SOCIETAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS OF WOMEN’S CAREERS

Nevenka Černigoj Sadar DECOWE Conference: Ljubljana, Slovenia,

24-25 September 2009

Objective of the paper:

• To explore the interplay of societal and organisational contexts in the creation of women’s careers.

Methodology• Secondary analysis and synthesis of cross-

national and slovenian studies:

1) Suzan Lewis et al. (2003-05): Gender, Parenthood and the Changing European

Workplace. 2) Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela & Nevenka Černigoj Sadar (2005-2007): Empirical studies within EQUAL project Young

mothers/family friendly employment.

General trends

Globalisation, demographic changes, development of new technologies changes in organisational structure and functioning.

Changes in paid work and private life are not coordinated.

New career definition• Careers unfold in multilayered contexts and over

life course (Moen & Sweet, 2004).

• Individuals have multiple roles multiple commitments multiple careers

• Young generations: Endeavours for balancing paid work and private life are as important as meaningful work and development of employability.

Balance of life spheres• Individual level: flexibility in achieving

and establishing a meaningful balance between time and various kind of investments to do our work effectively, while at the same time having enough time for other important activities in our life.

• Important: individual control and autonomy over the work-family boundaries

Family friendly management

• Organizational level: employer’s use of family friendly practices in a concerted and coordinated way and their having an undelying commitment to help employees obtain a balancing between work and family obligations.

Is the family relevant for professional careers?

- Basic mental sets, work habits and some skills which are useful at job are learned in family.

- Enriching relations between work and family contribute to the subjective well- being.

THE SOURCES OF WELL-BEING: PUBLIC SECTOR (Černigoj Sadar & Kersnik, 2005)

Average percent of positive marks of different aspects of well-being

Public sector

Country WB at work Family WB

Rang

% Rang %

Sweden       1 85.1 4 79.1

Norway   2 73.8 3 80.6

UK 4 65.1 6 64.0

Portugal  5 60.3 2 82.3

Slovenia   3 67.5 1 85.6

Bulgaria       6 58.2 5 73.1

Average - all 68.3 77.4

SOURCES OF WELL- BEING: PRIVATE SECTOR (Černigoj Sadar & Kersnik, 2005) Average percent of positive marks of different aspects of well-being for each country

Private sector

Country WB at work Family WB

Rang % Rang %

Norway 1 82.9 2 86.4

Netherland 6 49.8 1 87.9

UK  3 60.3 3 73.9

Portugal 2 69.6 4 72.9

Slovenia  4 50.7 5 69.0

Bulgaria  5 50.7 6 51.8

Average - all 60.7 73.6

Does the public work - family policies matters?

Leave policies, child care policies and other benefits ease the development of careers but have greater impact on the development of women’s careers compared to men’s careers.

Changes in working life of parents since the birth of any child – financial sector

Changes in the working life SIN=29

%

UK N=21

%

Moved or been moved to lower level job

0.0 9.5

Reduced hours of work 6.9 33.3

Decided not to do extra hours 17.2 28.6

Decided not to go on a training course

6.9 14.3

Decided not to go on work-related travel or cut down on work- related travel

10.3 33.3

Taken unpaid time off for his child’s sickness

0.0 33.3

Anything else: changed employer 3.4 9.5

Accomulation of negative experiences of mothers in Slovenia after the child birth(Kanjuo Mrčela & Černigoj Sadar, 2007)

Sample of 270 employed mothers:

- Have to work more than 8 hours per day: 34%

- Additional burdens: 30%

- Do not get the job they would like: 26%

- Could not get career promotion: 16%

- Worsening relations with supervisors: 13 %

- Employer terminates work contract: 10%

- Unwanted career demotion: 8%

- Employee terminates work contract: 8%

Introduction of family friendly organisational policies in Slovenia- social context

- Social agreement 2007 -2009

- Resolution on National Programme for Equal Opportunities for women and men 2005-2013

- EQUAL project: development partnership ‘Young mothers/families friendly employment’ – YMFFE; funded by European Social Fund-EU and Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Republic of Slovenia.

Main goals of YMFFE:

- To sensitize general public and organizations for negative impacts of discriminating parents.

- To provide organizations with tools for balancing work-family (W-F) life.

- To publicly recognize those organizations that implement family friendly policies.

- To rise awareness among potential/parents.

The certification methodology

was based on the system developed by the German organization ‘Berufundfamilie’ adapted to the specifics of Slovenian economic and legislative framework.

Family friendly measures:

• Working time

• Organization of work

• Spatial flexibility

• Information and communication policies

• Organisational strategy/philosophy, development of management

• Development and promotion of employees

• Financial and other benefits

• Services to support family

Family friendly measures (FFM)of 32 organizations before entering the

certification process:94% - organizations have 1- 7 FFM;

86% - time flexibility (arrival, departure );

41% - parents have priority in holidays planning;

38% - work from/at home (occasionally),

31% - help at returning to work from parental leave;

31% - part time work;

24% - flexibility in transferring over hours/deficit in work hours

New FFMs:

Information and communication policies: more than half organisation FFM part of

organizational culture; dissemination of information to inner & out of organization public; news papers, intranet; attitudes research, discussion groups; trustee for W-F balancing (42%); sharing the good practices

New FFMs:Working time: - Child bonus - 68% - Planning holidays - 39%- Fixed basic working time, choice of start

and end of working time – 26%

- Flexibility in transfer of over hours - 23%

New FFMs

Development of employees:

- Plans for W-F problem solving - 32%

- Plans related to parental leave – 29%

- Communication during the long term absence from work – 26 %

- Courses, workshops up to date knowledge and skills – 23%

New FFMs

Organisational strategy, management development:

- Courses about FFE for management – 29%

- FFE and EOP as part of organisational strategy – 29%

Conclusions- Supportive work- family policies are not an

end point of process in consumer – led and gendered society.

- They are part of a process of change in learning organisations that involves shifting values and practices in developing careers of men and women.