Transcript Add title here…. - Research @ Wayne State University

Krista M. Brumley
Department of Sociology
Humanities Brown Bag Series
April 15, 2015
Presentation Outline
 Introduction
 Workplace characteristics, ideal worker norm, and data
 What are flexible work arrangements? Why care?
 Methods
 Findings
 Flexible work arrangements/competitive work culture
 FWA – available, uniform?
 Supervisor/management contingent
 Flexibility stigma?
 Conclusions/implications
Introduction: shifting workplaces
 Workplaces traditionally characterized by:
 Life-long employment
 Seniority career ladder
 Specialized job descriptions
 Loyalty rewarded
 Significant benefit packages with full-time work
 Multiple layers of management
Introduction: shifting workplaces
 Workplaces in the “new” economy:
 Job insecurity (downsizing, restructuring)
 Frequent job changes; temporary & contingent
 Knowledge career ladder
 Multiple & shifting tasks
 24/7 economy – tethered by new technology
 Flexibility and adaptability rewarded
 Diminishing benefits
 Teamwork and flattened hierarchies
The Ideal Worker Narrative
 Long hours and visibility yield status and rewards - work
environment requires prioritizing work, not family or other
responsibilities.
 Networking as essential – funnels employees into positions
with decision making capacity, higher pay, & greater
control of resources.
 Differentiated value of behaviors and positions –
employees who lead and are visible are heroic versus those
‘behind the scenes.’
Gendered Work Organizations –
distinct (dis)advantages…
The Glass Ceiling
Men & Women in Paid Labor Market
100
90
94
80
94
80
70
71
60
58
50
40
71
43
Women
Men
47
Mothers
Fathers
30
20
10
0
1970/1975
2013
Women in S&P 500 Companies by Race/Ethnicity
(Catalyst. Women in S&P 500 Companies by Race/Ethnicity. New York: Catalyst, March 2015.)
30
27.426.8
Total
Employees
25
21
First/ Mid
Officials/
Managers
20
15
10
5
7.4
2.9 2.5
6.2
3.8
1.7
0
Asian
0.2
4.4
3.1
1.2
Black
0.2
1
Latina
0
White
Executive/
Senior
Officials/
Managers
CEOs
Women in S&P 500 Manufacturing – Durable Goods
Pyramid: Women in S&P 500 Manufacturing – Durable Goods. New York: Catalyst, April 1, 2015.
% Employed
CEOs
5
29.2
17.7
Board Seats
Executive/Senior-Level
Officials and Managers
19.2
27.4
First/Mid-Level Officials
and Managers
Industry Labor Force
Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA)
 How, when, and where people do their best work – effective
workplace that meets employer & employee needs
 Flex time and place – regular or short-notice flex time;





compressed workweeks; telecommuting/remote work
Flex careers – dialing careers up or down
Reduced time – part-time & part-year work
Time off – paid vacations; sick leave
Choices in managing time – self-scheduling & shift trading;
alternative work schedule (same # of hours)
Culture of flexibility – supervisor support; lack of penalties
for working flexibly
Source: Families & Work Institute
FWA usage ≠ to the Ideal Worker Norm
 Women leave work due to lack of family-friendly policies:
 Paid parental leave,
 Protections for part-time workers
 Affordable childcare
 Flexibility in scheduling/hours
 Motherhood penalty – in wages, promotions
 Mothers more likely to leave male-dominated occupations
when they work 50 hours or more a week (but not the same
for men or childfree women)
 Childfree women have similar attitudes towards work as men
FWA usage ≠ to the Ideal Worker Norm
 Fatherhood premium – paid higher wages and more
likely to be promoted
 Dads who seek part-time schedules for childcare face
harsher character judgments than moms
 Dads with caregiving responsibilities face more coworker
harassment than moms or childfree colleagues
 The message: Dads who use flex policies are not “good
workers” or “real men.”
(Source: Journal of Social Issues 69(2) 2013)
Flexibility Stigma
“The bias workers face from
coworkers and employers when
they signal the need for any flexible
work arrangement.”
