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Flexibility trap – the effects of flexible working on the position of female professionals and managers within a corporate environment
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SYSNO ASEP 0443850 Document Type J - Journal Article R&D Document Type Journal Article Subsidiary J Článek ve WOS Title Flexibility trap – the effects of flexible working on the position of female professionals and managers within a corporate environment Author(s) Formánková, Lenka (SOU-Z) RID, ORCID, SAI
Křížková, Alena (SOU-Z) RID, ORCID, SAISource Title Gender in Management: An International Journal - ISSN 1754-2413
Roč. 30, č. 3 (2015), s. 225-238Number of pages 14 s. Publication form Print - P Language eng - English Country GB - United Kingdom Keywords Gender stereotypes ; Flexible working ; Gender discrimination Subject RIV AO - Sociology, Demography OECD category Sociology R&D Projects GAP404/10/0021 GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF) Institutional support SOU-Z - RVO:68378025 UT WOS 000214070200003 EID SCOPUS 84928658815 DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-03-2014-0027 Annotation The aim of this paper is to analyse the experience of female part-time professionals with
employee and managerial positions with the utilisation of flexible work arrangements in a corporate environment in the country with a full-time dominated work culture. The data represent a rare case study of the work environment in a Czech branch of one multinational company. In particular, this paper discusses conditions under which flexible arrangements are available and its impact on gender equality. The seven analysed interviews derive from a larger study on the corporate environment which included 35 interviews and a series of participatory observations. The data reveal the diverse and often subtle forms of discrimination of working mothers, who use the flexible working arrangement as a work-family reconciliation strategy. At the formal level, the part-time professionals are restricted in pay and in access to the company benefits. In the informal relations within the workplace, their work lacks of sufficient recognition of colleagues and superiors. Overall, part-time work for female professionals and managers leads to an entrapment between the needs of their family and the expectations of their employer. The research reveals the practical limitation in introducing work-life reconciliation policies. The results show the need to focus on promoting better conditions for employees working part-time. Also, it shows that managerial and highly demanding professional positions can be executed on a part-time basis if the work environment is open towards accepting this arrangement. Moreover, the findings outline the possibilities of developing workplace practices in the Czech Republic in a woman-friendly direction. Specific legislative arrangements should be enacted, providing better protection for employees in non-standard employment. The amount of research on female professionals working part-time or from home is rather limited in context of the post-communist countries.
Workplace Institute of Sociology Contact Eva Nechvátalová, eva.nechvatalova@soc.cas.cz, Tel.: 222 220 924 / linka 351 Year of Publishing 2016 Electronic address http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/GM-03-2014-0027
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