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Do Women in Highly Qualified Positions Face Higher Work-to-Family Conflicts in Germany Than Men?

Author

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  • Busch-Heizmann, Anne

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

  • Holst, Elke

    (DIW Berlin)

Abstract

Changing employment conditions lead to new chances, but also new risks for employees. In the literature, increasing permeability between occupational and private life is discussed as one special outcome of this development that employees must face, especially those in highly qualified positions. Drawing on existing research, we investigate in how far women and men in those positions differ in their perceived work-to-family conflicts (WFC), considering the mediating role of gender specific job opportunities. Referring conflicting theoretical arguments, we hypothesize that in Germany – as a conservative welfare state – women, especially those with family responsibilities, will perceive higher WFC than men in those positions. Our analysis is based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). Using the Siegrist instrument on effort-reward imbalance we find that women in highly qualified positions perceive higher WFC than men. This association is explained by women's lower willingness to take risks, and also party explained by lower job rewards women receive. It gets visible even more strongly if women's lower time-based burdens in the job are controlled for. Mixed results are observed concerning associations between family responsibilities and WFC, which is in line with ambivalent results in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Busch-Heizmann, Anne & Holst, Elke, 2017. "Do Women in Highly Qualified Positions Face Higher Work-to-Family Conflicts in Germany Than Men?," IZA Discussion Papers 10716, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simon Fietze & Elke Holst & Verena Tobsch, 2011. "Germany’s Next Top Manager: Does Personality Explain the Gender Career Gap?," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 22(3), pages 240-273.
    2. Anna Wieber & Elke Holst, 2015. "Gender Identity and Womens' Supply of Labor and Non-Market Work: Panel Data Evidence for Germany," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1517, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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    8. Cullati, Stéphane, 2014. "The influence of work-family conflict trajectories on self-rated health trajectories in Switzerland: A life course approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 23-33.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lott, Yvonne, 2017. "Stressed despite or because of flexible work arrangements? Flexible work arrangements, job pressure and work-to-home conflict for women and men in Germany," Working Paper Forschungsförderung 046, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    work-to-family conflict; highly qualified positions; managers; gender; SOEP;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • B54 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Feminist Economics
    • M1 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration

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