In search of the perfect manager? Work-life balance and managerial work

Ford, J and Collinson, D L (2011) In search of the perfect manager? Work-life balance and managerial work. Work, Employment and Society, 25 (2). pp. 257-273. ISSN 0950-0170

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Abstract

Work-life balance debates continue to proliferate but give relatively little critical attention to managerial workers. This article draws on research into the experiences of managers in a local government organization revealing an intricate, multifaceted and heterogeneous picture of fragmentation, conflicting demands, pressures and anxieties. The study highlights the importance of paid work for public sector managers; the concomitant difficulties in controlling working hours for those in managerial roles and the extent to which shifts in work orientation occur during managers’ careers. Research findings suggest that in practice work-life balance initiatives may only serve to increase managerial anxieties and pressures, the very opposite outcome to that intended. These themes do not feature in many work-life balance debates, which tend to assume the perfect manager who is able and willing to create a symmetrical balance between different spheres of life.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Work, Employment and Society
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/aacsb/disciplinebasedresearch
Subjects:
?? CONTRADICTORY DEMANDS ON WORKERSMANAGERIAL IDENTITIESMANAGERIAL WORK ORIENTATION TO WORK PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGERS WORK-LIFE BALANCELEADERSHIPORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTECONOMICS AND ECONOMETRICSACCOUNTINGSOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCI ??
ID Code:
45772
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
11 Jul 2011 18:37
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
21 Sep 2023 01:07