LSC

London School of Commerce

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ASSIGNMENT MANAGING HUMAN CAPITAL (MHC) Mr. David Hall & Mr. Rajendra Kumar

BY MAAZ PATEL L0854KMKM0211 MBA1 Group C

Table of Contents

Sr.No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Introduction

Topic

Pg.No 2 4 5 7 9 10 11

Challenges face by dual-career couples Qualitative Research Career Life Balance Benefits and Challenges of Employees Examples Conclusion and References.

DUAL-CAREER LIFESTYLE

A married couple where both husband and wife pursue occupational careers is
known as dual career couples. Dual-career couples are defined as individuals, who are not just simply employed, but the jobs they have, needs a great degree of loyalty, dedication and commitment which have a constant developmental nature and character. A dual-career family is define as one in which both the father and mother (heads of household) have opted for different careers and at the same time carry a family life mutually. The features that are implied in this lifestyle include profession responsibility, social prestige, economic rewards and most important personal investment of time and energy for both the partners. It is difficult to decide the number of couples presently pursuing this lifestyle since the career contribution is more a vital determinant than income. However, it is relatively certain that the increasing number of couples will continue to do the same in the decade ahead. The fact cannot be denied that married women are working more consistently than ever before. In the U.S. the number of dual-career couples is increasing at an exceptional rate. In the U.S. and U.K. half of the work force comprises of women and most of them are mother of young children. Furthermore, women are becoming more educated and captivation executive positions, as they are entering the work force. A lot of women work today not because they have to but they want to. Career is different from job. Career requires a high level of commitment. After the dedication and commitment, men and women in their careers, over a long period of time, expect to go forward and raise their position in their companies. They are personally and professionally dedicated with their work. PARTNER STATUS OF U.S. ACADEMIC WORKFORCE.

36% Have Employed (non academic partners)

36% have academic partners

13% have stay at home partners

14% are single

CHALLENGES FACED BY DUAL-CAREER COUPLES

A unique set of challenges has been created by the dual-career lifestyle such as work role conflicts, family role conflicts and socialization and role expectation. The individuals that are involved have been socialized for roles that are very different from those they are appropriate to experience as part of their life which makes many couples difficult to resolve role expectations. A woman is soon reminded about the socially accepted norms when she tries to merge a career and a family. It is a very bad situation for her, a no-win situation. Emotions, nurturance and responsiveness to people rather than ideas are the qualities of a mother-wife, which does not go hand in hand with the qualities associated with the success in the business environment such as independence, assertiveness and rationality. A man is a head of the family, so when so grows up he has the power and is expected to earn the money. In many parts, men are not socialised and educated so fulfil the need. Moreover if he has the skills and ability, it would be very difficult for him to devote the great time and emotional energy in the domestic activities, for which may affect his career in a negative way, moreover when he is competing with other men who does not have the same family roles. Dual career couples have much more difficult and complex issues than the traditional married couples. Dual-career couples have to struggle and fight with the issues and problems such as housekeeping, childcare and personal relationship to support each others career development. The problem also arises

when one of the career couple is offered a promotion and is required to move out of state, the conflict begins that whose career is more important. A dualcareer couple also struggles when dividing the household task in regards to childcare and housekeeping. The studies have shown that in most cases the wife carries the burden of housekeeping and childcare, even though when both the husband and the wife work full time. However, the conflict arises between the couples when an unequal work force is offered on the path of wife, which leads to tiredness and low energy.

On the other hand, the positive aspect is that many dual-career couples report
that two careers improves the personal relationship. Many husbands and wives report that it satisfies them to get married to someone who is powerful, intelligent and interesting .Yet to adjust career and family on the same hand is difficult and therefore housing and children are given much priority over work. This arises a high level of conflicts among the couple due to lack of time and lack of communication. A strong and healthy family is constructed on the bases where there is a strong love and friendship between husband and wife.

Qualitative Research
Nearly nine out of ten employees in the U.S stay with family members in households and mostly half of workers have care-giving tasks. After identifying theses changes companies are making better work environment which makes it possible for workers to be good and efficient employees and caregivers. However, the main motive of the corporate is to help and support employees and make their work-life balance. Employers have recognized that it makes good business sense to offer such benefits to the employees. Benefits and programs that deal with work-life balance issues comprise of Child and elder care dependents programs, Flexible work schedules such as job sharing, flex time and part time employment, Maternity leaves, paid family care leaves and unpaid family care leaves.

