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Book part
Publication date: 15 October 2013

Pamela Aronson and Jeylan T. Mortimer

Studies of the work “choices” of mothers are plentiful – from the factors that influence occupational selection to the reasons why women work or “opt out” when they have children…

Abstract

Studies of the work “choices” of mothers are plentiful – from the factors that influence occupational selection to the reasons why women work or “opt out” when they have children. However, we know little about how subjective preference for full or part-time work is “aligned” or “misaligned” with mothers’ objective work status. Based on qualitative interviews from the MacArthur Network’s “Transition to Adulthood and Public Policy” study, we consider the “alignment” of objective work intensity (full vs. part time) and subjective preferences, finding that one-third of the working mothers in the sample are “misaligned.” At the same time, the majority preferred full-time work: two-thirds (66 percent) either wanted to work full time and did so, or wanted to work full time but were actually employed part time. One-third of the working mothers had a preference for part-time work (although some worked full time). Only 12 percent of the working mothers in the sample were able to work part time and desired this arrangement. Furthermore, regardless of the alignment of their objective work status and preference, the majority of these mothers emphasized self-fulfillment and intrinsic satisfaction though work.

Details

Visions of the 21st Century Family: Transforming Structures and Identities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-028-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1990

Eileen Drew

The subject of part‐time work is one which has become increasingly important in industrialised economies where it accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of total…

Abstract

The subject of part‐time work is one which has become increasingly important in industrialised economies where it accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of total employment. It is estimated that in 1970, average annual hours worked per employee amounted to only 60% of those for 1870. Two major factors are attributed to explaining the underlying trend towards a reduction in working time: (a) the increase in the number of voluntary part‐time employees and (b) the decrease in average annual number of days worked per employee (Kok and de Neubourg, 1986). The authors noted that the growth rate of part‐time employment in many countries was greater than the corresponding rate of growth in full‐time employment.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 9 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2014

Ronald J. Burke, Simon L. Dolan and Lisa Fiksenbaum

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons given by nurses for working part-time; compare the work experiences, satisfactions, and psychological well-being of nursing…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons given by nurses for working part-time; compare the work experiences, satisfactions, and psychological well-being of nursing staff working full-time vs part-time; and identify possible antecedents and sources of leverage to encourage part-time nurses to work full-time.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was developed, pre-tested and validated, and sent to the regional associations of nurses in Spain for distribution to their members. Data collection involved a cross-sectional design. A total of 2,094 valid questionnaires were completed online. The majority of responding nurses were located in Catalunya and Gipuzkoa. Respondents were given 15 reasons and asked to indicate the extent to which each played a role in their decision to work part-time. Job context and job content scales bearing multi items reliable measures were also employed. All scales met the criteria of reliability.

Findings

Nurses working full-time included more males, were older, had longer nursing experience (both job and unit tenure), reported higher levels of both job resources (autonomy, self-development opportunities), higher levels of positive work attitudes (job involvement, affective commitment, work engagement), more medication use, and a higher intention to quit. Full-time and part-time nursing staff were similar on marital status, levels of social support (supervisor, co-worker, spouse, and family), self-reported absenteeism, levels of burnout, levels of psychological well-being (psychosomatic symptoms, self-reported health), and potential accident propensity. Some of the more concrete results include: first, reasons for working part-time were varied with some being voluntary (going to school) and others involuntary (poor health). Second, different clusters of individuals likely exist (e.g. students, caretakers, transitioning to retirement or other career options). Third, part-time nursing staff tended to report a more negative workplace (less autonomy, fewer opportunities for self-development) and less favorable work attitudes (less engagement, job involvement, and affective commitment) than their full-time counterparts.

Research limitations/implications

First, all data were collected using self-report questionnaires, raising the possibility of response set tendencies. Second, all data were collected at one point in time, making it difficult to determine cause-effect relationships. Third, although the sample was very large, it was not possible to determine its representativeness or a response rate given the data collection procedure employed. Fourth, the large sample size resulted in relatively small mean differences reaching levels of statistical significance. Fifth, many of the nurse and work/organizational outcomes were themselves significantly correlated inflating the number of statistically significant relationships reported. Finally, it is not clear to what extent the findings apply to Spain only.

