Krista M. Brumley Department of Sociology Humanities Brown Bag
Series April 15, 2015
Slide 2
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
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
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
Slide 5
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.
Slide 6
Gendered Work Organizations distinct (dis)advantages
Slide 7
The Glass Ceiling
Slide 8
Men & Women in Paid Labor Market
Slide 9
Women in S&P 500 Companies by Race/Ethnicity (Catalyst.
Women in S&P 500 Companies by Race/Ethnicity. New York:
Catalyst, March 2015.)
Slide 10
Women in S&P 500 Manufacturing Durable Goods Pyramid: Women
in S&P 500 Manufacturing Durable Goods. New York: Catalyst,
April 1, 2015.
Slide 11
Slide 12
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
Slide 13
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
Slide 14
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)
Slide 15
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)
Slide 16
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
Slide 17
Sample Characteristics MEN WOMEN Age 41-55 5 White Married 2
kids, ages 1-25 (all but 2 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 Age 30-54 4 White; 1 WH Married 3
have 2 kids; 2 have one, ages 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
Slide 18
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?
Slide 19
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)
Slide 20
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 dont mind because it
helps flexibility later in the day. It is an addition shift, people
dont leave early, it is just an addition shift. Early birds by 6,
most by 7 or 7:30. (Isaac, engineer, professional)
Slide 21
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)
Slide 22
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)
Slide 23
Flexibility within a culture of visibility? Ideally, its 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)
Slide 24
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 dont 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)
Slide 25
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)
Slide 26
F2: FWA availability People can work remotely. The amount is
in-line with what is feasible and your work function. Its 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)
Slide 27
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 doctors
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)
Slide 28
FWA availability Our company does not have a formal policy; its
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)
Slide 29
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)
Slide 30
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)
Slide 31
Supervisor/Management Role Its informal and up to your
supervisor. Ive 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. Its
very evident when someone is not doing their job, so Id rather give
someone the opportunity to try it out. (Kate, project director,
executive)
Slide 32
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 isnt 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 dont think it is accepted everywhere. I feel it is both at the
manager and coworker level. My manager, she somewhat doesnt believe
in it. Then why allow it? You make me feel guilty when I do.
(Julie, purchasing analyst, professional)
Slide 33
Flexibility Stigma involved dad Its 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 dont 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 doesnt
work here. I thought, this is a really bad review so Ill go back to
the 40 hours, but where do I stand? (Sam, senior buyer,
professional)
Slide 34
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 wasnt working in the job that I have right now with the
boss I have, I dont know if I would stay with the company. I would
want a job that lets me be home with the kids. (Jacob, finance,
professional)
Slide 35
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. Its important to me,
its 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 leaders role, but
quite honestly if the demands are too high and the pay increase
isnt logical, then no. (Isaac, engineer, professional)
Slide 36
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
Slide 37
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