Familiengründung und gewünschter Erwerbsumfang vonMännern – Eine Längsschnittanalyse für die alten Bundesländer / The Influence of Fatherhood on PreferredWorking Hours: A Longitudinal Study for Germany

Abstract

Summary:The existing literature offers two conflicting expectations about how fatherhood may influence men's working hours. The traditional male-provider model predicts that a man will increase his labour supply after becoming a father, while the model of involved fatherhood suggests that fathers will cut back their working hours. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, this article considers how becoming a father affects men's preferred working hours. The findings indicate that fathers whose wives work full-time tend to decrease their labour supply. In contrast fathers whose wives work part-time or are homemakers tend to increase their working hours. Despite changes in gender role attitudes, fathers' willingness to reduce their working hours has not increased in recent decades.

Do Work–Life Measures Really Matter? The Impact of Flexible Working Hours and Home-Based Teleworking in Preventing Voluntary Employee Exits

“…The combination of gender and parenthood should therefore strengthen the effects of flexibility measures, especially for mothers. Despite indications that the perception of the demands of fatherhood is changing (Abendroth and Pausch 2018;Pollmann-Schult 2008), it is mothers especially who are still predominantly entrusted with care and maintenance duties and therefore have greater demands that would benefit from reconciliation (Dechant and Blossfeld 2015;Lott 2019). Flexibility measures should play a particularly important role for these employees with considerable and ongoing reconciliation needs.…”

Feminization of sport audiences and fans? Evidence from the German men’s national soccer team

“…Here it is relevant that gender role attitudes in Germany have experienced a substantial ‘liberal shift’ over recent decades (Bauernschuster and Rainer, 2012; Dorbritz and Schneider, 2012; Lee et al, 2007; Pollmann-Schult, 2008; Scott et al, 1996; Sunström, 1999). In particular, younger women hold more egalitarian gender role attitudes usually measured by attitudes toward female labour market participation although it is not entirely clear to what extent these differences reflect attitudinal changes over the course of life or cohort effects resulting from different sociocultural conditions (Katenbrink, 2006; Lee et al, 2007).…”

When parents wish to reduce their work hours: Does sorting into occupations and work organizations explain gender differences in working-time adjustments?

“…In 2018, approximately 70% of German mothers with young children worked part-time, but only 6% of fathers did (DESTATIS 2019). However, it becomes increasingly evident that mothers' and fathers' realized employment patterns are not in line with their preferences (Pollmann-Schult 2008;Van Echtelt, Gleebek & Lindberg 2006;Wanger 2011): While full-time working fathers are dissatisfied with their long work hours (Abendroth & Pausch 2018), women in part-time employment are wishing to increase their working-time (Harnisch, Müller & Neumann 2018).…”

“…Previous research on parents' working-time adjustments mainly addressed household dynamics: While fathers' opportunities to reduce their working hours are constrained because of their financial responsibilities due to the gendered division of labor (Pollmann-Schult 2008;Pollmann-Schult & Reynolds 2017), mothers as primary caregivers are expected to reduce their working-time when returning to the labor market. However, less is known about how the work context shapes parents' opportunities to scale back work hours.…”