Practical implications

Health care organizations interested in encouraging and supporting part-time nursing staff to consider working full-time may have some sources of leverage. Part-time nursing staff indicated generally lower levels of commitment involvement and engagement compared to their full-time colleagues. Part-time nursing staff in this study reported lower levels of job resources, such as autonomy and self-development opportunities. Increasing nursing staff input into decision making, increasing levels of nursing staff empowerment, increasing supervisory development that in supporting and respecting the nursing staff contributions, reducing levels of workplace incivility, and improving nursing work team functioning would make the work experiences of part-time nursing staff more meaningful and satisfying. In addition, offering more flexible work schedules and tackling the stereotype associated with working only part-time would also address factors associated with working part-time. A more long-term strategy would involve enhancing both the psychological and physical health of nursing staff through the introduction of a corporate wellness initiative. Increasing the work ability of nursing staff by improving their psychological and physical well-being addresses a common factor in the part-time work decision.

Social implications

There is a call in the paper for Spanish authorities to consider implementing the “Magnet hospital program” which is one model that has been shown to improve nurse and patient outcomes and is one solution to the shortage of hospital nurses in attracting them to work on a full-time basis. The process of Magnet recognition involves implementing 14 evidence-based standards.

Originality/value

Experts claim that the part-time phenomenon is a growing trend and is there to stay. The authors still do not know sufficiently about the HR implications for having a large workforce of part-time employees. In this paper, a tentative attempt was made to better understand this phenomenon, especially when there is a shortage of qualified nurses in the health sector. Several promising research directions follow from this investigation. First, nurses working part-time need to be polled to identify factors that would encourage and support them should they desire to change to full-time work. Second, the authors learn more about the relatively low levels of involvement, commitment, and engagement of part-time nurses, a phenomenon that most organizations wish to minimize.

Details

Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-3983

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2002

Thomas Li‐Ping Tang, Jwa K. Kim and Theresa Li‐Na Tang

The present study investigated the money ethic scale among full‐time employees, part‐time employed students, and non‐employed university students. Confirmatory factor analyses…

4262

Abstract

The present study investigated the money ethic scale among full‐time employees, part‐time employed students, and non‐employed university students. Confirmatory factor analyses results showed that there was a good fit between the three‐factor model and research data for full‐time employees and non‐employed students and a weaker fit for part‐time employees and the whole sample. Further, factors success and evil were predictors of income for full‐time employees. Money attitudes were not related to pay satisfaction. Factor budget was associated with life satisfaction for full‐time employees and non‐employed students. Full‐time employees in this sample tended to be older, male, and have higher education than part‐time employees and students. Non‐employed students tended to have higher life satisfaction, lower protestant work ethic, less type A behavior pattern, and think more strongly that money does not represent their success, that they budget money carefully, and that money is not evil than part‐time employees.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 17 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 February 2015

Xiangmin Liu and Liang Zhang

This study investigates the relationship among preference for full-time employment, primacy of part-time employment, and work-related outcomes in a nationally representative…

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship among preference for full-time employment, primacy of part-time employment, and work-related outcomes in a nationally representative sample of part-time college instructors. Results based on multilevel cross-classified random effects models indicate that part-time faculty who prefer full-time positions report working on average more hours per week and express greater work-related dissatisfaction than those who choose reduced work hours. Individuals whose part-time jobs are their primary jobs have less job satisfaction but work longer hours than those who treat part-time work as secondary. Finally, those who prefer full-time employment report more negative job satisfaction when the primacy of their part-time jobs is high.

Details

Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-380-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2019

Martin Sikyr, Nina Ivanovna Basmanova and Mikhail Abrashkin

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the authors’ questionnaire survey focused on the comparison of study motivation and job expectations of full-time and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the authors’ questionnaire survey focused on the comparison of study motivation and job expectations of full-time and part-time students of Russian universities and identify main problems of higher education and graduate employment and suggest their possible solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ questionnaire survey was conducted from March to October 2018. The respondents were full-time and part-time bachelor’s and master’s students from 30 regions across Russia. The relevant data were obtained from 1,051 students. The data analysis was based on the calculation of relative frequencies (as a share from the total number of respondents) and the evaluation of the dependence of responses on the form of study (full-time students and part-time students) using contingency tables and χ2 tests of independence.

Findings

The results of the authors’ questionnaire survey support the assumption that the current generation of full-time and part-time students of Russian universities studies to succeed in the future. Surveyed university students certainly have a high motivation to study, but at the same time, they seem to have too high expectations about their future work and career, which can negatively affect their future success in their jobs if they do not have appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities.

