Beyond Work‐Family Balance: Advancing Gender Equity and Workplace Performance

Citation

Hodgson, J. (2002), "Beyond Work‐Family Balance: Advancing Gender Equity and Workplace Performance", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 293-293. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2002.23.5.293.1

This book presents a conceptual framework and emerging methodology for advancing gender equity in the workplace, increasing work‐personal life integration and enhancing workplace performance. Drawing on a decade’s worth of case material from research projects in a number of private and public sector organisations, the authors argue that it is possible to restructure work in ways that both enhance organisational effectiveness and make the workplace more equitable.

The authors begin by articulating their vision of gender equity – a term they use to describe a fair distribution of opportunities and constraints for people in all areas. Rather than view work and family (or personal life) as separate, conflicting, and gendered domains that must be “balanced”, the authors believe that work and personal life should be seen as linked spheres that can be “integrated”. Integration can only be achieved when social norms are relaxed and challenged. Traditional notions of the “ideal” worker, whose top priority is paid employment, and the “ideal” caretaker, for whom paid work is secondary, must be broken down for women and men to perform to their capabilities and find satisfaction in both work and personal life.

Pointing to the limited success of anti‐discrimination legislation and the establishment of “family friendly” policies in supporting women and men who want to work and to “have a life”, the authors go on to suggest that gender equity can only be advanced when organisational norms and assumptions are viewed through a “gendered lens” and then challenged. In particular, the authors’ research suggest that masculine gendered assumptions about commitment and competence in the workplace are critical in promoting gender inequities. Expectations that workers will put their career ahead of all else and employ individual competitive ways of working not only undermine women, who still take on a greater share of household responsibilities and bring relational skills to work, but also place constraints on men who wish to participate in activities outside of work.

A second key element of the authors’ conceptual framework, one which provided the inspiration for the book, is the “dual agenda”. It derives from the authors’ finding that changing work practices to increase gender equity also increases organisational performance and effectiveness. That is, there need not be a trade‐off between addressing work‐personal life conflicts and improving workplace performance. Organisations can serve their both own interests and those of their employees by allowing the needs of the work, rather than gendered assumptions, determine work practices.

Collaborative Interactive Action Research (CIRA) is the name that the authors give to their method of uncovering gendered assumptions that underlie inequitable and ineffective work practices. Briefly, action researchers from outside the organisation work together with company members to identify gendered assumptions about how work is done; to understand how those assumptions affect employees and work performance; and to design changes in work practices to eliminate barriers to gender equity and improve performance. Drawing from their case study material, the authors demonstrate how small‐scale changes can be effective for both sides of the dual agenda.

This book merits close attention from readers interested in issues of organisational culture, motivation and work‐family challenges. Anyone who has experienced gender inequity at work and/or work‐family life conflict will find the book a source of insight and ideas for change. Managers, practitioners and academics concerned with improving organisational effectiveness have much to gain from raising their awareness of the many gendered assumptions that surround current notions of effectiveness and productivity at work.