Morgenroth Thekla, Ryan Michelle K, Rink Floor, Begeny Christopher
University of Exeter, UK.
University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Br J Soc Psychol. 2021 Apr;60(2):448-469. doi: 10.1111/bjso.12411. Epub 2020 Aug 9.
Women's concerns about work-life balance are cited as a key factor underlying their continued underrepresentation in particular domains and roles. This gendered pattern is often attributed to factors in the home, such as women's disproportionate share of domestic work and childcare responsibilities. We offer an additional explanation that focuses on workplace identities. Across four studies, we demonstrate that perceptions of work-life balance are not only a matter of balancing time, but also a matter of balancing identity, and that the availability of attainable leaders plays a key role in determining these processes. More specifically, a survey study (Study 1, N = 1223) among participants working in a historically male-dominated profession shows that gender differences in work-life balance perceptions are, in part, explained by women's perceived lack of fit with leaders and, in turn, their perceptions of incompatibility between who they are at home and who they are at work. In Studies 2 (N = 207), 3a (N = 209), and 3b (N = 191), we demonstrate that gender differences in anticipated work-life balance can be ameliorated through exposure to attainable female leaders. These findings have implications for organizations that seek to recruit and retain women and demonstrate that issues of identity are crucial for facilitating work-life balance.
女性对工作与生活平衡的担忧被认为是她们在某些特定领域和职位上代表性持续不足的关键因素。这种性别化模式通常归因于家庭因素，比如女性承担了过多的家务和育儿责任。我们提供了另一种解释，其重点在于职场身份认同。通过四项研究，我们证明，对工作与生活平衡的认知不仅关乎时间的平衡，还关乎身份认同的平衡，并且可得的榜样型领导者在决定这些过程中起着关键作用。更具体地说，一项针对从事传统男性主导职业的参与者的调查研究（研究1，N = 1223）表明，工作与生活平衡认知上的性别差异，部分原因在于女性认为自己与领导者不相契合，进而在于她们对自己在家中的身份与工作中的身份之间不兼容性的认知。在研究2（N = 207）、研究3a（N = 209）和研究3b（N = 191）中，我们证明，通过接触榜样型女性领导者，可以缓解预期工作与生活平衡方面的性别差异。这些发现对寻求招聘和留住女性员工的组织具有启示意义，并表明身份认同问题对于促进工作与生活平衡至关重要。
