Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address notions and practices relating to work–life balance for native German scholars and researchers who have migrated from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Issues will be explored from a cultural perspective, identifying culturally based interpretations of work–life balance. Design/methodology/approach Foregrounded in a diversity approach, this empirical study draws upon explorative interviews to discuss work–life balance in German academia. To overcome monocultural observations, 25 German scholars and 11 researchers originating from the FSU were interviewed, all of whom are highly skilled female scholars. Findings Findings demonstrate that individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds can perceive huge differences in identical working conditions. The study links meanings of work–life balance with individual practices and identifies key components of work–life balance within this population. It also discusses the decisions that scholars make about starting families or remaining childless for the sake of their careers. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind in Germany, and represents a strong implication for policies and their evaluation. It identifies the crucial role played by culturally rooted notions relating to work–life balance practices.

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This article problematizes gender norms, sexuality and post-socialist individual cultural legacy by focusing on attitudes towards gendered sexual initiation and related family formation in migrant Russian-speaking women in Germany. It represents the results of a study that investigates whether and how norms of sexual maturity, adulthood and sexual behavior undergo a change or preservation in women after a migration episode and adjustment to a new cultural environment. By doing so, this piece of research scrutinizes the norms of (sexual) maturity, mostly associated with sexual debut and accompanied interpersonal experiences, common for individuals who underwent socialization in the (post-) socialist period and are now living in Germany. Drawing on primary data stemming from online discussions with Russian-speaking first generation migrant women in Germany, this study addresses not only individual cultural understandings of sexuality, adulthood and sexual behavior, but also gives implications on the revival of 'traditional values' in post-socialist contexts. This research, thus, contributes to the debate on how far cultural norms can transform through a change of the geographical context.

Начиная с 1930-х гг. в Советском Союзе господствовал гендерный контракт «работающей матери», формально расширявший права и возможности женщин. Необходимость совмещать работу по найму, материнство и домашние обязанности привела к формированию образа суперженщины, которая успевает все. В нашей статье мы задаемся вопросом: насколько высококвалифицированные русскоязычные женщины продолжают придерживаться этого культурного идеала, когда стремятся сбалансировать семью и работу после миграции в Великобританию и Германию? На основе качественных интервью с 22 женщинами-учеными мы разработали типологию стратегий совмещения профессиональной и личной жизни. Мы анализируем, какой вклад в достижение баланса между работой и материнством вносят ролевые партнеры и какие последствия это имеет для благополучия женщин. Более того, наше исследование предлагает феминистский подход к анализу баланса семьи и работы, уделяя первоочередное внимание мнению самих женщин, подчеркивая исключительную личную и социальную ценность материнства, детей и семейных отношений, в то же время отмечая возрастающие трудности при реализации этих жизненных приоритетов.

Purpose This paper aims to represent a unique and original piece of research on full professors in global hospitality and tourism academia. Aimed at revisiting academic leadership, this study identifies its components and gains insight into the so far understudied dimensions of diversity in academic contexts worldwide. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the careers of senior researchers (R3 and R4, according to European Commission) in hospitality and tourism, with special attention given to diversity. Based on quantitative methodology and a standardised online search, it uses individual-level data to give insights into dimensions of academic leadership. Full professors from the UK, the USA, German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, China, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea) build the sample. Findings Academic leadership in hospitality and tourism academia is not yet fully tied to cooperation with industry, as predicted by the “Triple Helix” model. Currently, the majority of the intellectual component constitutes academic leadership, outweighing administrative and innovative angles. Gender, age and ethnic diversity are underrepresented. While some regions can be considered sealed to ethnic diversity, others are more open and attract international scholars. Originality/value Rooted in interdisciplinary explanations, this study is the first of its kind to consider various diversity dimensions of academic leadership from a global perspective. It not only enriches the notion of academic leadership but also provides several practical implications and suggestions for further research.

This study deals with meanings of economic insecurity for post-Soviet migrant women in Germany, Italy, and Spain, elaborating on its cultural underpinnings. Drawing upon several data sources, including interviews, observation, and online data, as well as judicial material, this study addresses the ways women from the former Soviet Union experience economic insecurity and which strategies they develop to cope. We consider women's age, social background, and level of education, analyzing their embeddedness into different life domains. We identify four patterns of coping with economic insecurity, linked to individual characteristics, cultural values and legal frame conditions in the countries under investigation, and provide implications for social mobility and conservative backlash in Europe.

Whereas Europe currently pursues reform and transformation of academia in the context of New Public Management, Russia seeks to regulate the processes of modernization of the latter one, thus addressing its excellence and effectiveness. In both cases, the processes underlying social change in academia impact on female scholars’ occupational advancement. By doing so, they contribute to reproduction of existing gender inequalities and certainly create new ones. Russia stands in front of the paradoxical situation: while women represent a majority of (scientific) staff in academia, they face persistent discriminatory experiences on the part of their colleagues – both male and female (Sillaste, 2004; Pushkareva, 2014). Still, our knowledge on gender disparities and discrimination in academia is only scarce and needs extensive investigation. This paper aims at reducing the existing gap by analysing gender inequalities from a dynamic approach.

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