Zitatform

Beham, Barbara, Patrick Präg & Sonja Drobnic (2012): Who's got the balance? A study of satisfaction with the work-family balance among part-time service sector employees in five western European countries. In: The international journal of human resource management, Jg. 23, H. 18, S. 3725-3741. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2012.654808

Abstract

"Working part-time is frequently considered a viable strategy for employees to better combine work and non-work responsibilities. The present study examines differences in satisfaction with work-family balance (SWFB) among professional and non-professional part-time service sector employees in five western European countries. Part-time employees were found to be more SWFB than full-time employees even after taking varying demands and resources into account. However, there are important differences among the part-timers. Employees in marginal part-time employment with considerably reduced working hours were the most satisfied. Professionals were found to profit less from reduced working hours and experienced lower levels of SWFB than non-professionals. No significant differences in SWFB were found between male and female part-time workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Budig, Michelle J., Joya Misra & Irene Boeckmann (2012): The motherhood penalty in cross-national perspective. The importance of work-family policies and cultural attitudes. In: Social Politics, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 163-193. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxs006

Abstract

"Mothers' employment and earnings partly depend on social policies and cultural norms supporting women's paid and unpaid work. Previous research suggests that work-family policies are deeply shaped by their cultural context. We examine country variation in the associations between motherhood and earnings, in cultural attitudes surrounding women's employment, and in childcare and parental leave policies. We model how cultural attitudes moderate the impact of policies on women's earnings across countries. Parental leaves and public childcare are associated with higher earnings for mothers when cultural support for maternal employment is high, but have less positive or even negative relationships with earnings where cultural attitudes support the male breadwinner/female caregiver model." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Goudswaard, Anneke, Steven Dhondt, Robert Vergeer, Peter Oeij, Jan de Leede, Koos van Adrichem, Péter Csizmadia, Csaba Makó, Miklos Illesy & Akos Toth (2012): Organisation of working time. Implications for productivity and working conditions. Overview report. Dublin, 68 S.

Abstract

"The report examines working time flexible arrangements implemented in five companies of the retail and automotive sector in Hungary and Belgium and the Netherlands using the case study methodology. The main aim of this research was to explore and show whether and under what conditions working time flexible arrangements in companies are implemented and can increase productivity and at the same time preserve or improve quality of work in general and especially with regard to work - life balance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lyness, Karen S., Janet C. Gornick, Pamela Stone & Angela R. Grotto (2012): It's all about control: worker control over schedule and hours in cross-national context. In: American Sociological Review, Jg. 77, H. 6, S. 1023-1049. DOI:10.1177/0003122412465331

Abstract

"Workers' ability to control their work schedules and hours varies significantly among industrialized countries. We integrate and extend prior research from a variety of literatures to examine antecedents of control and worker outcomes. Using hierarchical linear modeling and data for 21 countries from the 1997 ISSP Work Orientations Survey supplemented with national indicators developed from a variety of sources, we find that control is associated with country characteristics (affluence, welfare state generosity, union coverage, and working-time regulations), worker attributes (being male, being older, and being better educated), and job characteristics (working part-time, being self-employed, having higher earnings, and having more advancement opportunities). We also examine the relationship of control to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and strain-based work-family conflict. Generally, low levels of control are linked to negative outcomes for workers, especially for women, an effect sometimes modulated by country-level policy measures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brenke, Karl (2011): Anhaltender Strukturwandel zur Teilzeitbeschäftigung. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 78, H. 42, S. 3-12.

Abstract

"Die Bedeutung der Teilzeitbeschäftigung ist stark gewachsen - in Deutschland wie generell in Europa. In Deutschland hat sie in überdurchschnittlichem Maße zugelegt und ist derzeit stärker verbreitet als im EU-Durchschnitt. Offenbar handelt es sich um einen grundlegenden Strukturwandel, denn die Teilzeitarbeit hat unbeeinflusst von konjunkturellen Entwicklungen zugenommen. Wenngleich nach wie vor insbesondere einfache Tätigkeiten in Teilzeit ausgeübt werden, haben immer mehr Erwerbstätige mit einer mittleren oder hohen Qualifikation verkürzte Arbeitszeiten. Teilzeitarbeit hat sich auf immer mehr Berufsfelder und Tätigkeiten ausgebreitet. Für einen Strukturwandel spricht auch, dass sie besonders kräftig unter den Männern zugelegt hat. Dennoch sind verkürzte Arbeitszeiten nach wie vor eindeutig die Domäne von Frauen - und zwar europaweit. Obwohl sich die Teilzeitquoten von Männern und Frauen in Deutschland einander angenähert haben, ist der Unterschied immer noch deutlich größer als in den meisten anderen europäischen Staaten. Große Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern zeigen sich in Deutschland wie generell in der EU hinsichtlich der Gründe für eine Teilzeitbeschäftigung: Bei Frauen sind es vor allem familiäre Motive, bei Männern dagegen eher die berufliche Qualifizierung und insbesondere der Mangel an Vollzeitstellen. Bei nicht wenigen Frauen ist ebenfalls ein unzureichendes Arbeitsplatzangebot ein Grund, sich mit einer Teilzeitstelle zu bescheiden. Trotz der in den letzten Jahren verbesserten Arbeitsmarktlage in Deutschland hat sich die Zahl derjenigen Erwerbstätigen, für die ein Teilzeitjob nur eine Notlösung darstellt, bei reichlich zwei Millionen eingependelt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Hobson, Barbara, Susanne Fahlén & Judit Takács (2011): Agency and capabilities to achieve a work-life balance. A comparison of Sweden and Hungary. In: Social Politics, Jg. 18, H. 2, S. 168-198. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxr012

