- Research from Durham University Business School shows household decision-making styles significant influence gender equality in the workplace,
- Professor Cathy Cassell’s study emphasises understanding the interplay between family dynamics and professional life to address gender disparities,
- Insights from Sheryl Sandberg and McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace Report underscore the challenges women face due to biases and lack of flexibility,
The pursuit of gender equality in the workplace continues to be a pressing challenge. Whilst significant strides have been made in recent years to improve women’s career progression opportunities; the setting of quotas, a boost in flexible working opportunities and professional development schemes, a persistent roadblock lies within the very foundation of women’s professional lives that is often overlooked: what happens at home.
Remember Anne Hathaway’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada“? Torn between her career ambitions and keeping up her personal commitments, Andy’s internal battle to become the perfect Personal Assistant whilst not letting her home-life slip perfectly reflects the struggles of countless women today. And Andy only had her partner and friends to manage – the juggling act becomes all the more challenging for women when those responsibilities expand.
At the other end of the scale is Meryl Streep’s character – the icy Miranda Priestley. Her relentless dedication to retaining her position as editor-in-chief at Runway magazine strains her relationships with her husband and children. The film portrays the many sacrifices she makes to stay on top, leaving us with no doubt that her success has come at the expense of having a happy home life.
Who picks up the dry cleaning? Who takes the kids home? Whilst Miranda could employ a nanny to help pick up the slack (and have Andy drop off her dry cleaning), these everyday responsibilities can, for many couples, become a tug-of-war – one that research shows impacts everything from societal norms to boardroom promotions.
Career vs chaos: navigating the modern maze
It’s not just about who cooks dinner, it’s about who has the bandwidth to climb that corporate ladder. And, as research shows, it’s often women who stand to be impacted negatively when those choices are made.
New research from Durham University Business School reveals that a pivotal obstacle to achieving gender parity is family decision-making styles.
The study, led by Professor Cathy Cassell, alongside colleagues Laura Radcliffe and Leighann Spencer from the University of Liverpool Management School, analysed the experiences of 30 heterosexual dual-earner couples in the UK, uncovering that unequal decision-making creates an uneven burden, limiting working mothers’ time, energy and, ultimately, opportunities for career advancement compared to their male counterparts.
Professor Cassell makes an important point, “Over the last few decades, work-family literature has consistently recognised that gender equality will not be achieved in the workplace until it is achieved at home.”
As women take on more responsibilities at home, they find themselves facing a tougher balancing act with their work commitments. What’s more concerning is that much of this is happening unconsciously – a result of societal norms subtly influencing daily routines.
Mind the gap: uncovering unconscious biases
Professor Cassell’s research reveals three key ways unconscious biases typically appear within couples’ everyday decision-making;
- Reality Blindness: Couples often perceive childcare duties as equally shared, even when evidence (like work schedules) suggests otherwise. So, this automatically creates a disadvantage for women
- Option Blindness: Couples fail to explore alternative solutions for work-family conflicts. Instead, they fall back on traditional gender roles, placing the burden of childcare primarily on mothers, hindering their professional opportunities.
- Gendered Competency Traps: The belief that women are inherently better suited for household tasks leads men to disengage by default. This reinforces unequal workloads.
For example, when a child falls sick ingrained habits often lead mothers to use their own sick leave or take holiday or unpaid leave to care for them, even if their partner has better working flexibility. This dynamic, Professor Cassell’s work suggests, is detrimental to women’s career advancement.
Further compounding this are the issues of stress, overwork and burnout as women attempt to do it all. An interesting concept explored in an article by Anila and Krishnaveni, published in the International Journal of Management Research and Reviews, is the multi-faceted nature of the metaphorical work-life “balance” – a concept championed by many workplaces in order to support employees in managing their home lives and personal wellbeing.
The analogy of scales, representing an equal distribution of weight or amount, initially seems fitting for describing balance. However, it poses challenges because both sides—work and personal life—can vary in weight significantly depending on the demands and pressures the individual faces – especially for those who are the primary care-giver at home.
Furthermore, balance is explored from a physical and psychological perspective, emphasising the need to have stability of both body and mind. This dual interpretation acknowledges the possibilities of mental health implications.
This, in the context of Professor Cassell’s findings reinforce even more firmly that to better protect and ensure female professional progression, more needs to be done to consciously reset the balance of responsibility and expectation at home before we look to the workplace.
From theory to reality
In fact, we see this inbalance play out in real life all the time.
Sheryl Sandberg, in her book “Lean In,” throws open the curtains on the struggles women typically face. She doesn’t just talk theory, she shares her own experiences as a high-powered executive at Facebook, juggling demanding work with the constant demands of motherhood.
Whilst women might be championed by employers to rise to the top, such pressures, compounded by societal norms and traditional gender roles, do little to level the uneven playing field.
Let’s revisit Miranda Priestley: Her character epitomises the high standards set for senior-level women in the workplace, where nothing short of excellence is expected regardless of personal responsibilities. Any less is seen as a weakness.
How often do women feel like they need to be pushing themselves beyond their saturation level to simply stay afloat? It’s probably more common than you’d think. In fact, in instances where women who strive are then offered promotions, research shows many choose to reject such opportunities seeing the additional responsibility sitting at odds with personal responsibilities and the pressure to do it all being too much.
Sandberg too has noted the flaws in the system. In an interview she said “While women are increasingly securing university seats and earning top academic ranks, at the industry level, they’re still stagnant at around 18-20% representation in top leadership positions.” This narrative is reinforced by the Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey as well as Sandberg’s own LeanIn.Org.
More recently, The Great Breakup Trend has seen women leaders leaving their companies at higher rates than men, signalling their dissatisfaction with status quo and a desire for change.
The work-family dynamic plays a crucial role in this trend, as women leaders seek workplaces that support their career growth and well-being while also accommodating their family responsibilities.
It is more than just numbers: it’s a wake-up call.
So what steps can workplaces take to avoid losing female talent not just from their top ranks but at all levels?
Offering flexibility is key. However this should not just be geared towards women. As Professor Cassell’s research shows, greater shifts need to be made to re-balance home responsibilities, so it’s vital for workplaces to understand, even encourage, men to step back professionally when home responsibilities arise.
Together towards equality
A study by Tracey Reynolds, Claire Callender, and Rosalind Edwards from South Bank University reveals a fascinating dynamic: workplace culture can significantly influence family life, just as family dynamics can impact work experiences. It’s a two-way street.
The research also emphasises the crucial role of supportive partners. One father in the study highlights the benefits of his wife’s career: “I couldn’t imagine a partner who didn’t have a life outside the family… It’s good for us financially and keeps our conversations interesting!” This quote underscores the importance of shared responsibility and valuing a partner’s professional aspirations.
According to Professor Cassell, three key elements can help working couples find and retain balance: mutual respect for each other’s careers, open communication about childcare needs, and sharing responsibilities by taking turns prioritising work or family commitments.
These strategies can empower couples to make decisions that benefit both their professional and personal lives equally.
And at work? Professor Cassel’s work highlights the need for more comprehensive and effective support systems that not only acknowledge the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities but actively address them to ensure genuine equality and well-being for all.
The juggle is a real struggle, but we can rebalance the act. The root of this change lies within our homes.
By, Gowri Ramesh
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