Female Ambition: How to Reconcile Work and Family

Citation

McNeil, N. (2007), "Female Ambition: How to Reconcile Work and Family", Management Research News, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 77-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170710724313

It has been argued that one of the greatest challenges facing modern societies is the integration of work with family life. Increasing rates of female participation in the labour force have created numerous challenges – for: individuals, seeking to fulfill the roles of worker, partner, parent and citizen; households and families, attempting to manage the division of domestic labour and child rearing responsibilities; organisations, endeavoring to provide working conditions which enhance performance and Governments, charged with providing effective and affordable policy responses to social problems. Female Ambition: How to Reconcile Work and Family provides a thought‐provoking and insightful examination of the complexities inherent in the assimilation of work with other facets of life. The book provides a comprehensive review of the constraints and every‐day challenges faced by working women, and offers some practical advice on ways of reconciling the role of worker, wife and mother.

Female Ambition would be relevant to many audiences. From a managerial viewpoint, the book offers some intriguing insights into the impact of role conflict on workers, and the thought processes behind decisions which may impact on worker performance and well‐being. It also provides some suggestions for appropriate organisational responses. Students of gender studies, management, human resource management and political studies would also find this book of interest. Undoubtedly, working women or women about to enter the workforce will find the research, information and practical advice contained within the book both illuminating and highly useful.

The book consists of seven chapters. The first two chapters of the book set the context for the research which is later presented. The first chapter provides a brief history of standing of women in society, from feudal times through to current feminist thinking. This is married with a temporal review of different models of the family, which clearly demonstrate the enormous change in the social fabric of society that has occurred over the last century. Chapter 2 discusses the role of the modern family in the present day, and records the current government policy initiatives (particularly within Europe) which may aid in the reconciliation of work with family responsibilities.

Chapter 3 is entitled Women: Agents of Change? In detailing “What gets in the way of female ambition”, the authors present their own research to identify and discuss a host of structural and normative constraints which inhibit the integration of work with motherhood – such as lack of job flexibility, longer working hours, lack of support and lack of geographic mobility. In noting gender differences in management styles, the authors argue for female managers to be more actively involved on cultural change within organisations, in the hope of addressing some of these barriers to the effective participation of women in the labour market. In Chapter 4, the authors pose the question: Work and Family: Can They Be Reconciled? The authors discuss the problem of role conflict and gender stereotyping within families. This chapter presents some results from an in‐depth qualitative study of dual‐income couples, which provides detailed insights into the struggles faced by “working” families, and the strategies used to address the “time famine”.

The next chapter addresses organisational responses to the issue of “work‐family balance”. Research into the types of initiatives offered by companies is presented, and includes policies which offer flexibility in time and space, social benefits and salary perks, professional support and service policies. It is argued that the presence of “family friendly” policies is facilitated by the climate of support within the organisation, which is in turn built on strong leadership, communication and dedication to the cause.

The final two chapters offer some practical advice to workers experiencing role conflict. Chapter 6 advocates the need for self‐leadership. It is argued that a fulfilling life requires a clearly defined set of roles and priorities, which will then inform time commitments and usage. Chapter 7 provides some pragmatic advice on managing time across the different spheres of life – work, family and personal time.

Throughout the book, the authors argue that work and family should not be viewed as competing spheres, but should be viewed as complementary elements of a fulfilling life. In delivering this message, the book has many strengths. It is written in a fluid, engaging style and would be suitable for students, practitioner and academics alike. The authors have employed an emotive discourse which fits well with the themes presented. The book is also ambitious in its scope. It provides a commentary on many of the factors which influence the integration of work with family life – the role of Government and the welfare state, the policies implemented by organisations, the composition of households and families and individual responses to managing role conflict. The authors view the problem from multiple levels of analysis, and portray a coherent picture of the complexities and dynamics underpinning this issue. Another strength of the book lies in the rich qualitative data it presents. The extracts from the interviews woven throughout the text are both revealing and absorbing.

The integration of work and family life has been a popular area of academic study for some time. The book may have benefited from a better synthesis with the existing academic literature, particularly some of the seminal works from the disciplines of sociology and management. This would have aided the reader in identifying the unique contribution the research presented in this book makes to the academic debate.

The vignettes from the qualitative studies provide some very important insights into the attitudes and decision‐making processes of female managers in Spain. Managers were considered an interesting group because typically exhibit high levels of organisational power and can thereby influence organisational policies and processes. However, in terms of their ability to personally manage role conflict, managers would typically have access to more economic resources and organisational power, and therefore, may be in a better position to manage role conflict (for example, may have more autonomy or flexibility given their position within the organisational hierarchy, or the means to hire domestic help) compared to other occupational groups, particularly blue collar workers. Therefore, it would be interesting to contrast the views of female managers with women in other occupational groups. Similarly, given the importance of the legislative environment and national culture for this particular issue, it would be interesting to contrast these findings with managers from other countries (perhaps with different regulatory regimes and policies). Finally, further information about the data collection and analysis techniques would have been welcomed.

In conclusion, Female Ambition: How to Reconcile Work and Family asks some fundamental questions about our priorities – both personally, and as a society. It is an engaging and provocative read, and is highly recommended.