Abstract

"This study develops a conceptual framework with a capabilities and agency approach for analyzing work-life balance (WLB) applied in two societies (Hungary and Sweden), which have different working time regimes, levels of precarious employment, and gender equality discourses and norms. Inspired by Amartya Sen, we present a model illustrating how agency freedom for WLB depends on multiple resources at the individual, work organizational, institutional, and normative/societal levels. Using a unique qualitative survey conducted in two cities, Budapest and Stockholm, we analyze how mothers and fathers subjectively experience the tensions between family and work demands, and their possibilities for alternative choices (agency freedom). We find similarities in these tensions involving time pressure and time poverty, cutting across gender and education. Our Hungarian parents, nevertheless, experience greater agency inequalities for WLB, which reflect weaker institutional resources (conversion factors) as well as cultural/societal norms that act as constraints for WLB claims in the workplace and household. Our study reveals that Swedish parents, both men and women, express a strong sense of entitlement to exercise rights to care." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Rohwer, Anja (2011): Die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf im europäischen Vergleich. In: Ifo-Schnelldienst, Jg. 64, H. 10, S. 28-32.

Abstract

"Familien sehen sich immer häufiger verschiedensten Herausforderungen gegenübergestellt, wenn sie versuchen, Familie und Beruf miteinander zu vereinbaren. In diesem Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse einiger Studien vorgestellt, die europäische Unternehmen im Hinblick auf familienfreundliche Personalpolitik befragten. Demnach weisen die meisten europäischen Unternehmen dem Thema 'Familienfreundlichkeit' einen hohen Stellenwert zu." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Sandor, Eszter (2011): Part-time work in Europe. European Company Survey 2009. Dublin, 59 S. DOI:10.2806/116

Abstract

"Non-standard employment and, more particularly, part-time work has been increasing worldwide for the past two decades. This trend has been especially strong in Europe, where the issue of different working time arrangements is an important part of the discussion among policymakers and social partners, and something which the European Union (EU) has promoted to increase flexibility for workers and employers. However, part-time work is spread very unevenly across Member States, reflecting differences in legislation, infrastructure and cultural conventions. This report uses data from the fourth European Working Conditions Survey and the second Company Survey." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"In 2010, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38 hours. The figure was 0.4 hours lower in the pre-2004 EU15 and 1.7 hours higher in the new Member States. Agreed normal annual working time averages around 1,708 hours - around 1,693 hours in the EU15 and 1,797 in the new Member States. Of three sectors examined, agreed weekly hours are longest in metalworking and local government (37.8 hours), and shortest in banking (37.3 hours). Average collectively agreed paid annual leave entitlement stood at 25.4 days across the EU in 2010, being higher among countries in the EU15 (where it was 25.6 days) than in the 12 new Member States (24.1 days)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Coffman, Julie & Russ Hagey (2010): Flexible work models. How to bring sustainability to a 24/7 world. Boston, MA, 8 S.

Abstract

Im Rahmen der Untersuchung zum Einsatz flexibler Arbeitszeitmodelle wurden mehr als 3.300 Fach- und Führungskräfte in den USA, Europa und Asien befragt. Es zeigt sich, dass auf den Einzelnen zugeschnittene Arbeitszeitmodelle die Arbeitszufriedenheit und die Bindung an das Unternehmen erhöhen. Wichtig ist, dass dieses Modelle durch die Unternehmensführung unterstützt werden. Außerdem sollten diese von Führungskräften genutzt und so deren Machbarkeit demonstriert werden. Die vorgestellten Maßnahmen dienen auch zu einer Erhöhung des Frauenanteils in Führungspositionen, da diese besonderen Wert auf flexible Arbeitszeitmodelle legen. (IAB)

Zitatform

Kerkhofs, Marcel, Amelia Román & Peter Ester (2010): Flexibility profiles of European companies. European Company Survey 2009. Dublin, 45 S.

