Ariane Ollier-Malaterre

Contributions of work—life and resilience initiatives to the individual/organization relationship

Despite much research, it remains unclear whether and how organizational work—life and resilience initiatives (WLRI) enhance employee commitment. To open this black box, this theory-building research analyses 73 in-depth interviews in a multinational pharmaceutical company. WLRI foster desirable outcomes for almost two-thirds of the sample (loyalty, pride, calculated appreciation and use as management tools), yet may have negative outcomes (disappointment, obligation to stay) or no outcome (indifference). To understand the processes implied, this research analyses employees’ awareness, need, access and judgment of the initiatives. A decision tree was built. Key success conditions lie in three layers of context: personal, work environment and national. This article argues for a new theoretical foundation of work—life research, combining classic individual-centred perspectives with relational theories, which remain under-investigated in work—life research.

Cross-National Work-Life Research

Increasing attention is being paid to the impacts of country-level contexts on the work-life interface. However, lack of theoretical clarity as well as operationalization challenges are significant roadblocks for comparative work-life research. This article provides guidance for cross-national work-life research by conducting a systematic interdisciplinary review of conceptual and empirical work on the country-level cultural impacts (i.e., the values, assumptions, and beliefs shared by individuals with common historical experience) and structural impacts (i.e., the rules and constraints produced by legal, economic, and social structures) on individual experiences of the work-life interface and organizational support for nonwork. Regarding culture, we offer an organized review of work-life research drawing on cultural dimensions, from the most researched dimensions, such as individualism-collectivism and gender egalitarianism, to the least researched. We also point to ways to locate scales and country scores. Concerning structure, we explain how legal (e.g., public policies), economic (e.g., industrialization), and social (e.g., actual gender equality) factors are operationalized with indicators or typologies and review the related work-life research. We carve out a research agenda pointing out untapped cultural dimensions and structural factors and underresearched work-life constructs and calling for more systemic and integrative cross-national work-life research.

Looking up to regulations, out at peers or down at the bottom line: How institutional logics affect the prevalence of age-related HR practices

Drawing on new institutionalism theory, this study examines the influence of institutional logics, the belief systems that direct decision-makers’ attention to particular sets of issues, on human resource (HR) adaptation to demographic changes. We argue that the prevalence of age-neutral HR management and of age-related HR practices such as age assessment and older worker-targeted practices, are shaped by the strength of the strategic (business case), benchmarking (comparing one’s set of policies with peers’) and compliance (laws and regulations) logics. In a sample of 420 US organizations, a strong strategic logic was associated only with greater prevalence of age-neutral HR management. A strong benchmarking logic was associated with greater prevalence of age-neutral HR management, of age assessment practices, and of older worker-targeted practices. A strong compliance logic was associated with greater prevalence of age-assessment and older worker-targeted practices. This article contributes to research on ageing and extends work on institutional logics by (1) focusing on organizations’ differential enactment of institutional logics, reflecting the contextual embeddedness of HR practices, and (2) showing that the prevalence of age-neutral HR management and of age-related HR practices are associated with competitive as well as institutional isomorphism.

Work-Life Policies: Linking National Contexts, Organizational Practice and People for Multi-level Change

A growing area of societal concern across the globe pertains to familyresponsive employment policies and practices that are designed to improve individuals’ ability to effectively carry out work and family demands over the career span (Kamerman, 2005a). Work-family policies and practices are adopted by employers and governments to help employees jointly manage work and non-work roles; enable successful participation in labour market activity, family and personal life; and enhance quality of life (Kossek, 2005, 2006). They are ostensibly designed to reduce work-family conflicts, and foster positive engagement in work, family and personal life over a career. These policies facilitate employees’ involvement in care-giving for children, elders, or other family members; and many non-work pursuits such as education, volunteering, leisure and self-care (health, exercise) (Ollier-Malaterre, 2009; Ryan & Kossek, 2008). Common policies include flexible work arrangements providing: control over the time, timing, continuity and amount of work; direct dependent care supports, such as child and elder care services and employee assistance plans; and information and social support for managing work-family stress and health, such as network groups and seminars (Kossek & Friede, 2006).

Organizational culture and work–life integration: A barrier to employees’ respite?