(Source: Journal of Social Issues 69(2) 2013)
Methods
 Data collection: in-depth, qualitative interviews:
 Daily work experiences (culture, expectations)
 Work-family policies & practices (formal, informal)
 Work-family strategies
 Career aspirations
 Inclusion criteria:
 Women and men professionals, managers, or executives
 With children (for now)
 Do not have to be dual income earners in the “family” unit
 Locations: multinational companies with 500 or more
employees in the Detroit metropolitan area
Sample Characteristics
MEN
WOMEN
 Age 41-55
 Age 30-54
 5 White
 4 White; 1 WH
 Married
 Married
 2 kids, ages 1-25 (all but 2
 3 have 2 kids; 2 have one, ages




under age 11)
All but one MA
11-34 years employed
$100,000k average with 1
earning about $300
All but one have wives
earning $75k or more




17 mos.-25 (all but 3 under 10)
2 MA; 3 BA
1-27 years employed
$87,000 average with 1
earning about $400,000
3 husbands over $90k; 1 less
than 50k; 1 less than 75k
Work-Family Policy Qs:
 Can you describe company policies to support working families?
 In what ways do you feel supervisors and managers have supported
your career?
 What about for other employees – could you give examples of how you
have seen supervisors and management support careers?
 How do you think management could better support employees’ work
and family responsibilities? What could direct supervisors do to support
employees more?
 How do your coworkers perceive those that use these policies?
 What about supervisors or those in managerial positions?
F1: The Competitive Work Culture
 Work long hours; produce results
 Show ambition – networking; aggressive
 Be visible
 Obtain business know-how; credentials
– knowledge career ladder (not seniority)
Flexibility within a long hours culture?
 “Our department is fairly intense. Since
2008, we work harder with fewer people.
The typical work day is different. We are
global. We are in as early as 5:30. I am in at 6
at a regular basis. But I don’t mind because
it helps flexibility later in the day. It is an
addition shift, people don’t leave early, it is
just an addition shift. Early birds by 6, most
by 7 or 7:30.” (Isaac, engineer, professional)
Flexibility within a long hours culture?
 “If you want to be better than average you
have to put in more than 40 hours. You have
to know who your competition is – figure
out the standard and beat it; Why are they
seen as high performers? Other than
yourself, who is responsible for making your
career?” (Kate, project director, executive)
Flexibility within a culture of ambition?
 “If you are a new employee I would really
stress the importance of networking. They
always look for your character, leadership,
aggressiveness. Aggressiveness seems to be
one of the things they look for when
promoting people.” (Julie, purchasing analyst, professional)
Flexibility within a culture of visibility?
 “Ideally, it’s not considered a good thing if
you stay in a job for more than 4 to 5 years;
you should move around. It would be good
that you are the one sent to represent your
boss so that other managers see you, and
you put the presentation together. By
moving around people get to know you.” (Kim,
engineer, professional)
Flexibility within the knowledge culture?
 “My recommendation is that you get to know
many areas, many jobs. Those that move up have a
lot of company know-how. Management needs to
know you.” (Jacob, finance, professional)
 “You don’t want you to be too oriented toward one
technology; so my manager had me do more, and
move to a position that would introduce me to new
technologies at the firm.” (Kate, project director, executive)
Flexibility in a knowledge culture?
 “People have to become responsible for their
own careers – this means you have to think
about what you want to do, get the training,
and get it lined up. If you want to go farther,
you are going to have to be willing to move,
even internationally.” (Mitchell, engineer, management)
F2: FWA – availability
 “People can work remotely. The amount is in-line
with what is feasible and your work function. It’s
become much more prevalent to work flex.
 In my department, we might be able to work at
max a half day a week, but it might be three days
for some groups. What makes a difference is in my
group we need the face to face contact. Our
function requires a lot more interaction in the
office.” (Isaac, engineer, professional)
FWA – availability
 “We can work two days a month from home. I find
it beneficial as a working mother. There are those
that use it to just get out of the office. Some people
use it for a doctor’s appointment that day and just
work from home. In my case I use it when my kids
are sick or there is a snow day. ” (Julie, purchasing
analyst, professional)
FWA – availability
 “Our company does not have a formal
policy; it’s arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Often the arrangements are temporary – 2
and 3 years. Children and illness of spouses
or parents, so some kind of health issue, or
schooling.” (Kate, project director, executive)
FWA – availability
 “There is a big mistrust in our department
with senior management. We have one or
two that work from home once in a while,
but the senior management has a lot of
mistrust so there are no flexible working
arrangements.” (Sam, senior buyer, professional)
F3: Supervisor/Management Role
 “The company allows flexible work arrangements, but
it is up to the manager on how they want to handle it.
