UNDERSTANDING WORK-LIFE BALANCE, RESILIENCE AND EMOTIONAL ENDURANCE OF SINGLE WORKING MOTHERS IN THE WORKPLACE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Year 2021, , 64 - 75, 30.03.2021

Arzu Girisken

https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2021.1387

Abstract

Purpose- The concepts of work-life balance and resilience at work are increasing in popularity. However, the literature, unfortunately, lacks gender perspective and geographical diversification. This paper aims to fill in this gap in the literature and inspire further research on a gender perspective. A semi-structured survey was developed to evaluate life-work balance and resilience in single working mothers' workplace practices in Istanbul. The research was conducted with 32 single mothers working in the private sector. Results suggest that most single mothers feel exhausted and stretched between their work and children while they often seek a reprieve in religion to keep their spirits up.
Methodology- For this study, qualitative research was developed with 32 single working mothers in Istanbul, Turkey. Open-ended questions were asked to the 32 mothers in face-to-face interviews. All of the women who participated in this study work in private institutions with more than 200 employees. A semi-structured interview was developed with open-ended questions to evaluate work-life balance and resilience practices among single mothers based on The Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981; Winwood et al., 2013; Wolfson & Mulqueen, 2016).
Findings- Results suggest that single mothers feel exhausted and stretched between their work and children. On the other hand, they develop authentic solutions to overcome their frustrations.
Conclusion- In Turkey, single working mothers feel a strong responsibility towards their children to stay resilient and limit their complaints. It’s been widely discussed in the existing literature that internal motivational factors fuel resilience. However, in Turkey, societal support acts as an external factor to make single working mothers more resilient, and the resilience they develop enhances their performance in the workplace.

