Contemporary Employment and Work-Life Balance - Literature review Example

Work-Life Balance Unit Work-Life balance Introduction There has been much contention on whether organizations should make ita policy to have work-life balance programs. Work-life balance entails the balancing that is done between an individual’s career with his or her lifestyle. The lifestyle that an individual embraces may interfere with their career and the vice versa is true. Overdoing one aspect may result to health, social and financial implications. Therefore, there is needed to strike a balance between the two important aspects of human lives. Organizations have been on the forefront in ensuring that the productivity of their workforce is maximized. On major strategy has been the adoption of the work-life balance programs. There are many responsibilities that makes it difficult to strike a balance between work and lifestyle, in some instances elderly parents as well as children can be a major impediment to an individual’s productivity. In addition, lack of leisure activities can result to stress and fatigue, which can result to reduced performance. The most affected are the women who have a career to protect, children to take care of as well as the care for the elderly. This literature review will focus on whether the work-life programs are any beneficial to the employees. It shall also explore the aspect of productivity as it relates to the programs. There have been increased responsibilities among the people today; this has made it important to initiate work-life balance programs. This is because the productivity of an organization is heavily reliant on its workforce. When the employees are having issues that affect their lives, their output is reduced. The work-life programs have been adopted to ensure that the employees give their best output to the organization. Burke (2006) has pointed out that facilities such as on-site day care centers, flex time, employee assistance programs as well as elder care programs can promote work-life balance. Despite such programs being beneficial for the general welfare of the employees, many organizations lag behind in the implementation.. The career choice can play a role in work-life balance; it has been indicated that careers in engineering and science consumes ones’ time and may result to a poor balance (Williams and Emerson 2008). On the other hand, women are more likely to be affected as compared to men (Milliken et al. 1998). In addition, the financial and the insurance industries have depicted high propensity to adopt work-life balance programs (Goldstein 1994). Conflict Theory and its Relationship with Work-life Balance The conflict theory provides that if energy and time are channeled to one role, then the other role is affected tremendously (Edwards and Rothbard 2000). Time and energy are limited resources, therefore, should be balanced. Friedman, Christensen, and DeGroot (1998) have observed that the time and energy that is spent in the family cannot be invested in work and the converse is true. When the demands for the family outweigh those in the job place, then it means that the job will be affected. The result of such an imbalance is that, one sector will be affected while the other depletes an individual’s resources. The imbalance can appear from any direction; the work can affect the lifestyle or vice versa. When there is an imbalance, productivity is adversely affected on one side. This means that programs to safeguard employees against burdensome lifestyles should be implemented by organizations. In order to prevent conflicts emanating from work-life imbalances, the programs developed by organizations are meant to take care of diverse aspects. Firstly, the programs are geared towards saving on time. This is a very important component. As stated earlier, time and energy are the ones that are limiting hence play a role in promoting an imbalance between the two aspects. Time is of essence in an organization, every employer pays for the time that is spent by an employee doing some productive activity for him or her. Secondly, the programs are geared towards helping the employee replenish their energy so that they are able to move on with other duties. In such a scenario, a replenished employee is much energized to work hence higher productivity (Tsui et al., 1997). Finally, the programs help reduce conflict that could otherwise arise due to the imbalance of the two forces. When conflicts are eliminated or minimized, then there is adequate time to do the work while the psychological effects that could affect work such as stress are minimized. Gender and the wok-life Balance The magnitude of the effect or work-life balance varies across the gender divide. William and Emerson (2008) have pointed out that the women are the adversely affected because they find themselves in having the responsibilities of looking after the elderly as well as the young members of the family. This means that their concerns supersede those of men. The number of women in the workforce is generally low in relation to their male counterparts. The whole concept of developing the work-life programs was activated by the need to take care of female employees who have a number of issues to deal with (Cassel 1997). Men are good at establishing a good link between their personal lives and work, an aspect that makes them cope with wok pressure. On the other hand, the women tend to have multiple activities, which includes broad aspects of family and other issues which ultimately influences their work (Pleck 1997). This means that women are able to handle a myriad of roles while men have the capacity to perform few tasks. In addition, most of the studies focus on the women when it comes to work-life