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The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship of work-life culture and organizational productivity and determine if it is mediated by the availability of work-life programs.

Quantitative data for the study were collected using three sources: an original survey completed by managers of 195 different companies, archival data from two databases, and archival data published in three national surveys. Hypotheses were tested using path analyses.

The data reveals that work-life culture has no direct effect on labor productivity but does have an indirect effect on it, through the availability of work-life programs.

One of the study’s limitations is that its design is cross-sectional. The authors suggest that future longitudinal studies examine the impact of work-life culture on organizational outcomes.

Practitioners should note the importance of promoting a favorable work-life culture and offering work-life programs as they enhance labor productivity.

The authors examine the impact of work-life culture on organizational productivity, a relatively understudied relationship at the organizational level.

Work–life programs research has been conducted at the individual and organizational levels, yet one important question remains unanswered: Do work–life programs improve organizational outcomes?

This paper presents a systematic literature review of the impact of work–life programs (bundles versus separate programs) on outcomes at the organizational level. A systematic selection process was adopted, resulting in a final sample of 35 articles published in 26 peer-reviewed journals from 1990 to 2019.

The findings suggest that these programs can result in positive, negative or no impact on organizational outcomes, depending on the study design, industry, organization size and country/region.

This review draws on quantitative and qualitative empirical studies to summarize, explain and refine the business case for work–life programs. The resulting framework provides directions for future research.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore differential adoption of work/life programs by organizations by studying CEOs. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework was developed from interview data from 26 Denver‐area (Colorado, USA) CEOs. Findings – A decision‐making model was conceptualized as the major finding of this study. CEOs decided on work/life programs on content‐based bottom‐line arguments, on process‐based criteria, such as moral, spiritual, or flexibility beliefs, or on personal experiences that these programs return to the bottom line. If a CEO decided based on bottom‐line arguments, the main variable is whether or not retention is important. Research limitations/implications – As a qualitative study, caution should be exercised in generalizing to the general population of CEOs, particularly those who choose not to adopt work/life programs. Practical implications – The study provides data useful for top management persuasion, executive development, understanding executive decision‐making processes, and understanding factors important to work/life program adoption. Originality/value – Many factors have been studied concerning differential work/life program adoption, including the composition of the HR team. This is the first study to consider the influence of CEOs as key decision‐makers in the adoption decision. This study also offers a model that potentially explains the decision‐making process used by executives for human resource programs, and perhaps other programs as well.

This study aims to provide insight on how work–life initiatives impact employees. Using corporate volunteer programs as an example, the authors examine the role of coworker social influence in shaping the reactions of both employee participants and non-participants of the program. The paper further identifies several factors that may moderate these relationships.

The authors surveyed employees before and after the implementation of a new corporate work–life initiative. 99 employees provided data pre and post. OLS regression and hierarchical linear modeling were used to test hypothesized relationships.

Even in the context of low participation, work–life initiatives engendered positive organization-related perceptions among employees. These positive outcomes were due in part to coworkers' sharing of their volunteer experiences and were most prominent for employees in positions that afforded flexibility, and employees who reported close ties with coworkers.

The study deepens our understanding of employee reactions to work–life programs and underlines the importance of these programs even when employee participation is low. The role of coworker influence as a determinant of employee reactions suggests there may be value in purposefully fostering participants' sharing of volunteer experiences in the workplace.

This study takes a unique approach to examining the role of coworker influence in shaping employee reactions to corporate initiatives.

The aim of this paper is to explore flexpatriates' perceptions of work life balance (WLB) issues and identify possible adjustments of WLB programs to better meet the needs of flexpatriates. This paper investigates flexpatriates' challenges at the interface of personal and work lives and their perception of standard WLB programs and then proposes organizational adjustments to better meet the needs of flexpatriates.

This study employed a qualitative research approach and two kinds of empirical data were collected: first, through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with 40 employees involved in flexpatriate assignments in multinational companies operating in Austria and, second, through a document analysis of the homepages of their employing organizations to gain information about WLB practices.

Drawing upon the study findings, the authors present a typology of flexpatriates and propose a model that considers both WLB and work life imbalance as a desirable or acceptable option and offers a new theoretical perspective for examining organization and individual dimensions in WLB.

The authors' contribution is a new contextualization of WLB initiatives that incorporates both WLB and work life imbalance as valid perspectives of employees.

Organisational work‐life policies and programs allow employees to have greater control over how, when and where they work but these policies are often under‐utilised, particularly by men and career‐oriented employees. In what is largely an atheoretical area of literature, the paper aims to theoretically integrate the empirical literature related to the uptake of organisational work‐life policies.

The paper links three related areas of literature: the associations between work‐life policies and individual/organisational outcomes; explanations for the low uptake of work‐life policies in many organisations; and preliminary studies which have explored organisational culture and its relationship to work‐life policies. These literatures are integrated to develop a five‐dimensional construct, “organisational work‐life culture”, for testing in future research.

