Work-family Culture In Academia:a Gendered View Of Work-familyrnconflict And Coping Strategies

摘要

Purpose - The paper looks at the tensions and conflict between work and family life that arise fromrnwork intensification in higher education, in the particular context of Portuguese academe. Drawing onrnthe concept of work-family culture, the paper aims to discuss its influence on the level of work-familyrnconflict and the effectiveness of work-family policies.rnDesign/methodology/approach - The study was conducted in a Portuguese university. Data wererncollected from 32 in-depth interviews with faculty members from different backgrounds andrnaffiliations.rnFindings - The preservation of traditional gender roles in the family as well as a work-family culturernthat is largely family-unfriendly helps to understand the tensions and conflict between academic workrnand family life. These tensions are mainly felt by women particularly mothers of dependent children.rnThe data also suggest that work-family policies are fruitless unless they are supported by a positivernwork-family culture.rnResearch limitations/implications - Study limited to a single university.rnOriginality/value - The paper provides evidence of the cumulative effect of the traditional divisionrnof gender roles in the family and a negative work-family culture in the organization in contributing tornincreasing levels of work-family conflict, particularly in a context of work intensification.