SOCIETAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS OF WOMEN’S CAREERS

1. SOCIETAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS OF WOMEN’S CAREERS Nevenka Černigoj Sadar DECOWE Conference: Ljubljana, Slovenia, 24-25 September 2009

2. Objective of the paper: • To explore the interplay of societal and organisational contexts in the creation of women’s careers.

3. Methodology • Secondary analysis and synthesis of cross- national and slovenian studies: 1) Suzan Lewis et al. (2003-05): Gender, Parenthood and the Changing European Workplace. 2) Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela & Nevenka Černigoj Sadar (2005-2007): Empirical studies within EQUAL project Young mothers/family friendly employment.

4. General trends Globalisation, demographic changes, development of new technologies  changes in organisational structure and functioning. Changes in paid work and private life are not coordinated.

5. New career definition • Careers unfold in multilayered contexts and over life course (Moen & Sweet, 2004). • Individuals have multiple roles  multiple commitments  multiple careers • Young generations: Endeavours for balancing paid work and private life are as important as meaningfulwork and development of employability.

6. Balance of life spheres • Individual level: flexibility in achieving and establishing a meaningful balance between time and various kind of investments to do our work effectively, while at the same time having enough time for other important activities in our life. • Important: individual control and autonomy over the work-family boundaries

7. Family friendly management • Organizational level: employer’s use of family friendly practices in a concerted and coordinated way and their having an undelying commitment to help employees obtain a balancing between work and family obligations.

8. Is the family relevant for professional careers? • Basic mental sets, work habits and some skills which are useful at job are learned in family. • Enriching relations between work and family contribute to the subjective well- being.

9. THE SOURCES OF WELL-BEING: PUBLIC SECTOR (Černigoj Sadar & Kersnik, 2005) Average percent of positive marks of different aspects of well-being

10. SOURCES OF WELL- BEING: PRIVATE SECTOR (Černigoj Sadar & Kersnik, 2005) Average percent of positive marks of different aspects of well-being for each country

11. Does the public work - family policies matters? Leave policies, child care policies and other benefits ease the development of careers but have greater impact on the development of women’s careers compared to men’s careers.

12. Changes in working life of parents since the birth of any child – financial sector

13. Accomulation of negative experiences of mothers in Slovenia after the child birth(Kanjuo Mrčela & Černigoj Sadar, 2007) Sample of 270 employed mothers: - Have to work more than 8 hours per day: 34% • Additional burdens: 30% • Do not get the job they would like: 26% • Could not get career promotion: 16% • Worsening relations with supervisors: 13 % • Employer terminates work contract: 10% • Unwanted career demotion: 8% - Employee terminates work contract: 8%

14. Introduction of family friendly organisational policies in Slovenia- social context - Social agreement 2007 -2009 • Resolution on National Programme for Equal Opportunities for women and men 2005-2013 • EQUAL project: development partnership ‘Young mothers/families friendly employment’ – YMFFE; funded by European Social Fund-EU and Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Republic of Slovenia.

15. Main goals of YMFFE: • To sensitize general public and organizations for negative impacts of discriminating parents. • To provide organizations with tools for balancing work-family (W-F) life. • To publicly recognize those organizations that implement family friendly policies. • To rise awareness among potential/parents.

16. The certification methodology was based on the system developed by the German organization ‘Berufundfamilie’adapted to the specifics of Slovenian economic and legislative framework.

17. Family friendly measures: • Working time • Organization of work • Spatial flexibility • Information and communication policies • Organisational strategy/philosophy, development of management • Development and promotion of employees • Financial and other benefits • Services to support family

18. Family friendly measures (FFM)of 32 organizations before entering the certification process: 94% - organizations have 1- 7 FFM; 86% - time flexibility (arrival, departure ); 41% - parents have priority in holidays planning; 38% - work from/at home (occasionally), 31% - help at returning to work from parental leave; 31% - part time work; 24% - flexibility in transferring over hours/deficit in work hours

19. New FFMs: Information and communication policies: more than half organisation FFM part of organizational culture; dissemination of information to inner & out of organization public; news papers, intranet; attitudesresearch, discussion groups; trusteefor W-Fbalancing (42%); sharing the good practices

20. New FFMs: Working time: • Child bonus - 68% • Planning holidays - 39% • Fixed basic working time, choice of start and end of working time – 26% • Flexibility in transfer of over hours - 23%

21. New FFMs Development of employees: • Plans for W-F problem solving - 32% • Plans related to parental leave – 29% • Communication during the long term absence from work – 26 % • Courses, workshops  up to date knowledge and skills – 23%

22. New FFMs Organisational strategy, management development: • Courses about FFE for management – 29% • FFE and EOP as part of organisational strategy – 29%

23. Conclusions - Supportive work- family policies are not an end point of process in consumer – led and gendered society. - They are part of a process of change in learning organisations that involves shifting values and practices in developing careers of men and women.