Types of benefits that balance work and life

Dependents and child care programs: In the last tenure, the day-care
centres have increased rapidly. Approximately 28-30% of families with children had only one partner who stayed at home full time. This has encouraged a lot of organizations to either offer or subsidize day-care for employees. Furthermore, some companies supply help and support for child-care for adult children before and after school. Usually elementary school students spend around 1000 hours a year in school where as employees spent 2000 hours a year

at work which is a vital concern of employee for school age children, which leaves 1000 hours discrepancy. The employees who take advantage of it are being reported by the employers who provide benefit to increase retention. However the study done at the University of Michigan states the positive relationship between the availability of child-care centres and employees performance. When child-care centres were available performance, retention and recruitment and attitude were all positive. However these were the benefits provided by large organizations. On the other hand, the small companies cannot provide the child-care and after school programs. The organizations can offer data, in these cases, about referral services and tax free salaries withholding for versatile spending account. Community programs that offer care are also supported by the companies. In 2003, Hewitt Associates study stated that ninety-four percent of large companies owners inspection allowed workers to put apart pre-tax earnings for child care into versatile spending accounts that thirteen percent offered on-site child care and 13% offered backup emergency kid-care when regular child-care was not available .

FLEXIBLE JOB PROGRAM: In this flexible work program, workforce are

accommodated by permitting variations on and where they want to do their work. Telecommuting, flex time, job sharing, compressed work-weeks and paid off time are included in this flexible work programme. It was compulsory for the employees, in the past, to arrive on time at work at around 9a.m. and leave around 5p.m. But now flexibility in work arrangements due to changes in employees personal lives makes a vital benefit. With the help of flex-time, employees can vary the start and end time of their day work, but it is also necessary for employees to be present at particular core hours of day like 11am-3pm, still completing their 8 hours of work per day. This time adjustment is one of the most favourable aspect for employees to balance their work and personal life and is mostly liked by many employees. Flex-time has the ability to help employees with and without children, manage their work life and personal life. A survey was conducted in 2003, which indicated that employees who were allowed flexible work arrangements increased from thirty-two percent in 1996 to seventy-one percent in 2003. The schedule in which all full time working hour are completed in lesser than five days is knows as compressed work-week schedule plan. For eg:- instead of having a normal two days weekend, employees can have three day weekend by working at a stretch of 10 hours a day. Employees are offered more flexibility compared to a normal week schedule than a compressed work week schedule, which gives allowance to the employees to be away from work for more time.

However, due to compressed work week schedule the productivity level and the life balance of an employee depreciates by a fewer margin, which can be a minor negative point of a compressed work week schedule. Technological factors always vary as the technology keeps increasing which give the employees more flexibility and options to complete the job on time as being away from work place due to the technology framed as telecommuting. As an employee of 21st century, now employees have a great opportunity to utilise the advance technology and apply in their work field which allows them to work steadily and communicate steadily aswell being away from work place , for eg:- being at home , out of city , out of country and overseas. Less distraction means a employee can efficiently focus on its work which has given a big boost to this technology which is known as telecommuting. There are many direct and indirect beneficial points of this technology such as it reduces pollution, saves natural resources of the world and time , which is caused by an employee by driving to work. The families in which the members have more than one career which is rather known as dual career, who end up spending more time commuting with their spouse which are different cities end up spending more time in communicating with each other which leads to wasted time list and by using telecommuting they can balance out work and their personal lives with ease by rather spending that time at work or with family members. The major disadvantage for the employee gets by using this technology is that he or she gets less access to the work arsenal and professional supervision, work environment or co-workers. When an employee is unable to give full hours to its work due to any personal reasons, can share its job and divide the responsibilities with one another employee for doing the same job, which enables them to stay at the same work position working for fewer hours and completing the full job entitled and spending the rest of the time for child-care duties or what so ever personal reasons which is not allowing them to give full hours to work. A survey conducted by Hewitt Associates in the following year 2003 which shows the results that more than 1000 firms and approximately 28 percents of firms gives an opportunity for job sharing. Therefore, a care full step should be taken by organizations and firms in allowing to do a sharing job which should not end up in professional conflict between the sharing job employees.

Family Unit and Health and Medical Leave Act : In 1993, a law called
Family and Medical Act, came into existence which caused a major difference in attitude towards the business world. It had a law which stated the in business fifty or more employee should be given atleast twelve weeks unpaid leave in a year regarding personal illness or family illness, adoption, birth etc. During the

employees leave, employers must pay the health-care coverage and the employers should return the employees job at the same level or equal to it. The impetus of this law were demographic and social changes which had stemming pressure and bought about the adaptation of family and friends benefits. There would not be a full time parent at home in families. In case of sick family members such as elderly relative, spouses and children, employees need time off to take care of them and even themselves. The International Labour Organization had a survey of 188 countries and it was only United States who had no compulsory parent leave law.