Abstract The management of work–life boundaries is portrayed in the literature as being a matter of individual choice. Accordingly, organizational influence has been underestimated. The first objective of this article is therefore to determine whether an organizational culture of integration (e.g. expectations about taking work home) can influence individuals’ ability to act on their personal preference for segmentation. The second objective is to determine whether a mismatch between culture and personal preferences can influence the emotional state of employees and, if so, in what way. A study of 243 employees showed that the perception of an organizational culture of integration reduced the effect of preference for segmentation on employees’ ability to detach themselves from work during rest periods. Further, a path analysis highlighted a moderated mediation, indicating that preference for segmentation was associated with reduced emotional exhaustion in employees by promoting a high level of psychological detachment, and this reduction was even stronger among those who perceived a weak culture of integration in their organization. This study proposes that jointly with individual preference for segmentation or integration, the norms and expectations of an organization have considerable influence on employees’ ability to detach and recover during non-work time.

Cross-national work–life research: common misconceptions and pervasive challenges

ABSTRACT While cross-national work-life research is a flourishing field of research, but a recent one, it is relatively recent as national context had been the missing ‘elephant in the room’ of work–life research for decades. Based on the keynote talk I gave at the 2015 Community, Work and Family conference in Malmö, Sweden, this research note highlights three pervasive challenges which I believe need to be discussed in our community of scholars, practitioners and policy-makers so that our research makes the strongest possible impact for individuals and organisations: (1) educating practitioners and policy-makers on the structuring impact that public and employer policies have on individual so-called private work–life decisions; (2) analyzing the inequalities of access to these policies within each country, which are often masked by simplified country-level comparisons and (3) finding innovative ways to combine ambitious etic research designs with in-depth emic understanding of local cultures.

Not for everyone: intra-organisational divides and the stratification of access to work–life policies

ABSTRACT Prior research documented a number of factors pertaining to employees or to organisational cultures that can prevent employees from accessing employer-driven work–life policies (WLP). Our study focuses on factors originating in the jobs themselves. We conducted 98 in-depth employee interviews in two multinational companies based in Europe and led feedback sessions with human resources executives. Three mechanisms explained the observed stratification of access to WLP across jobs: (1) the intra-organisational digital divide prevented ‘less digital’ employees from collecting information about WLP on the intranet and thus impaired awareness of the policies; (2) the divide in worksite size prevented employees on smaller worksites from accessing childcare centres, sports or health facilities and (3) the divide in job types restricted access to WLP for specific occupations. The stratification of access to WLP was not strategically driven by human resources; rather the divides were largely unintentional. Our study uncovers inequalities of access originating in the jobs themselves and provides a theoretical integration of the various sets of factors that may promote or hinder employee awareness of WLP. Our findings suggest that organisations should strive to identify these inequalities and to provide ways to cope for these, for instance by offering other forms of support.

Swearing at work: the mixed outcomes of profanity

We explore the use and misuse of swearing in the workplace. Using a qualitative methodology, we interviewed 52 lawyers, medical doctors and business executives in the UK, France, and the U.S. In contrast to much of the incivility and social norms literatures, we find that male and female business executives, lawyers and doctors of all ages admit to swearing. Further, swearing can lead to positive outcomes at the individual, interpersonal and group levels, including stress-relief, communication-enrichment, and socialization-enhancement. An implication for future scholarship is that ‘thinking out of the box’ when exploring emotion related issues can lead to new insights. Practical implications include reconsidering and tolerating incivility under certain conditions. We identified a case in which a negative phenomenon reveals counter-intuitive yet insightful results.

Put Down That Phone! Smart Use of Smartphones for Work and Beyond:

Although we use our smartphone for many important daily activities, overreliance on them can have some unintended and unfortunate consequences. Unlike the devices used by prior generations, smartphones are more than mere inanimate objects, and instead have become personally involved “subjects.” All of us—including individuals, organizations, families, and even societies—need to become more aware of the risks associated with such powerful communication devices. We acknowledge the myriad benefits and promises of smartphones, but also highlight their downsides. We identify a series of initiatives that could foster a greater awareness on the costs and benefits of such devices for the sake of employees, their employers, and many stakeholders outside of work.

The skill profile of the employees and the provision of flexible working hours in the workplace: a multilevel analysis across European countries: The skill profile of the employees and flexitime

This article investigates the relationship between the skill profile of the employees (i.e. the percentage of employees in highly skilled jobs) and the provision of flexible working hours in the workplace (i.e. the proportion of employees entitled to adapt, within certain limits, the time when they begin or finish their daily work according to their personal needs or wishes). Analyses draw on the 2009 European Company Survey, conducted on a representative sample (N = 26,640) of European establishments in 29 countries. Multilevel mixed†effects linear regressions are used to study to what extent both workplace†level and national†level variables affect this relationship. Findings suggest a strong, positive and non†linear relationship between the variables under scrutiny, which is moderated, at national level, by both unemployment and trade union density rates.