Men Need Balance, Too
Companies Are Recognizing the Need to Provide Men Work Life Balance
Research conducted by the Kenexa® Research Institute o(KRI)
evaluated male workers’ opinions of work/life obalance. The report is
based on the analysis of data drawn from a representative sample of
10,000 U.S. workers who were surveyed through WorkTrends™, KRI’s annual
survey of worker opinions.
Men are playing a larger role in out-of-work responsibilities and,
therefore, feel the pressure of balancing work and family demands. Due
to the competing pressures from both work and home, men are becoming
more aware of their organizations’ efforts to allow for the fulfillment
of work/life balance.
The results from the latest study indicate that 21% of men have
unfavorable views of their company’s work/life balance support, while
55% have favorable views. For all male workers studied, working in an
organization that does not support work/life balance has a significant,
unfavorable impact on how these workers rate their pride in their
organization, willingness to recommend it as a place to work and their
overall job satisfaction. Additionally, those male employees who have
unfavorable views of their company’s support for work/life balance state
a much higher intention to leave the organization.
Working for a company that does not support work/life balance also
negatively impacts male workers’ views of their work and company. Men
are less likely to report that their work provides a feeling of personal
accomplishment, that people cooperate to get the job done and that they
like work itself. These workers also have lower ratings of confidence
in the future of the company and job security.
Not surprisingly, men who do not believe their company supports
work/life balance also have more unfavorable opinions of their company’s
management. They are less likely to feel that their manager treats
employees fairly, that management shows concern for the well-being and
morale of team members and that senior management demonstrates employees
are important to the success of the company.
“We know that men are feeling the pressures from both work and home.
Men who do not experience company support for work/life balance are also
less satisfied their job and organization. In order to be successful in
competing for and retaining talented employees, organizations must be
willing to recognize an employee’s need for balance and should work
toward creating policies that equally support both men and women. Some
are doing a much better job than others. Those who are have achieved a
marketplace advantage,” said Jack W. Wiley, Ph.D., executive director,
Kenexa Research Institute.
Database Overview
The Kenexa WorkTrends™ database is a comprehensive normative database of employee survey results with comparisons on topics including leadership, employee engagement and customer orientation from workers in Brazil, China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Study Details
The notion of work/life balance has become a popular topic. Many companies are making efforts to help employees better handle the pressures of their jobs as well as their families. The Kenexa Research Institute examined how men felt about their workplaces’ efforts to make this tension more bearable.
Survey items were rated using a 5-point Likert-like scale. The
percent favorable is the percentage of people who chose either of the
two most positive answers (typically “strongly agree” or “agree”).
Survey item: “My company supports employees’ efforts to balance work and family/personal responsibilities.
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