Predictors of the adoption of work–care arrangements: a study of South African firms

Abstract

This study examines predictors of work–care arrangements in South African organisations. It investigates the adoption of 23 work–care arrangements in organisations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Organisational size, female presence in the organisation and in trade unions, female leadership and trade union density are tested as predictors of the adoption of these arrangements. In addition, foreign ownership, a previously untested variable predicting the adoption of work–care arrangements, is included in this study. The findings show that the level of adoption of work–care arrangements in South African organisations is low. Organisational size and female presence in senior managerial positions are found to be associated with the greater adoption of work–care arrangements. The study adds to existing work–family research by examining work–care integration in a non-Western context. Furthermore, the study is innovative in the addition of foreign ownership as an independent variable and the inclusion of a broader range of work–care arrangements in the study. The study is relevant for other developing nations and extends the existing research on employer involvement in work and care in developed nations.

Keywords::

• flexible work arrangements
• foreign-owned organisations
• institutional theory
• South Africa
• work–family arrangements
• work–family policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. Caution is required when comparing these findings with other similar studies because of the use of different measures of work–care arrangements and variations in study design. However, with this caveat in mind, a comparison with den Dulk's (2001) study shows that British employers adopt an average of 6 from a total 11 work–family arrangements, Dutch and Italian employers adopt an average of 4 each and Swedish employers adopt an average of 3, further supporting the finding of a similarly low level of adoption by employers in South Africa.