Indian Journal of Industrial Relations: Economics & Social Dev.

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Women, Patriarchy & Work-life Balance: A Qualitative Study


Affiliations
1 K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, India
2 New Opportunity Consultancy Private Ltd. Mumbai, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The study analyzes the effect of patriarchal values on work-life balance efforts of urban working women. It seeks to find out if the work-life balance efforts of the urban working women led to wellbeing. It is a qualitative study carried out in triads consisting of the respondent (woman), her spouse or a significant family member and an office colleague. NVIVO and DICTION were used for analysis. The study showed that Indian women upheld patriarchal values. To manage their occupations women showed their preference for a joint family over the nuclear family. Women handled work-life balance but the effort led to stress. Work gave them respect as an earning family member. Their motivation to continue to work gave them different coping methods.


Keywords

No Keywords
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Abeysekera, L. & Gahan, P. (2017), “Work–family Conflict among Australian Dual-earner Couples: Testing the Effects of Role Salience Crossover and Gender”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, doi:10.1080/09585192.2017.1296015

  • Bansal, N. & Agarwal, U.A. (2017), “Exploring Work-Life Balance among Indian Dual Working Parents”, Journal of Management Research, 17(2): 99-112.

  • Bedeian, A.G., Mossholder, K.W. & Touliatos, J. (1986), “Individual Propensities for Emotional Supportiveness within a Dual Car eer C o n text : Work a nd Non-work Reactions”, International Journal of Manpower, 7(4):7-12.

  • Bhalla, S. & Kaur, R., (2011), Labor Force Participation of Women in India: Some Facts, Some Queries, Working Paper (40), Asia Research Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

  • Bharat, S. (1995), “Attitudes and Sex-role Perceptions among Working Co uples in India”, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 26 (3): 371-88.

  • Budhwar, P.S., Saini, D.S. & Bhatnagar, J. (2005), “Women in Management in the New Economic E nvironment : Th e Case of India” , Asia Pacific Busin ess Review, 11(2):179-93.

  • Burgess-Jackson, K. (1995), “John Stuart Mill, Radical Feminist”, Social Theory and Practice, 21(3): 369-96.

  • Burke, R.J. (2001), “Organizational Values, Work Experiences and Satisfactions among Managerial and Professional Women”, Journal of Management Development, 20(4):346-54.

  • Desai, N. (1994), “Research in Women’s Studies in India: An Overview”, Indian Journal of Social Sciences, 7 (3/4): 377-94.

  • Desai, N. (1996), ”Women’s Employment and Their Familial Role in India”, in A. M. Shah, B. S. Baviskar & E. A. Ramaswamy (Eds.), Social Structure and Change, 2. Women in Indian Society, Sage Publications, Inc.

  • DICTION 7.1 (2015), Help Manual, Digitext, Inc. 7/1/2015, Copyright © 2013 by Digitext, inc.

  • Elson, D. (1996) Appraising Recent Developments in the World Market for Nimble Fingers. In: Chhachhi A.,& Pittin, R. (Eds), Confronting State, Capital and Patriarchy,. Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24450-8_2

  • Elson, Diane (Ed) (1995), Male Bias in the Development Process, Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.

  • Gabriel, Y. (1998) “The Use of Stories”, in G. Symon & C. Cassell (Eds.), Qualitative Methods and Analysis in Organizational Research, London, Sage

  • Goulding, C. (2005), “Grounded Theory, Ethnography and Phenomenology: A Comparative Analysis of Three Qualitative Strategies for Marketing Research”, European Journal of Marketing, 39(3/4): 294-308.

  • Greenhaus, J. H., Peng, A. C., & Allen, T. D. (2012). Relations of Work Identity, Family Identity, Situational Demands, and Sex with Employee Work Hours. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80( 1 ) , 2 7– 3 7 . doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2011.05.003

  • Hakim, C. (1998), Social Change and Innovation in the Labor Market, Oxford University Press: Oxford.

  • Hakim, C. (2000), Work-lifestyle Choices in the 21st Century, Oxford University Press: Oxford.

  • Hakim, C. (2003a), Models of the Family in Modern Societies, Ashgate: Aldershot.

  • Hakim, C. (2003b), “Public Morality Versus Personal Choice”, British Journal of Sociology 53(3): 339–46.

  • Hakim, C. (2004), Key Issues in Women’s Work, Glass House Press: London.

  • Hartsock, N., (1989), “Postmodernism and Pol i t ic al C h an ge: Issu es fo r Feminist Theory”, Cultural Critique, (14) :15-33.

