Part 1 of 5: Work, Family, and Workplace Flexibility

This week Management INK will be running a special series of posts on the important theme of Work-Life Balance. We hope you find the series insightful and thought-provoking.

The November 2011 special issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science was edited by Kathleen Christensen and Barbara Schneider under the theme of “Work, Family, and Workplace Flexibility.”

Workplace flexibility, work-family conflict, and time famine have taken the spotlight in recent years as politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have pointed to the need for increasing workplace flexibility. In today’s economy and work environment, what does workplace flexibility mean; how does it affect different groups of people; and is it important to national security? This volume addresses these questions with articles based on research papers presented at a national conference hosted by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Georgetown Law Center’s Workplace Flexibility 2010 program. The authors argue that current workplaces are not meeting the needs of today’s workers, and the lack of workplace flexibility is having huge human capital costs that are affecting every sector of society. They explore how flexibility, despite having fixed costs, can be an effective tool for attracting and retaining employees and increasing productivity—the key being to make the workplace flexible in ways that are profitable for employers and also engage workers to feel more satisfied and committed to their jobs.

Kathleen Christensen and Barbara Schneider published an introduction to this special issue, entitled “Making a Case for Workplace Flexibility.”

You can now save 20% on ANNALS by entering the priority code 1116094JA during checkout.

Paperback: $35.00 Sale Price: $28.00
ISBN: 978-1-4522-2534-0
November 2011, 184 pages

Hardcover: $48.00 Sale Price: $38.40
ISBN: 978-1-4522-2533-3
November 2011, 184 pages

For more information about ANNALS, please click here.

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Check in tomorrow to see the next installment.