Organizational Change and Gender Equity

International Perspectives on Fathers and Mothers at the Workplace

"Organizational Change and Gender Equity wonderfully illuminates the way a national context can impact the many daily balancing acts of working families. Drawing together articles about the US, the UK, Australia, Sweden and Denmark, the editors and authors show us what huge difference it makes what one's government and what one's culture is. This book is must reading for scholars, policy makers, and working parents alike." Arlie Russell Hochschild, University of California, Berkley The historic view of work and family as separate spheres of social life with little effect on each other is no longer valid. Likewise, the traditional roles of men and women in most advanced industrialized societies have changed drastically. Women are becoming as likely as men to be in the paid labor force, even during their early childbearing years, and are often interested in occupying the full range of occupations at all levels of organizational hierarchies. Men are also increasingly more engaged in taking on an active role in family life, especially in developing close relations with children. Social scientists in several countries are now engaged in research which focuses on how companies are changing to help individuals combine work and family roles, in a way that would yield benefits to work organizations, make progress toward the goal of gender equity, and contribute to the well-being of employees and their families. Nineteen of these scholars, representing three continents and a wide range of disciplines, including anthropology, business, economics, education, law, psychology, social work, and sociology, have contributed original chapters to Organizational Change and Gender Equity. While most chapter authors have academic affiliations, most have also been substantially involved in direct work with companies or gender equity and/or work-family issues. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part takes up what is known about mothers and fathers at the workplace, in order to explore problems working parents have that workplace practices and policies can worsen or solve. The second part covers workplace programs and policies relevant to work-family and gender issues in four societies. The last part of the book encompasses case studies of organizations undergoing change. Scholars, researchers, and graduate students in the fields of management, human resources, international studies, family studies, and gender studies will all benefit from the fresh perspectives in Organizational Change and Gender Equity.