Manager attitudes concerning flexible work arrangements: fixed or changeable?

ABSTRACT

Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) present a vehicle for supporting caregiving responsibilities, but have yet to be widely implemented, in part, because of limited support from managers. This study examines transformation of manager attitudes toward FWAs in the context of a change initiative. Panel surveys of 721 managers revealed positive and negative attitudes concerning the use of FWAs and predictors of changes in these attitudes. Over the course of one year, the attitudes shifted in positive and negative directions consistent with conservation of resources and symbolic interactionism theory. Experience in supervising workers in FWAs, exposure to training, and perceived career rewards predicted favorable changes in attitudes. Findings offer support for advocacy for FWAs on the basis of a positive spiral of affirmation that connects experience and attitudes toward FWAs. The viewing of a personalized report on support of flexible work use by peers predicted development of more favorable attitudes in the merits of schedule flexibility. Findings indicate that manager attitudes about FWAs can be influenced, which in turn has potential to enhance family responsive employment practices.

RESUMEN

Los programas de horarios flexibles de trabajo (HFT) son un vehículo para apoyar las responsabilidades de los empleados en el cuidado de hijos y familiares, pero aún no se han implementado ampliamente, debido al limitado apoyo de los gerentes. Éste estudio examina la transformación de las actitudes de los gerentes hacia los HFT en el contexto de una iniciativa de cambio. Las encuestas de 721 gerentes revelaron actitudes positivas y negativas sobre el uso de HFT y predictores de cambio de estas actitudes. A lo largo de un año, las actitudes cambiaron direcciones positivas y negativas consistentes con la conservación de los recursos y la teoría del interaccionismo simbólico. La experiencia en la supervisión de trabajadores con HFT, la oportunidad de entrenamiento y las percibidas recompensas de carrera, predijeron cambios favorables en las actitudes. Los resultados apoyan la defensa de los HFT sobre la base de una espiral positiva de afirmación que conecta la experiencia y las actitudes hacia los HFT. La oportunidad de ver un informe personalizado sobre el apoyo al uso de HFT por los colegas, predijo el desarrollo de actitudes más favorables sobre los méritos de la flexibilidad de horario. Los resultados indican que las actitudes de los gerentes sobre los HFT pueden ser influenciadas y tiene el potencial de mejorar prácticas de empleo que apoyen las responsabilidades familiares.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternate work arrangements
• longitudinal analysis
• flexplace
• flexible schedules
• organizational change

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• flexibilidad
• horarios flexibles de trabajo
• actitudes de los gerentes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Stephen Sweet is Professor of Sociology at Ithaca College. He is author of The work family interface, changing contours of work, and The work and family handbook. He is currently studying means by which organizations expand use of FWAs and the consequences of these efforts.

Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes directs the Sloan Center on Aging & Work and co-directs the Center for Social Innovation at Boston College. She is an Associate Professor at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, with an appointment at Carroll School of Management. She has authored more than 50 academic articles and chapters.

Jacquelyn B. James is Director of Research at the Sloan Center on Aging & Work and research professor at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. Her recent publication, The crown of Life: Dynamics of the early postretirement period, details the opportunities and challenges inherent in early retirement years.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.