It is suggested that the following five dimensions underlie this aspect of organisational life: lack of managerial support for work‐life balance; perceptions of negative career consequences; organisational time expectations; the gendered nature of policy utilisation; and perceptions of unfairness by employees with limited non‐work responsibilities.

The development and validation of the organisational work‐life culture construct requires further research and may result in specific organisational strategies and policies which address the barriers to work‐life policy utilisation.

Based on existing empirical evidence, the paper suggests an original theoretical proposition: that organisational work‐life culture is underpinned by five dimensions and explains much of the provision‐utilisation gap in work‐life policy.

The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the workers and managers of an Anglo‐German MNC, focusing on how each group attempts to maintain an acceptable work‐life balance.

The article is based on a two‐year‐long ethnographic study, including in‐depth interviews, participant‐observation and archival research.

Although the bulk of the company's work‐life balance initiatives focus on the managers, and the managers display greater loyalty to the company, the workers are better able to achieve work‐life balance. Neither group displays a more positive attitude to their work; however, the managers focus more on achieving status and the workers on personal satisfaction.

The findings challenge assertions that “flexible” working practices are good for work‐life balance, that managers are better able to maintain a good work‐life balance than workers, and that the development of an appropriate work‐life balance policy assists in ensuring company loyalty and positive attitudes to work.

This article suggests that flexible working may contribute to poor work‐life balance, and that success may be less an issue of developing work‐life balance policies and more of encouraging a healthy attitude towards work.

This article focuses on the occupationally stratified aspects of work‐life balance, comparing managers and workers within an organisation.

This case study is best suited for courses in career management, stress management, work–life management or science of well-being in organization behavior (OB) or human resources management (HRM). This case study is targeted at the MBA or executive development programs. The learning outcomes of this case study are as follows: to analyze the challenges in balancing Suraj Kumar’s (the protagonist) work–life balance situation and identifying the main causes of such a conflict. What are some strategies that could be used to address these issues? To develop a plan to balance work responsibilities with family and personal life. What specific actions could he take to achieve this balance? To design a training program for employees that addresses work–life balance issues. What topics would you cover in the training, and what methods would you use to deliver the content? To create a proposal for a flexible work arrangement program that an organization could offer to its employees. What would be the benefits of this program, and how would it be implemented and managed? To develop a business case for why an organization should prioritize work–life balance for its employees. What are the potential benefits of doing so, and how can the organization measure the impact of its efforts?

This case study discusses conflicts due to competitive priorities that people face in balancing the pressures, roles and responsibilities between their professional life (careers) and their personal life, and the trade-offs that they make across these multiple aspects of their lives. This case study revolves around Suraj Kumar, a successful consultant, who was offered a promotion as the executive director for the social sector. This promotion would require extensive travel and time away from his family. Kumar was struggling to balance his work responsibilities with his family life and his involvement with the Smile and Shine Foundation, which supports the education of children from economically weaker sections of society. He was reflecting on his past and present and trying to figure out how to prioritize his commitments while also achieving his personal and professional goals.

This research has shown that a case discussion and role-play can be effective for a less experienced audience. Instructors can provide multiple perspectives to stimulate reflection and debate. For executive MBA or executive development programs, a self-reflection exercise is recommended. Participants in these programs may have personal experience dealing with or may know others who have dealt with work–life balance issues, making self-reflection a valuable tool.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human resource management.

This study aims to examine the effect of a high commitment work system (HCWS) on employee well-being and the mediating role of organizational support and work–life balance.

Using structural equation modeling (SEM) for analysis, a quantitative approach was adopted to collect data from the 235 employees from the public sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Results show that HCWSs have a significant influence on organizational support and employee work–life balance. Therefore, there is a significant positive effect on employee well-being. The consequence of HCWS on well-being is not mediated by organizational support. Organization and work–life balance do not support the idea of reducing the negative effects of high-commitment work systems on well-being. There is a significant influence of work–life balance on employee behaviors to have well-being.

Managers can devise a strategy to involve the employees to join participating in decision-making. The research advances knowledge of how HCWS improves employee well-being and emphasizes the significance of organizational support in the environment of public organizations. Organizations are expecting to develop new strategies that help employees engage with their environment and increase their confidence. In this perspective, the present study has identified a crucial key factor of HCWS affecting of organization support and employee work–life balance, which can help propelling employees well-being. The research expands the knowledge of the organizational and cultural elements that influence employee behavior and performance in this setting by evaluating the effects of HCWS on employee well-being in the UAE.

This paper presents a new paradigm for conceptualizing the relationship between individual, family, and work. The language and focus of the balance approach is limiting and keeps individuals from creating integrated lives. Based on previous research and the authors’ experiences in facilitating organizational transformation, a new view of the issue of work‐life balance is described. This approach focuses on the engagement of each individual in an organization as a whole person. Within the organization, efforts to help individuals consciously create a life’s purpose and meld this purpose with their organizational contribution avoid sub‐optimization and create the opportunity for synergistic performance.