Understanding differential organizational responses to work/family issues: the role of beliefs, attitudes, and decision-making styles of chief executive officers

Abstract

The demographics of the workforce have changed dramatically due to the influx of working mothers. This change led to increasing difficulties for working families, as well as for all workers, who are trying to integrate their work and non-work lives. In response to these work/life issues, some employers have responded with programs designed to help workers with this integration. This study investigated the differential adoption of work/family programs by organizations by studying chief executive officers. Twenty-six CEOs of a major metropolitan area were interviewed in a grounded theory study. The result of the study was the following grounded theory. CEO life experiences with work/family balancing issues, in their own families, in the families of employees of those who work for them, and in their careers (through mentors or colleagues), interacting with the CEO's personality, cause attitudes and beliefs about work/family issues such as the importance of balance, families and work, and the effectiveness of such programs and the need for them in their organizations. Strategies for dealing with their beliefs are the decision-making style the CEO uses—either content (the business case) or process styles—learning, cognitive, or affective. Learning styles rely on experimentation strategies, cognitive styles on belief or knowledge structures or schema, and affective styles on feelings of empathy or respect for employees. The context in which these beliefs and decisions occur is organizational characteristics such as culture, size, and industry. Intervening conditions include the leadership style and education of the CEO, economic constraints, competition, and pressures from employees (including retention issues). The consequence is the decision whether or not to allow work/family programs in the organization, and with what scope (availability and numbers/types of programs). Differential adoption was explained by the way that CEOs made decisions for all twenty-six cases in the study. Implications for management of work/life issues include suggestions for persuading CEOs to adopt work/family programs at their organizations. Recommendations for future research include a quantitative study of a more geographically diverse and randomized sample group to test the theory and the development of a more effective operational definition of family-friendly culture.