A multilevel perspective of the identity transition to motherhood

Abstract

This study examines the identity transition of women when they become mothers and return to work. Twenty-two firsttime mothers were interviewed at two points in time: just after giving birth and on re-entry into employment after maternity leave. The findings suggest that this transition is influenced by multiple factors on different levels which include individual factors, such as partner support and career aspirations, organizational factors such as familyfriendly work practices and role models, and societal factors such as social norms and attitudes towards the maternal body. The findings highlight the importance of context by stressing the interrelated nature of factors on the micro-, meso-and macro-level in order to better understand the identity transition to motherhood. KEYWORDS identity, multilevel perspective, re-entering the workforce, transition to motherhood, working mothers

Balancing academia and family life

“…With familial support widely available and some degree of informal organisational assistance, Chinese female academics had greater capabilities to maintain a balanced life than their British counterparts. Partner support was also seen to improve WLB experiences by both British and Chinese academics, which is congruent with previous studies (Aryee et al, 1999;Aycan & Eskin, 2005;Beutell & Greenhaus, 1983;Bröckel, 2018;Hennekam et al, 2019;Lo et al, 2003;Ren & Foster, 2011). At this level, another influential factor is that of personal career aspirations.…”

“…In particular, partner support, either instrumentally or emotionally, or both, has been found to influence their partner's experience of juggling family and job responsibilities considerably (Bröckel, 2018). Women usually feel lonely or stressed when such support is not available (Hennekam et al, 2019).…”

“…Compared to men, women who have strong career aspirations are more vulnerable to work-family conflict once they enter parenthood (Hennekam et al, 2019). This is due mainly to traditional gender roles in the home.…”

I Left Venus and Came Back to Mars: Temporal Focus Congruence in Dyadic Relationships Following Maternity Leave

“…Yet the paucity of research adopting a relational lens in exploring such a temporal disruption means we do not yet understand the processes underlying how returners and their managers can work together during this time. In adopting a dyadic perspective on the return to work post maternity leave, our research moves beyond questions of individual identity shifts (Hennekam et al 2019, Hennekam 2016, Ladge and Greenberg 2015 to highlight the central role of temporal focus and relationships during this transitional process. Second, manager's access to resources and influence means their judgements and decisions regarding returners are critical in determining returner access to resources and opportunities.…”

“…Finally, we contribute to the growing literature on resocialization through a dyadic perspective on the return to work post maternity leave. Our research moves this literature beyond individual identity shifts (Hennekam, Syed, Ali and Dumazert 2019, Hennekam 2016, Ladge and Greenberg 2015 to highlight the central role of (in)congruence in temporal focus and relationships during this transitional process. Specifically, we explicate how individual and dyadic temporal foci on maternity leave -as a brief interruption or major temporal disruption -shape experiences and outcomes during resocialization.…”