Implementing Policies, Practices and Culture to Support Organizational Effectiveness and Work-Family

RelationshipsModule 3, Class 2

A Teaching Module Developed byEllen Ernst Kossek (Michigan State University),

Mary Secret (Virginia Commonwealth University),Stephen Sweet (Ithaca College)

and the Curriculum Task Force of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

What Happens in the Home Matters at Work

Child Care DisruptionMarital/Family Stress

Adult Care giving Needs

Family Illness

Absenteeism, Tardiness

Intent to Resign Decreased Job Performance

H O M EH O M E W O R KW O R K

Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality

Many firms have cultures where using work/life policies is seen as benefiting the individual far more than the firm. Meeting employee’s personal needs are not yet seen as meeting customers’ needs.

Work/life policies are still largely programmatic minimal link to other HR

policies nominal focus on

informal cultural issues glass ceiling effect

Managerial Concerns

Labor costs Turnover Quality and customer service Absenteeism

How might these vary among employers for different types of workers?

How might employers in different industries have different views?

Factors affecting use of work-life policies/practices

1. Corporate culture 2. Organizational approach to managing

change3. Supervisor support4. Individual characteristics 5. Job content factors 6. Work-group factors

Bureau of Labor Statistics distribution of work-life policies and programs

Families and Work Institute Family-Friendly IndexFlexible Work Arrangements

Flextime 25

Part-time work 25

Job sharing 25

Flex-place 15

Other flexible arrangements 15

Subtotal 105

Leaves

Child care or family leave 25

Other leaves 15

Subtotal 40

Financial Assistance

Flexible benefits/flexible spending accounts 25 

Long-term care insurance 10

Adoption assistance 10

Child care discounts 5

Vouchers 20

Other financial assistance 10

Subtotal 80

Corporate Giving/Community Service

Corporate giving to community/national work-family initiatives

25

Funds to benefit employees 25

Other corporate giving/community service programs

10

Subtotal 60

Dependent Care Services

Child care resource and referral 20

Elder care consultation and referral 20

On- or near-site child care centers 25

Consortium child care centers 20

Sick/emergency child care programs

15

After-school programs 15

Summer camps 15

Caregiver fairs 5

Other dependent care services 25

Subtotal 160

Management Change

Work-family manager training

25

Work-family coordinators

15

Work-family handbooks 10

Other management change

40

Subtotal 90

Work-Family Stress Management

Employee assistance program

10

Wellness/health promotion 15

Relocation services 10

Work-family seminars 10

Work-family support groups 10

Work-family newsletters 10

Other work-family stress management programs

15

Subtotal 80

Total 615

Stages in Organizational Development on Work and Family Stage 1: Employer adopts a few work family

policies on paper, but they are not integrated into the culture

Stage 2: Many policies and practices exist for different work–life needs, work-family professionals hired

Stage 3: Work family issues have strong cultural acceptance, managerial support, and work is designed with consideration for family life

Making the Business Case: Strategies of Selling

Management philosophies over support of work-life can vary Strategic HRM /productivity Employer of choice/ diversity views Reciprocity Trade-off Dual agenda

Strategic HRM Views of Business Case

What is economic performance of firms that provide work-life balance?

Do the firms that provide the best work-life balance do better in the marketplace?

Are they more profitable? Are employees of those firms more productive? Do these policies have a return on investment?

Employer of Choice

Cascio & Young 2003 study:

Stock performance of Working Mother 100 Best companies consistently higher

Why? 35 % of analyst’s “investment decision” is determined by non-financial information:

“ability to attract & retain people” workforce is increasingly diverse; want talent of

all backgrounds to want to work for you

Employer of Choice View

“Best employers” typically receive twice as many job applications per position as other firms.

Example: Job applications received by Edward Jones & Company (named by Fortune as the #1 best employer to work for in 2002, 2003) increased from 40,000 to 400,000 after on list.