Abstract

"This report analyses European corporate practices in terms of working time flexibility as revealed by the European Company Survey 2009 (ECS 2009). Flexibility in working time is a central aspect of ongoing debates regarding boosting employment in the EU. Enabling employees to better balance their working time and domestic responsibilities is seen as a key way of encouraging more citizens to enter and remain in the workforce. At the same time, greater working time flexibility on the part of companies - and hence, employees - can enable European enterprises to be more responsive to market demands, so boosting the Union's competitiveness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Plantenga, Janneke & Chantal Remery (2010): Flexible working time arrangements and gender equality. A comparative review of 30 European countries. Brüssel, 128 S. DOI:10.2767/29844

Abstract

"Increased flexibility of working time arrangements and promotion of gender equality are two important elements in the EU's employment policy. In many instances, increased flexibility has a positive effect on gender equality, although this is not always the case. This review from the EU Expert Group on Gender and Employment sets out the relationship between working time flexibility and gender equality and compares the state of play in 30 European countries (EU-27 and EEA/EFTA). It gives an overview of working time flexibility throughout Europe as well as in-depth analysis of flexibility in terms of length and organisation of working time. Information is also provided on the regulatory framework and recent policy developments in the field. In addition, the review comprises a detailed statistical annex." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Das Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend hat am 1. Dezember 2010 gemeinsam mit der Robert Bosch Stiftung und dem Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft den Europäischen Unternehmensmonitor Familienfreundlichkeit veröffentlicht. Die Unternehmensbefragung liefert Ergebnisse zur Verbreitung familienfreundlicher Maßnahmen in mehr als 5000 Unternehmen in Großbritannien, Frankreich, Polen, Italien, Schweden und Deutschland. Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse zeigen, dass trotz der Wirtschaftskrise mehr als acht von zehn europäischen Unternehmen die Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf als wichtig oder eher wichtig betrachten, dass die Flexibilisierung der Arbeitszeiten und der Arbeitsorganisation das bevorzugte Instrument der Geschäftsleitungen sind und dass in Deutschland das Hauptmotiv für die Einführung familienfreundlicher Maßnahmen die Erhöhung der Arbeitszufriedenheit ist." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Hazan, Moshe (2009): Longevity and lifetime labor supply. Evidence and implications. In: Econometrica, Jg. 77, H. 6, S. 1829-1863. DOI:10.3982/ECTA8107

Abstract

"Conventional wisdom suggests that increased life expectancy had a key role in causing a rise in investment in human capital. I incorporate the retirement decision into a version of Ben-Porath's (1967) model and find that a necessary condition for this causal relationship to hold is that increased life expectancy will also increase lifetime labor supply. I then show that this condition does not hold for American men born between 1840 and 1970 and for the American population born between 1890 and 1970. The data suggest similar patterns in Western Europe. I end by discussing the implications of my findings for the debate on the fundamental causes of long-run growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Carley, Mark (2008): Working time developments 2008. Dublin, 35 S.

Abstract

"In 2008, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38.6 hours; agreed normal annual working time averaged about 1,740 hours. Of the three economic sectors examined in this study, agreed weekly working hours are highest in metalworking (38.7), followed by the banking and local government sectors (both 38.3). Average collectively agreed paid annual leave entitlement was 25.2 days across the EU in 2008, although the total varied significantly between the 'old' and the new Member States. This report also examines statutory working time and leave limits, and actual working hours. This annual update looks at a number of aspects of the duration of working time in the European Union and Norway in 2008, based on contributions from the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) national centres. The study examines the following issues: average weekly working hours as set by collective agreements - both at national level and for three specific economic sectors; statutory limits on weekly and daily working time; average actual weekly working hours; annual leave entitlement, as set by collective agreements and law; and estimates of average collectively agreed annual working time. The report provides a general overview of the current situation and developments regarding working time, but the figures provided should be read with caution, and the various notes and explanations borne in mind. This reflects the fact that there are a number of problems in international comparisons of the length of working time. Comparable data are not collected in all countries, while particular difficulties include the following: the existence of different ways of calculating working time, with annual, rather than weekly calculation increasingly common in some countries (TN0308101S); the fact that working time reductions in some countries have been introduced through extra days off or cuts in annual working hours, leaving the normal working week relatively unchanged; the increasing use of schemes whereby weekly working hours may vary considerably, with an average being maintained over a reference period; the treatment of part-time workers; the differing roles of collective bargaining and legislation, with the latter having an impact on actual hours in some countries, but acting only as a maximum 'safety net' in others." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Hodler, Roland (2008): Leisure and redistribution. In: European journal of political economy, Jg. 24, H. 2, S. 354-363. DOI:10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2007.11.001

