Work‐life balance: contrasting managers and workers in an MNC

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the workers and managers of an Anglo-German MNC, focusing on how each group attempts to maintain an acceptable work-life balance. Design/methodology/approach -The article is based on a two-year-long ethnographic study, including in-depth interviews, participant-observation and archival research. Findings -Although the bulk of the company's work-life balance initiatives focus on the managers, and the managers display greater loyalty to the company, the workers are better able to achieve work-life balance. Neither group displays a more positive attitude to their work; however, the managers focus more on achieving status and the workers on personal satisfaction.Research limitations/implications -The findings challenge assertions that "flexible" working practices are good for work-life balance, that managers are better able to maintain a good work-life balance than workers, and that the development of an appropriate work-life balance policy assists in ensuring company loyalty and positive attitudes to work. Practical implications -This article suggests that flexible working may contribute to poor work-life balance, and that success may be less an issue of developing work-life balance policies and more of encouraging a healthy attitude towards work. Originality/value -This article focuses on the occupationally stratified aspects of work-life balance, comparing managers and workers within an organisation.

Work–Life Balance

“…Considering that work-life balance is a subjective and experiential phenomenon (Moore, 2007), U.S. scholars should conduct more qualitative, in-depth, phenomenological, critical, and ethnographic studies that may help HRD professionals design better programs. Researchers in India should better model empirical quantitative research after well-constructed U.S. studies in an effort to measure the full impact of work-life practices and family conditions on the experiences of dual-earner couples.…”

Influence of mediating variables onto interdependence between perceived difficulties in balancing work and family life and job satisfaction

“…The differences concerning human resource policy are observed between men and women (Baral and Bhargava 2011;Gallie and Russell 2009), however, it seems that the variable is becoming less and less differentiating. Some studies indicate that there are clear differences between expectations in the range of desired elements of human resource policy at different organization levels (Moore 2007, Kasper et. al.…”

“…This problem is of great significance as both the length and the organization of the working time is a basic factor influencing WLB (Pichler 2009). Whether making working conditions more flexible will result in positive consequences in the long perspective depends on multiple factors, including individual factors (Moore, 2007).…”

“…al. 2007;Moore 2007). In order to identify the results and factors influencing WLB one needs to use subjective methods which identify employee's reactions to requirements related to the realization of family and work roles.…”

The measurement and enhancement of employability and career success: over different life and career stages

“…Workers that achieved a managerial position, are thought be highly employable, and excel on more than one level, such as intelligence, emotional intelligence, resilience, work-life balance, etc (e.g., Judge, Colbert & Ilies, 2004;Moore, 2007). We believe managers to have a different personality profile than workers without a managerial position, meaning scoring different on all personality dimensions of the big Five.…”