  • Johnson, T. & Fendrich, M. (2005), “Modeling Sources of Self-report Bias in a Survey of Drug Use Epidemiology”, Annals of Epidemiology, 15(5): 381-89.

  • Kakar, S., (1978), The Inner World: A Psycho-Analytic Study of Childhood and Society in India, Oxford University Press, New York.

  • King, M. & Bruner, G. (2000), “Social Desirability Bias: A Neglected Aspect of Validity Testing”, Psychology and Marketing, 17(2):79–103.

  • Leahy, M. & Doughney, J. (2006), “Women, Work and Preference Formation: A Critique of C a t her i n e Ha ki m’s P re fe ren ce Theory”, Journal of Law and Governance, 1(1). https:/ /doi.org/10.15209/ jbsge.v1i1.79

  • Lee, T.W. & Lee, T. (1999), Using Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

  • Lewis, S., Gambles, R. & Rapoport, R., (2007), “The Constraints of a ‘Work–life Balance’ Approach: An International Perspective”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(3): 360-73.

  • Madsen, S.R. (2003), “The Effects of Home based Teleworking on Work family Conflict”, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 14(1): 35-58.

  • Mano, R. & Gabriel, Y. (2006), “Workplace Romances in Cold and Hot Organizational Climates: The Experience of Israel and Taiwan”, Human Relations, 59(1): 7–35.

  • Munn, S.L. & Chaudhuri, S. (2016), “Work–life Balance: A Cross-cultural Review of Dualearner Couples in India and the United States”, Advances in Developing Human Resources, 18(1): 54-68.

  • Olsen, W. & Mehta, S. (2006), “Female labor Participation in Rural and Urban India: Does Housewives’ Work Count?”, Radical Statistics 93, available at: www.radstats. org.uk/no093/

  • Ortner, S.B., (1978), “The Virgin and the State”, Feminist studies, 4(3):19-35. Parikh, I. & Shah, N.A. (1994), “Women Managers in Transition: from Homes to Corporate Offices”, The Indian Journal of Social Work, 2: 143-60.

  • Rajadhyaksha, U. & Smita, S. (2004a), “Tracing a Timeline for Work and Family Research in India”, Economic and Political Weekly of India, April 24: 1674-80.

  • Rajadhyaksha, U. & Smita, S. (2004b), “Tracing A Timeline for Work and Family Research in India”, Economic and Political Weekly, 39(17): 1674-80.

  • Rajadhyaksha, U., (2012), “Work life Balance in South East Asia: the Indian Experience”, South Asian Journal of Global Business Research., 1 (1): 108-27. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/20454451211207615

  • Ramu, G.N. (1987), “Indian Husbands: Their Role Perception and Performance in Single- and Dual-earner Families”, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 49 (4): 903-15.

  • Shu, X., Zhu, Y. & Zhang, Z. (2013), “Patriarchy, Resources, and Specialization: Marital Decision-making Power in Urban China”, Journal of Family Issues, 34(7): 885-917.

  • Sonpar, S. & Kapur, R. (2001), “Non-conventional Indicators: Gender Disparities Under Structural Reforms”, Economic and Political Weekly, January 6-12: 66-78. UNDP Gender Equality Strategy (2018-2021) http://undocs.org/DP/2018/21.

  • Valk, R. & Srinivasan, V. (2011), “Work–family Balance of Indian Women Software Professionals: A Qualitative Study”, IIMB Management Review, 23(1):39-50.

  • Voydanoff, P. (2005), “The Effects of Community Demands, Resources, and Strategies on the Nature and Consequences of the Work family Interface: An Agenda for Future Research”, Family Relations, 54(5): 583-95.

  • Work, B. & Life, F. (2001), “Helping Parents in to Paid Employment”, Employment Outlook. Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).


Abstract Views: 420

PDF Views: 0




  • Women, Patriarchy & Work-life Balance: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Views: 420  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Preeti S. Rawat
K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, India
Natasha Athaide
New Opportunity Consultancy Private Ltd. Mumbai, India

Abstract


The study analyzes the effect of patriarchal values on work-life balance efforts of urban working women. It seeks to find out if the work-life balance efforts of the urban working women led to wellbeing. It is a qualitative study carried out in triads consisting of the respondent (woman), her spouse or a significant family member and an office colleague. NVIVO and DICTION were used for analysis. The study showed that Indian women upheld patriarchal values. To manage their occupations women showed their preference for a joint family over the nuclear family. Women handled work-life balance but the effort led to stress. Work gave them respect as an earning family member. Their motivation to continue to work gave them different coping methods.


Keywords


No Keywords

References