Best practice: Marketing work life as best employer competency,

Tradeoff View

Productivity pitted against leisure

Outdated traditional paradigms: Worker time for money; Work vs. family

Best practice: How to redesign jobs for mutual benefits for managing work- life

Reciprocity Managerial View

Workers will give more discretionary performance when the employer is supportive.

Example: Employees who rated work life benefits as useful were significantly more likely to make voluntary workplace improvement suggestions (Lambert, 2000).

Best practice: Implementing work-family benefits that workers value.

Collaborative Interactive Action Research (CIAR)*:Three Pronged Approach Dual Agenda Engagement at the workplace level

Employers, employees Engagement at the associational level-

Unions, Professional organizations, trade associations, community groups

Engagement at the state level Government officials

*Bailyn, L., Bookman, A., Harrington, M. & Kochan, T. (2006). Work-family interventions and experiments: Workplaces, communities, and society. In M. Pitt-Catsouphes, E. E. Kossek, & S. Sweet (Eds.), The work and family handbook: Multi-disciplinary perspectives, methods and approaches (pp. 73-99). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers

Guiding assumption of CIAR:Life difficulties negatively affect work performance: Redesign for Dual Agenda

Strategy Challenge assumptions that

impede gender equity and work-life integration (micro-interventions)

Redesign work practices to integrate work with family lives and enhance work effectiveness

Couple research with workplace redesign

Approach Collaborate - engage

workers and managers in the research process Fluid expertise Honoring resistance Feminist methodology

Focus individuals on the dual agenda

Develop institutionalized mechanisms for dissemination

Supplemental Exercises for Additional Classes Work Life Policy Business Case Exercise

Goal: Students Learn to make business case for adopting policies at their college and learn the challenges of doing so

Work-Life Strategy Game Goal: Students work in teams to develop a work life

strategy that fits their industry and workforce, and answer questions in a game to gain familiarity with policies, and managing work-life issues, and can buy policies that fit with their strategy

Business Case Assignment

Identify a work-family policy that could have an impact on business practices at your college/university

Identify two articles on this policy as it was implemented at other workplaces.

Make a business case for its implementation Outline the shape of the policy Who could be eligible (and who can’t be) Costs and implications (returns on investments)

Outline how you would go about creating the organizational change….or if a business case can not be made your thoughts on how this issue should be addressed.

ROI: Returns on Investments

Cost estimates – what should be considered? Outcomes benefits – what should be considered?

Does the company need loyal workers (all workers or just some? Does that influence how the policy is constructed)

How is productivity measured? Hours vs quantity and quality of production

Work Groups

Members in each group pose the policy he/she wants to advance and then all collectively consider

The types of information needed to make a business case Which of these items are “knowable” in advance?

The best avenue for making a business case and selling the policy to the organization

The feasibility of making this available to all workers or contingents of workers at the college.

Paid Family Leaves for New Parents:Comparison between US and Europe

Leave w/

Wage

Replace

(weeks)

Basic Pay

Provisions

(% wages)

Available to

Mothers

Only

(weeks)

Available to

Fathers

Only

(weeks)

Additional

Unpaid or Low

Benefit

Leave

(weeks)

Incentives for

Fathers’ Use:

Weeks Lost if

Father

Doesn’t Use

Nordic Countries

Norway 52 80% 9 4 - 4

Sweden 52 80% 0 2 13 4

Denmark 30 100% 18 2 52 26

Finland 44 66% 18 3 108 -

Continental Countries

France 18 100% 16 2 156 -

Luxembourg 16 100% 16 2 days 52 26

Netherlands 16 100% 16 2 days 26 13

Germany 14 100% 14 0 156 -

Belgium 15 75% 15 3- 4 days 26 13

Austria 16 100% 16 104 -

Italy 26 80% 26 0 24 -

English-Speaking Countries

Canada 50 55% 15 0 - -

U.K. 26 90% 26 0 26 13

U.S.* 0 - 0 0 24 12