Each determines what is the best way to work the flex
depending on their department. Across my division,
we are all issued cell phones and lap tops which makes
flexible work much easier.
 I say to my group, I know people are social at work,
and if that is a problem, then work from home, or
work somewhere else, or hide somewhere. Whatever it
takes, just let me know where you are so I can get a
hold of you.” (Mitchell, engineer, manager)
Supervisor/Management Role
 “It’s informal and up to your supervisor. I’ve
worked on lots of flexible work arrangements, and
it has worked well. You generally know who your
good performers are and who is going to take
advantage of it.
 Generally, people work harder because they want
you to know they are not slacking off. It’s very
evident when someone is not doing their job, so I’d
rather give someone the opportunity to try it out.”
(Kate, project director, executive)
F4: Flexibility Stigma – motherhood penalty
 “Some groups are okay working from home twice a
week, but I feel like there is an underlying; you hear
people say family first, but there is pressure and
expectation of ‘why isn’t this person at work today, and
why is she working from home.’
 We have this benefit, but you have to follow through.
If you mean family first, then stand by your words, and
I just don’t think it is accepted everywhere. I feel it is
both at the manager and coworker level. My manager,
she somewhat doesn’t believe in it. Then why allow it?
You make me feel guilty when I do.” (Julie, purchasing
analyst, professional)
Flexibility Stigma – “involved” dad
 “It’s not been done before, but I am willing to do it, if you
can get your work done . He told everyone I was going
down to 35 hours. But the work load was the same. And, I
even got more on top of it which was the funny part of it;
the company got a good deal out of it, and I was paid less.
 After a half year my review got really bad. It was amazing
that all the sudden it is saying I don’t have know-how for a
job I had been doing for 11 years. There was a big push from
senior management and my manager said, ‘you are going
back to 40 hours because 35 doesn’t work here.’ I thought,
this is a really bad review so I’ll go back to the 40 hours, but
where do I stand?” (Sam, senior buyer, professional)
Flexibility Stigma – “involved” dad
 “There is a level of jeopardy based on my ability to
service my kids. All in all my boss is really
understanding and he has been great to work for.
My recent review, we were talking about careers
and you know there are not too many jobs in the
company that would allow me to work how I do.
 So if I wasn’t working in the job that I have right
now with the boss I have, I don’t know if I would
stay with the company. I would want a job that lets
me be home with the kids.” (Jacob, finance, professional)
Flexibility Stigma – “involved” dad
 “I am not sure I am typical on this, I have always enjoyed
my time away from work and I would like to keep that
balance that we had before kids. It’s important to me, it’s
important to [my spouse]. That is the ultimate division,
and everything put in front of me for the next five years I
would want that to play into that kind of balance.
 There are some roles where they work on the weekends and
late, and I am not interested in that. In five years I would
like to be in my leader’s role, but quite honestly if the
demands are too high and the pay increase isn’t logical,
then no.” (Isaac, engineer, professional)
Conclusions/Implications
 U.S. businesses are predicated on flexible
accumulation, and employees who adeptly respond to
quickly changing circumstances
 The ideal worker norm persists
 Long hours, produce results
 Ambition, networking, and visibility
 Knowledge career ladder (not seniority)
 There is a mismatch between the 1950s “mad men”
workplace culture and the reality of the workforce
Conclusions/Implications
 Not all employees had access, even within same company
 The lack of systematic implementation of policies leaves
FWA open to interpretation
 Not living up to “ideal worker” norm? Wage loss, lack of
promotions, and negative performance evaluations
 Preliminary results suggest that using FWA exacerbates
employee evaluations and opportunities for promotions
 Motherhood penalty versus fatherhood premium – wage
inequality, but results suggest that FWA for men may have
similar impacts