Originality/value

The results of the authors’ questionnaire survey show some unique tendencies in the Russian university students’ attitudes to study, work and career that are worth attention both from the point of view of universities and from the point of view of employers and their current approaches to the education and the employment of the current generation of young people. The results open up new possibilities for further research focused on the higher education and the employability of the new generation of work force.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 October 2018

Kei Nomaguchi and Marshal Neal Fettro

Past studies suggest that full-time maternal employment may be negatively related to children’s cognitive development. Most studies measure maternal employment at one time point…

Abstract

Past studies suggest that full-time maternal employment may be negatively related to children’s cognitive development. Most studies measure maternal employment at one time point, while mothers’ work hours may not be stable during early childrearing years. Using data from the 2001 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (N ≈ 6,500), the authors examine stability in mothers’ work hours across four waves when children are 9 and 24 months old, in preschool, and in kindergarten, mothers’ background characteristics associated to it, and its link to child cognitive development. Results show that the majority of mothers change work hours across the four waves. Analysis using multinomial logistic regression models suggests that mothers’ older age, fewer children, and higher household income are related to working full time at all four waves compared to varying work hours across the waves; more children and less than high school completion are related to staying home at all four waves; and mothers’ older age, being White, no change in partnership status, and holding a college degree are related to working part time at all four waves. Compared to mothers’ changing work hours, mothers’ stable work hours, full time or part time, at all four waves is related to children’s better reading, math, and cognitive scores in kindergarten, whereas mothers’ staying home at all four waves is negatively related to these scores. These associations disappear when background characteristics are controlled for in ordinary least squares regression models. These findings underscore the role of background characteristics in shaping both mothers’ stable employment and children’s cognitive development.

Details

The Work-Family Interface: Spillover, Complications, and Challenges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-112-4

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 November 2014

Alan L. Gustman and Thomas L. Steinmeier

This paper advances the specification and estimation of econometric models of retirement and saving in two earner families. The complications introduced by the interaction of…

Abstract

This paper advances the specification and estimation of econometric models of retirement and saving in two earner families. The complications introduced by the interaction of retirement decisions by husbands and wives have led researchers to adopt a number of simplifications. Our analysis relaxes these restrictions. The model includes three labor market states, full-time work, partial retirement, and full retirement; reverse flows from states of lesser to greater work; an extended choice set created when spouses make independent retirement decisions; heterogeneity in time preference; varying taste parameters for full-time and part-time work; and the possibility of changes in preferences after retirement.

Details

Factors Affecting Worker Well-being: The Impact of Change in the Labor Market
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-150-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1984

Eileen Drew

This article has a threefold purpose. First, it presents an overview of part‐time employment within the European Community in the context of current labour market trends. Second…

Abstract

This article has a threefold purpose. First, it presents an overview of part‐time employment within the European Community in the context of current labour market trends. Second, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages associated with part‐time working and third, it outlines the factors supporting a future expansion of part‐time working.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 3 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1994

Peter Dawkins and Michael Simpson

The length of the working week and the flexibility of working time aretwo aspects which impact on the international competitiveness ofAustralian industry. The popular view of the…

1983

Abstract

The length of the working week and the flexibility of working time are two aspects which impact on the international competitiveness of Australian industry. The popular view of the Australian worker is often couched in terms such as “lazy” and “slack”, and the “sickie” appears to have gained a permanent place in Australian vocabulary. Presents evidence, however, which tends to suggest that the lazy “tag” may be somewhat inappropriate. Comparison of the Australian estimates on hours of work with international data obtained from the OECD and the ILO indicates that Australian full‐time workers are working more hours than most other OECD countries. Also, full‐time employees are working considerably longer hours than they did a decade ago. Puts forward four primary reasons for this increase in hours worked by full‐time employees: (1) a substantial increase in the proportion of employees working in excess of 48 hours per week; (2) a decrease in absence rates over the last ten years; (3) a decline in the amount of annual and long service leave taken by full‐time employees; and (4) a significant decrease over the last decade in time lost owing to industrial disputes. Of greater concern is the flexibility of working time. Evidence suggests, for example, that penalty rates of pay and working time restrictions have tended to spread through the award system to an extent that is not healthy for Australian industry. While there has been some relaxation of these rigidities, it is thought that there is considerable scope for further moves in this direction.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 15 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

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