Abstract

"We study a model with majority voting on redistribution in which agents differ in their skills and their preferences for leisure. Redistribution is generous and average labor supply low if the decisive voter has relatively strong preferences for leisure, while redistribution is limited and average labor supply high if the decisive voter has relatively weak preferences for leisure. Given differences in the preference distributions due to cultural differences or positive complementarities in leisure, our model thus provides an explanation for the substantial differences in redistribution and average working hours between the United States and continental Western Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Strzeminska, Helena (Hrsg.) (2008): Working time and its organization in new member states of EU. Economic, legal and social aspects. Warszawa, 251 S.

Abstract

Der Band präsentiert die Beiträge osteuropäischer und deutscher Experten zu zentralen Aspekten der Arbeitszeitorganisation und -flexibilität in den neuen EU-Mitgliedsländern, und thematisiert die Auswirkungen dieser Flexibilität im privaten und im gesellschaftlichen Leben. Die Beiträge widmen sich den Trends der Arbeitszeitorganisation in Europa, der Politik der Flexicurity, rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen und dem Einfluss der Sozialpartner auf die Regulierung der Arbeitszeit, der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Situation in Polen: Die Meinungen von Vertretern der Arbeitsverwaltung und von Sozialpartnern in Polen zu arbeitsmarktpolitischen Themen werden dokumentiert. (IAB)

Zitatform

Andresen, Maike, Michel E. Domsch & Annett H. Carscorbi (2007): Working unusual hours and its relatioship to job satisfaction. A study of European maritime pilots. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 28, H. 4, S. 714-734. DOI:10.1007/s12122-007-9010-5

Abstract

"Our study focuses on maritime pilotage in seven European countries and analyzes the level of job satisfaction and its predictors. Like most existing studies in the field of job satisfaction, we show that job satisfaction is an outcome of the work of maritime pilots. Stressful working conditions, such as working unsocial hours and irregular working patterns, create strains that together with intervening factors related to work, family, or the work environment ultimately reduce job satisfaction. However, our results indicate that although negative physical and social consequences are important, they are neither the strongest nor the only variables determining job satisfaction. Another effect seems more important in European maritime pilotage: job satisfaction is instead a predictor of how much pressure and stress pilots can handle. Despite health problems and a reduction in their quality of life due to working unusual hours, most maritime pilots do not regret their choice of profession. Factors to ameliorate the working conditions are also identified. The most important parameters include alterations in working time systems, working conditions which minimize physical strain, fairness regarding payment, flexibility within the compensation system, an intensification of the possibilities for involvement and participation, an extended degree of co-determination, and the distribution of the ownership of the pilot stations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Burda, Michael C., Daniel S. Hamermesh & Philippe Weil (2007): Total work, gender and social norms. (IZA discussion paper 2705), Bonn, 45 S.

Abstract

"Using time-diary data from 25 countries, we demonstrate that there is a negative relationship between real GDP per capita and the female-male difference in total work time per day - the sum of work for pay and work at home. In rich northern countries on four continents, including the United States, there is no difference - men and women do the same amount of total work. This latter fact has been presented before by several sociologists for a few rich countries; but our survey results show that labor economists, macroeconomists, the general public and sociologists are unaware of it and instead believe that women perform more total work. The facts do not arise from gender differences in the price of time (as measured by market wages), as women's total work is further below men's where their relative wages are lower. Additional tests using U.S. and German data show that they do not arise from differences in marital bargaining, as gender equality is not associated with marital status; nor do they stem from family norms, since most of the variance in the gender total work difference is due to within-couple differences. We offer a theory of social norms to explain the facts. The social-norm explanation is better able to account for within-education group and within-region gender differences in total work being smaller than inter-group differences. It is consistent with evidence using the World Values Surveys that female total work is relatively greater than men's where both men and women believe that scarce jobs should be offered to men first." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Chung, Heejung, Marcel Kerkhofs & Peter Ester (2007): Working time flexibility in European companies. Establishment survey on working time 2004-2005. Dublin, 83 S.

Abstract

"Working time arrangements can have a significant bearing on the efficiency and productivity of companies as well as the health, wellbeing and motivation of their employees. This report provides unique insight into the various working time flexibility arrangements currently in place in companies across Europe. It is based on analysing the findings of a large-scale, representative survey carried out in establishments with 10 or more employees in 21 European countries in 2004-5. The report looks at whether and how countries differ in their application of flexible working time systems. It analyses the perceived impact of such arrangements on company performance in terms of economic success and employment stability or growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))