CAREER-LIFE BALANCE
TO increase a positive rate in productivity, recruitment/retention of employees and commitment towards the firm, companies often take a further step in giving as much as work-life balance benefits, to increase the good sensible work environment in the workforce of the firm. Smaller and younger generations always keeps replacing baby boomers, which is a critical situation that increases the importance in retentions of the employers. Corporations always prefer giving retentions to the employers rather than training, recruiting and replacing the employees, because the expenditure cost of the replacing and training is comparatively higher than giving retentions to the employees. In order to find out different positive effects of work life balance benefits, there are several surveys have been conducted by the large firms. A major study by Paul Osterman which was done by him in the year 1995, which pulled out three reasons for employers to adopt work & family programs which were to boost recruitment and retention of employees, lower absenteeism rates and to encourage commitment to the firm.

BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE
The level of employee benefits vary from country to country, but it has been into existence in companies worldwide. Here we will state the benefits which are legally required :1) Social Security: In 1935 this act was passed and stated that monthly benefits would be granted to old age of 62 and disable workers and even to their family members. 2) Unemployment insurance: In any case or accident where the individual has lost the job thought no fault of his own, would get unemployment compensation. In genuine cases the worker would receive this compensation for twenty-six weeks. 3) Employees compensation insurance: In every year, due to job related reasons, millions of workers become sick or are hurt. Therefore, to

provide financial protection of such individuals, approx. 50 states have this law designed. 4) Pensions: The largest single benefit incomes most employees receive is pension incomes.

Benefits of Working in Large Law Firms In large organizations, employments have exceptional benefits that are different
from other practice environments. High Wages: Legal professional and employees of large firms rank amongst the highest paid practice environment and are regarded as granting more open handed compensation packages than those working in non-profit , small firms, government and public interest environment. Challenging & sophisticated work : Most of the difficult, high-end and complex litigation and transactional legal work are given to the large firms which boost the high end talent and resources. Diversity: To encourage the success of women and minority and encourage equal opportunities, many large law firms create diversity.

Challenges of Working in Large Law Firms

Certain challenges in working with large law firms are as follow More working hours: In most large law firms, long hours are the norms. Among lawyers, working for 50-80 hours per week is just common. Long travelling: National and International clients are been served by the large law firms, therefore travelling to the remote parts of the world is very much expected. Official atmosphere: Normally, large law firms have stick dress codes, formal atmosphere and conservative culture.

Examples of Dual-Career Couples In the graduate school, like many other academics couples , Rick Banks and
Jenifer Eberhardt fell in love. After achieving their degree from Harvard, Rick worked as a lawyer and Jenifer entered the job market. They had to experience the dual-career constraints. It would be a great task for them to support each others careers while maintaining household. San Francisco Bay was the area they started their career.

Rick got her degree one year later than Jenifer. During Ricks final and third year of law, Jennifer moved to Stanford where she started her two-year postdoctoral position , while Ricks practice continued at San Francisco. It was in a short period of time that the job market moved and in one year of her post doctoral she got a faculty position in psychology and African American Studies at Yale University. Rick joined her soon and commuted to for work to others. Then finally, in 1998, he was offered a position of assistant law professor at Stanford Law School and after a few time Stanford offered his wife a faculty position as well. In the psychology department, Jennifer was offer a four year, non-tenure track as an assistance lecturer. Eventually, joining the Stanford faculty decision proved to be the correct one. In 2004, Rick received tenure. Bank says Working at the same institution is critical or more precisely, being able to live in the same place is critical. Another example of a Dual-career couple is of Sangeeta Bhatia & Jagesh Shah who also met in graduate school. They both were very passionate and ambitious about their work and were very career focused. Building a family together was also one of their aim. Sangeeta got a job offer from University of California at San Diego (UCSD), which Jagesh supported, as a postdoctoral position on the very same campus. When Jagesh entered the job market, they applied to many advertised job positions and Sangeet also led many mentors know that they were looking for two faculty position where they could chase their research. They did not accepted the bad offers and then finally got an offer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. This dual recruitment was needed to flourish and be valued. They had done their graduation from Harvard and MIT Division of Health Science and Technology (HST), recruited both the professors and classified both of them in their interested departments. Sangeeta said that being a professor was just one of the part they wanted to live. Now they live in Boston area with their two children. CONCLUSION: Dual-career couples and parent employees have far greater advantages with large organizations as they provide a large number of facilities, while small organizations may lack due to financial problems and other relating issues.

References:
Dual-Career couples in the public sector: A management guide for human resource professionals.. By Willa M. Bruce, Christine M. Reed F. Hall and D. Hall, The Two-Career Couple (Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1979).

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