoping review

Jahal,

Bardoel,

Hopkins

2023

Asia Pac J Human Res

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The 4‐day work week (4DWW) was popularised in the 1970s, but has recently gained significant global attention again, with a growing number of organisations experimenting with the 4DWW in response to increasing demand for more flexible work arrangements (FWA) in the aftermath of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, with their potential to support worktime reduction strategies, are also refuelling interest in a shorter working week. This renewed interest motivated this scoping review of 1769 4DWW records from the past 52 years and enabled the authors to identify five major themes: employee acceptance, allocation of time, leisure, gender and career advancement, and productivity. These themes are used to consider specific forms of 4DWW in terms of whether days of work are fixed or flexible, whether the 4DWW is an employee option, and whether total weekly hours worked or pay are reduced. Conservation of resources theory is used as a lens for interpreting the themes. The authors believe these themes and lessons have significant implications for a growing number of scholars and practitioners, who are investigating, trialling, and implementing 4DWW arrangements, in response to growing demand for more FWA options from employees across all sectors.

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“…In some instances, schools may decide to extend their clinic hours with this model, and this in turn may generate additional clinic revenues and student learning opportunities while providing early or late appointments for patients (Figure 2C). In aggregate, studies demonstrate that the 4‐day work week improves employee productivity, efficiency, retention, and morale, which is mutually beneficial for both faculty members and the institution 9 …”

Section: Benefits and Barriers Of A 4‐day Workweek Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In aggregate, studies demonstrate that the 4-day work week improves employee productivity, efficiency, retention, and morale, which is mutually beneficial for both faculty members and the institution. 9 While there are many advantages to this model, there are some challenges associated with it as well. Every dental institution is different with its educational, clinical, and patient care needs; and every individual has a different working style.…”

Section: Benefits and Barriers Of A 4-day Workweek Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compressed 4‐day workweek for dental faculty retention and recruitment

Afshari,

Guajardo,

Kramer

et al. 2023

Journal of Dental Education

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Faculty recruitment and retention are major concerns faced by dental schools across the country. This increase in faculty shortage impacts training the next generation of clinicians and oral health care delivery in dental institutions, which together will exacerbate challenges related to access to dental care. The objective of this paper is to propose a compressed workweek as an incentive to improve recruitment, retention, and faculty well‐being. There are several well‐documented benefits of the 4‐day workweek which include employee wellness, increased job satisfaction, happiness, and improved perception of personal worth. Cost savings may be also realized with this schedule, as expenses related to transportation and dependent care costs could potentially decrease. Altogether, these benefits have been shown to lead to reduced absenteeism, anxiety, stress, and burnout. This perspective piece will discuss how the 4‐day workweek could be implemented in dental institutions, along with the benefits and challenges. Given the shortage of clinical faculty throughout the United States, we recommend this approach not only as a means to attract recent graduates to academia but also to ensure the retention of those who provide clinical instruction.

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Four factors influencing conversion to a four‐day work week

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Alternative Work Schedules: Two Field Quasi‐experiments

Alternative Work Schedules: Two Field Quasi‐experiments

Could the 4‐day week work? A scoping review

Compressed 4‐day workweek for dental faculty retention and recruitment

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