Laura S. Radcliffe

Resolving couples’ work–family conflicts: The complexity of decision making and the introduction of a new framework

The goal of this study is to develop a theoretical framework in order to illuminate the cues involved in real life work–family conflict resolution within dual-earner couples. We draw on episodic and longitudinal data from qualitative diaries kept for a one-month period by both members of 24 dual-earner couples (48 participants) with child dependants, as well as from introductory and subsequent in-depth qualitative interviews with the couples, both together and apart. Two distinct types of work–family decision making: a) anchoring decisions and b) daily decisions were revealed, each of which were differentially impacted by enabling and constraining cues, considerations of fairness and equity, and beliefs, values and preferences. The findings suggest that the decision-making process engaged in by couples in incidents of work–family conflict does not progress in a logical sequence, but instead involves numerous complex negotiations and interactions. A decision-making framework encapsulating these findings is reported, highlighting the cues considered when making both types of work–family conflict decisions, and the relationships between them.

Qualitative diaries: uncovering the complexities of work‐life decision‐making

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of qualitative diary methods in the context of research on the work‐family interface.Design/methodology/approach – The diary method was used, in conjunction with semi‐structured interviews, to collect data from 24 dual‐earner couples over a one month period.Findings – The diary method revealed important new insights into how couples managed their work‐family balance on a daily basis by allowing the researcher access to rich episodic data that would not have been available using more traditional approaches. This is particularly important in the area of work and family given its dynamic nature.Research limitations/implications – The use of this method is time consuming, requires a great deal of dedication from participants and usually results in large quantities of complex data to be analysed. Despite this the suggestion is that this approach is highly valuable in work‐family research in providing a more in‐depth understanding of how these t...

Providing, Performing and Protecting: How Employed Single Mothers Navigate Work-Family Meaning

The aims of this paper are two-fold: firstly, we aim to gain insight into how personal meanings attached to work and family are negotiated in the context of significant demands and conflicting valu...

Participant responses to photo-elicitation methods in the study of work-life balance

This paper explores the responses of 17 participants to using photo-elicitation as part of a project exploring their daily experiences of work-life balance. We explicitly asked participants about their experiences of using the method that involved taking photographs of their work-life balance experiences and interpreting these photographs through participation in semi- structured interviews. Participants took 108 photographs in total. We explore important methodological issues for researchers seeking to use these methods and explain that photograph-elicitation has much to offer management and organizational researchers. A major benefit of the method is the role of photographs as a ‘conversational technology’ in encouraging re-interpretation and reflection of experiences in a manner not always achieved when using other qualitative techniques.