The Meanings of Work–Life Balance: A Cultural Perspective

Lewis, Suzan; Beauregard, T. Alexandra

doi:10.1017/9781108235556.039

Cited by 40 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In fact, there is broad consensus on the fact that work-life balance is of vital importance in industrialized nations and that it is becoming a pressing issue in developing countries as well. In the former case, the massive incorporation of women into the workplace, the rise in the number of single-parent families, and the increase in dependency as a result of ageing populations are some of the factors that explain why the issue of work-life balance has become a key item on the agendas of a number of European Union states [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. In the latter, the sudden creation of companies in areas of Africa and Asia as the result of outsourcing (with the consequent implementation of long working hours), the pace of transformation of local communities and unforeseen changes in age-old family traditions make this balance a new and urgent problem [19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work–Life Balance, Organizations and Social Sustainability: Analyzing Female Telework in Spain

2020

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The concept of work–life balance has recently established itself as a key component on route maps drawn up in the pursuit of social sustainability, both on a local scale, represented by individual organizations, and on a more general one, represented by global institutions such as the United Nations. Our article analyzes telework’s use as a political tool within organizations that either boost or hinder the development of social sustainability. Additionally, we propose the notion of “life sustainability” to analyze how female teleworkers describe the link between specific work cultures and the possibility of fulfilling social sustainability goals in local work environments through the achievement of a good work–life balance. Our research was performed following a qualitative approach, drawing from a sample of 24 individual interviews and 10 focus groups with a total of 48 participants, all of which are female teleworkers with family responsibilities. Our main findings allow us to summarize the interviewees’ social perceptions into two categories, which we have dubbed ‘life sustainability ecologies’ and ‘presence-based ecologies’. We conclude by discussing female teleworkers’ claim that work–life balance is directly linked to social sustainability and that the latter goal will remain out of reach as long as the issue of balance goes unresolved.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work–Life Balance, Organizations and Social Sustainability: Analyzing Female Telework in Spain

2020

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“…Culture likely shapes the meaning of work-family balance (Lewis & Beauregard, 2018). There is substantial cultural variability in the meaning assigned to “work” or paid employment (Sharabi, 2011), as well as connotations of what “family” is and how it should be organized (Schvaneveldt et al, 2005).…”

Section: Work-family Balance: a Cultural Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

A Conceptual Model of Work-Family Balance Among Qatari Adults

Hong

Abdelmoneium²,

Badahdah

et al. 2021

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

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Work-family balance is shrouded in conceptual ambiguity and WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) understanding, which impedes scientific advancement and subsequent practical solutions. This qualitative study constructs a conceptual model of work-family balance among Qatari adults. Based on grounded theory methods, in-depth interview data from 20 Qatari adults (10 women and 10 men) indicated that work-family balance means meeting both work and family expectations. “Work” is driven primarily by family financial needs and therefore it must be undertaken for the sake of the family. However, work-family balance is an idealized goal; the demands of work, rising needs of the family, and insufficient supports make work-family balance impossible. Nevertheless, working adults actively pursue work-family balance through negotiation of expectations with role-related partners and adaptation to varying circumstances in work and family domains. Overall, the findings suggest that work-family balance is viewed by Qataris as a socially and relationally constructed concept.

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“…Third, different institutional conditions in the UK and Germany, i. e. specific academic settings and welfare systems, will considerably influence the WFB strategies of female scholars. Cross-national analysis of WFB-related cultural norms is particularly lacking in the contemporary scholarship [Kravchenko, Motiejunaite, 2008;Lewis, Beauregard, 2018;Gewinner, 2019], and this constitutes one of the major novelties of our study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

По-Прежнему Суперженщина? Как Женщины-Ученые Из Бывшего СССР Совмещают Работу И Семейную Жизнь За Границей

Antoshchuk

Gewinner

2020

MONITORING OF PUBLIC OPINION

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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.

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The Meanings of Work–Life Balance: A Cultural Perspective

Cited by 40 publications

References 37 publications

Work–Life Balance, Organizations and Social Sustainability: Analyzing Female Telework in Spain

Work–Life Balance, Organizations and Social Sustainability: Analyzing Female Telework in Spain

A Conceptual Model of Work-Family Balance Among Qatari Adults

По-Прежнему Суперженщина? Как Женщины-Ученые Из Бывшего СССР Совмещают Работу И Семейную Жизнь За Границей

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