balance. Work-life balance in an organization There is every reason why organizations should adopt work-life balance programs. The firms’ productivity, profitability, and competitiveness can be great boosted by such programs. These programs if well developed and implemented can help the employees become more productive. The strategy to develop the program should be focused on the specific needs of the employees and should be capable of incorporating all the relevant stakeholders. The strategy should be a key human resource strategy that should be given weight by all the stakeholders. Despite the need to implement a change in the organization, it is paramount that it should be smooth, consistent, and non-threatening. This is because there might arise resistance emanating from the culture of the organization. To prevent this, all the stakeholders should be made responsible. Ballou and Godwin (2007) points out quite a number of benefits that are provided by the Fortune’s 100 best companies to work for. These include, mortgage facilities, child care, subsidized cafeteria, take-home meals, elderly care resources, relocation services among many other benefits. The programs should however not strain the system. Every organization should handle its employees in relation to its capacity. In order to get the best employees some companies have utilized the strategy to woo them. Work-life Balance and Stress Stress is a psychological condition that can emanates from inadequate balancing between work and one’s lifestyle. Earlier in the discussion, we mentioned about the interplay of work and life in regards to energy and time. When these two resources are mismanaged, some physical or psychological conflict is highly likely. When the psychological aspect is the result, then most likely stress will prevail. Under stressful conditions, the overall productivity of an individual is highly reduced. They are incapable of performing activities to the extent that they would under normal conditions. Stresses can also results to other conditions or even illnesses. Whichever the implications, the overall result is a decline in productivity of the employee involved. When stress gets to this level it ceases to be a personal concern and turns to be a concern for the entire organization. This is the reason why organizations have implemented the work-life balance programs. Journal Article Reviews Week 32 Stuart, M., Lucio, M.M. and Robinson, A. (2011). ‘Soft regulation’ and the modernisation of employment relations under the British Labour Government (1997–2010): partnership, workplace facilitation and trade union change, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(18), 3794-3812 This journal focuses on the role of the British government in promoting employment between 1997 and 2010. It explores three aspects of employment; partnership, facilitation of changes in workplace and trade unions modernization. The data provided is reliant on literature that was put forth by other writers. However, it includes data that was obtained from reliable sources. There is coherence of the article with the lectures. It mentions that partnerships have facilitated employment relations. In an effort to encourage the trade unions, the state has created an enabling environment through capacity building. This was done through the Modernization fund. The sources used in this journal are mainly secondary sources. The paper is more of a literature review than it is a research paper. The credibility of the information provided is facilitated by the fact that statistics and materials are derived from reliable sources such as the ACAS. In addition, the rest of the journals are peer reviewed. The authors have placed a very persuasive claim that contradicts the opinions of other authors; the point of view presented is supported by evidence from books and journals. They have explicitly analyzed the impact of facilitation, partnership and trade unions as presented by the Labor government. This article has various strengths; firstly, it is based on a point of view based on research and clearly elucidates the role that was played by the Labor party in promoting employment. One weakness of the research paper is that it lacks the current sources, which provide analysis on the matter. Discussion questions What role did the British Labor government play in promoting employment between 1997 and 2010? How did trade unions and partnerships shape the employment situation in Britain between 1997 and 2010? Week 33 MACEY, W, & SCHNEIDER, B 2008, The Meaning of Employee Engagement, Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 1, 1, pp. 3-30. In this journal, an evaluation of the phrase ‘employee engagement’ has been put into perspective. The focus is on the use of the term in demonstrating psychological state, behaviors, or traits. The three facets have been analyzed in this article; a clear distinction is drawn between them. The engagement of employees provides an organization with the capacity in a dynamic environment. This research paper concludes that organizations require engaged workforce in order to remain competitive in their respective markets. The evidence that is provided in this article is supported by literature from a broad array of sources, most of which are journals and books. No data is analyzed in article but there is enough evidence from the provided sources. This has promoted the credibility of the information presented and the conclusions made. There is mix-up of both primary and secondary sources that are provided in the literature. It has relied heavily on empirical research from a number of researchers. The authors show their authority and confidence in the topic by demonstrating how the three aspects under analysis are tested; through employee surveys. The journal articulates an aspect that can be utilized by the human resources team to enhance the productivity of the employees. Questions What does employee engagement precisely entail? How can employee engagement be utilized for the well-being of an organization? Week 34 Wang, J, & Verma, A 2012, Explaining organizational responsiveness to work-life balance issues: The role of business strategy and high-performance work systems, Human Resource Management, 51, 3, pp. 407-432. This journal explores the reasons why organizations have opted to adopt work-life balance programs. The final findings find out that the programs enhance productivity. The business strategy that an organization adopts is important in making the decision whether to consider work-life balance programs. A cost based strategy has a negative correlation with the adoption of these strategies while a product leadership business strategy is pro-work-life balance programs. This paper has considered quite a substantial amount of literature from various sources which ranges from books to journals and other publications. The conclusions made were dependent on the literature as well as the data collected through the Workplace and Employee Survey that was administered by Statistics Canada. This authenticates the strategy of coming up with the findings from the research. The dependent variables in the study included; child care programs, elder care programs, fitness and recreation programs, employee support program and other personal support program. On the other hand, business strategies have been used as the independent variables. This research provides factual information from credible research that abides with all the required methodologies. Throughout the research, the main purpose is focused on identifying why organizations have varied opinions in adopting work-life balance programs. This information is very beneficial for an organization that is willing to venture into the developing such programs. It is beneficial in understanding the pros and cons of the programs so that they are able to make an informed decision. Questions What are the considerations that an organization should make before considering initiating a work-life balance program? Week 35 Ziegert, J, & Hanges, P 2005, Employment Discrimination: The Role of Implicit Attitudes, Motivation, and a Climate for Racial Bias, Journal Of Applied Psychology, 90, 3, pp. 553-562 This research article is a continuation of work that showed racial prejudice based on implicit attitudes and motivations. The research by A. P Brief et al (2000) forms the groundwork for the study. The research attempts to find the measure of modern racism that would result to prejudicial hiring. The research paper that is the groundwork of the study is peer reviewed. The research takes a quantitative approach of measuring explicit and implicit attitudes among 103 undergraduates from a University in mid-Atlantic whom got a credit. The experimental data is clearly tabulated and the hypothesis tested. In addition, the analysis has been clearly done and the results presented in graphs. Despite the work having a single basis, it has relied upon findings from other researchers. This research has the advantage in that it has a foundation in which it attempts to strengthen. On the other hand, it provides very useful information to managers who endeavor to understand the dynamics of racial discrimination in a workplace. The research also relies on a methodology that produces results, which are then analyzed and the conclusions made. Question What role does racial prejudice play in the creation of a corporate climate and in hiring? In conclusion, the study of all the articles was very beneficial. A number of aspects were learnt. Chief among these was about the programs that human resources personnel can employ in an organization, such as the work-life balance programs. On the other hand, the readings provided a background of the interventions made by the government in order to promote employment. In addition, Ziegert and Hanges article laid a foundation of understanding workplace prejudices, especially on racial grounds. Finally, the engagement of employees as discussed in the journal made much sense, it can adequately be used by the management personnel to promote employee productivity. References Ballou, B. & Godwin, N. H 2007, Quality of “Work Life”: Have You Invested in Your Organization’s Future? Strategic Finance, October: 41-45. Burke, R. J 2006, Organizational culture: A key to the success of work-life integration, In F. Jones, R. Burke, & M. Westman (Eds.), Work-life balance: A psychological perspective (pp. 235–260). Cassell, C 1997, The Business Case for Equal Opportunities: Implications for Females in Management, Women in Management Review, 12(1): 11-16. Goodstein, J. D 1994, Institutional pressure and strategic responsiveness: Employer involvement in work-family issues. Academy of Management Review, 37, 350–382 Macey, W, & Schneider, B 2008, The Meaning of Employee Engagement, Industrial & Organizational Psychology, 1, 1, pp. 3-30. Pleck, J. H 1997, The Work Family Role System, Social Problems, 24(4): 417-428. Ten Brummelhuis, L, & van der Lippe, T 2010, Effective work-life balance support for various household structures, Human Resource Management, 49, 2, pp. 173-193 Wang, J, & Verma, A 2012, Explaining organizational responsiveness to work-life balance issues: The role of business strategy and high-performance work systems, Human Resource Management, 51, 3, pp. 407-432. Ziegert, J, & Hanges, P 2005, Employment Discrimination: The Role of Implicit Attitudes, Motivation, and a Climate for Racial Bias, Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 3, pp. 553-562 Read More