Keywords

Women at work, single working mothers, managerial resilience, work-life balance

References

• Akkan, B., and Serim, S. (2018) Work and family reconciliation in Turkey: young women as a vulnerable group in the labour market. Research and Policy on Turkey 3(2): 173–186.
• Alniacik, A., Altan-Olcay, O., Deniz, C., and Gokşen, F. (2017) Gender Policy Architecture in Turkey: Localizing Transnational Discourses of Women’s Employment. Social Politics 24(3): 298–323.
• Arber, S. (1991). Class, paid employment and family roles: making sense of structural disadvantage, gender and health status. Social science & medicine, 32(4), 425-436.
• Bardoel, E. A., Pettit, T. M., De Cieri, H., and McMillan, L. (2014) Employee resilience: An emerging challenge for HRM. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources 52(3): 279–297.
• Berkman, L. F., Buxton, O., Ertel, K., and Okechukwu, C. (2010) Managers' practices related to work-family balance predict employee cardiovascular risk and sleep duration in extended care settings. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 15(3): 316-329.
• Berryhill, M. B., and Durtschi, J. A. (2016) Understanding Single Mothers’ Parenting Stress Trajectories. Marriage & Family Review 53(3): 227–245.
• Bespinar, F. U. (2010) Questioning agency and empowerment: Women’s work-related strategies and social class in urban Turkey. Women’s Studies International Forum 33(6): 523–532.
• Bianchi, S. M., and Milkie, M. A. (2010) Work and family research in the first decade of the 21st century. Journal of Marriage and Family 72: 705-725.
• Bottrell, D. (2013) Responsibilised Resilience? Reworking Neoliberal Social Policy Texts. M/C Journal 16(5).
• Brady, D. and Burroway, R. (2012) Targeting, Universalism and Single Mother Poverty: A Multi-Level Analysis Across 18 Affluent Democracies. Demography 49: 719–746.
• Brand, J. E., and Thomas, J. S. (2014) Job displacement among single mothers: Effects on children’s outcomes in young adulthood. American Journal of Sociology 119: 955–1001.
• Britt, T., Shen, W., Sinclair, R., Grossman, M., and Klieger, D. (2016) How much do we really know about employee resilience? Industrial and Organizational Psychology 9(2): 378–404.
• Calas, B., and Smircich, L. (2014) Engendering the organizational: feminist theorizing and organizational studies, P. Adler, P. Gay, G. Morgan, and M. Reed (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Sociology, Social Theory, and Organization Studies: Contemporary Currents, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Carmeli, A., Friedman, Y., & Tishler, A. (2013) Cultivating a resilient top management team: The importance of relational connections and strategic decision comprehensiveness. Safety Science, 51(1): 148–159.
• Chatman, D. (2015) Pregnancy, Then It’s “Back to Business.” Feminist Media Studies 15(6): 926–941.
• Drange, N., Havnes, T., and Sandsor, A. M. J. (2016) Kindergarten for All: Long Run Effects of a Universal Intervention. Economics of Education Review 53: 164–181.
• Ermis Mert, A. (2018) Women at Work and in the Family: A Discussion on Reconciliation Policy Practices. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 32(1): 27–41.
• Fagan, C., and Walthery, P. (2011) Job quality and the perceived work-life balance fit between work hours and personal commitments: A comparison of parents and older workers in Europe. In S. Drobnic and A. M. Guillen (Eds.) Work-life balance in Europe: the role of job quality. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Gill, R., and Orgad, S. (2018). The Amazing Bounce-Backable Woman: Resilience and the Psychological Turn in Neoliberalism. Sociological Research Online 23(2): 477–495.
• Gittell, J.H., Cameron, K., Lim, S., and Rivas, R. (2006) Relationships, layoffs, and organizational resilience. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 42(3): 300–329.
• Goksel, I. (2013) Female Labor Force Participation in Turkey: The Role of Conservatism. Women’s Studies International Forum 41(1): 45–54.
• Grant, J., and Guerin, P. B. (2018) Motherhood as Identity: African Refugee Single Mothers Working the Intersections. Journal of Refugee Studies 32(4): 583-604.
• Halbesleben, J.R.B., and Buckley, R.M. (2004) Burnout in organizational life. Journal of Management 30: 859–879.
• Hancioglu, M., and Hartmann, B. (2014) What makes single mothers expand or reduce employment? Journal of Family and Economic Issues 35: 27-39.
• Hansen, S. (2017). Women suffering at work. The Resilience Institute. Retrieved from https://resiliencei.com/2017/02/women-suffering-work/.
• Harrison, E. (2013). Bouncing back? Recession, resilience and everyday lives. Critical Social Policy, 33(1), 97-113.
• Hibbard, J. H., & Pope, C. R. (1991). Effect of domestic and occupational roles on morbidity and mortality. Social Science & Medicine, 32(7), 805-811.
• ILO (International Labour Organization). (2003) Labour Act of Turkey. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/64083/77276/%20F75317864/TUR64083%20English.pdf.
• Isaacs, A. J. (2014) Gender Differences in Resilience of Academic Deans. Journal of Research in Education 24(1): 112-119.
• Isreal, A. L., Butler, T. C., and Garcia, R. A. (2017) An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Work-Life Balance Experiences of Mothers in Doctoral Programs. Journal of Student Affairs 17: 51-62.
• Jeyaranyan, J., and Swaminathan, P. (1999). Resilience of Gender Inequities: Women and Employment in Chennai. Economic and Political Weekly 34(16/17): 2-11.
• Johnsen, J. V., and Reiso, K. H. (2019) Economic Effects of Workfare Reforms for Single Mothers: Benefit Substitution and Labour Supply Responses. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics 122(2): 494-523.
• KA.DER (Association to Support Women Candidates). (2020) 2019 Yerel Secimlerine Toplumsal Cinsiyet Esitligi Perspektifinden Bakmak (Looking at the 2019 local elections from gender equality perspective). Retrieved from http://ka-der.org.tr/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/KA.DER_Sivil-Dusun_Kitapcik.pdf.
• Kabasakal, H., Aycan, Z., Karakas, F., and Maden, C. (2011). Women in management in Turkey. Chapter in Davidson, M. J., and Burke, R. J. (Ed.) Women in management worldwide. London: Routledge.
• Kaya Bahçe, S. A., & Memiş, E. (2013). Estimating the impact of the 2008–09 economic crisis on work time in Turkey. Feminist Economics, 19(3), 181-207.
• Keeney J., Boyd, E., Sinha, R., Westring, A., and Ryan, A. (2013) From “work-family” to “work-life”: broadening our conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Vocational Behaviour 82(3): 221–237.
• Knoef, M. and van Ours, J. C. (2016) How to Stimulate Single Mothers on Welfare to Find a Job: Evidence from a Natural Experiment. Journal of Population Economics 29: 1025-1061.
• Kopp, R. G., & Ruzicka, M. F. (1993). Women's multiple roles and psychological well-being. Psychological Reports, 72(3_suppl), 1351-1354.
• Kossek, E.E., Pichler, S., Bonder, T., and Hammer, L.B. (2011) Workplace Social Support and Work-Family Conflict: A Meta-Analysis, Clarifying The Influence of General and Work-Family-Specific Supervisor Ad Organizational Support. Personnel Psychology 64(2): 289- 313.
• Koubova, V., and Buchko, A. A. (2013) Life‐work balance: Emotional intelligence as a crucial component of achieving both personal life and work performance. Management Research Review 36(7): 700-719.
• Koyuncu, M., Burke, R. J., and Wolpin, J. (2012) Work‐family conflict, satisfactions and psychological well‐being among women managers and professionals in Turkey. Gender in Management: An International Journal 27(3): 202–213.
• Kroger, T. (2010) Lone mothers and the puzzles of daily life: do care regimes really matter? International Journal of Social Welfare 19(4): 390–401.
• Lane, L. (2011) Conceptualizing work-life balance in the Swedish life puzzle debate - is it just about time? In I. Hojer and S. Hojer (Eds.), Family, Everyday Life and Modernity. Goteborg: University of Gothenburg.
• LDC (Leadership Development Center). (2018) Are women less resilient than men in the workplace? Retrieved from https://www.ldc.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Women-reslience-Conversation-starter-230119.pdf.
• Liang, L. A., Berger, U., and Brand, C. (2018) Psychosocial factors associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among single mothers with young children: A population-based study. Journal of Affective Disorders 242: 255-264.
• Linnenluecke, M. K. (2017) Resilience in business and management research: A review of influential publications and a research agenda: Resilience in business and management research. International Journal of Management Reviews 19(1): 4–30.
• Lott, Y., and Chung, H. (2016) Gender discrepancies in the outcomes of schedule control on overtime hours and income in Germany. European Sociological Review 32(6): 752-765.
• Maitlis, S. (2011) Post-traumatic growth: A missed opportunity for positive organizational scholarship. In K.S. Cameron and G.M. Spreitzer (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981) The Measurement of Experienced Burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior 2: 99-113.
• Milkie, M. A., Kendig, S. M., Nomaguchi, K. M., and Denny, K. E. (2010) Time with children, children’s Well-being, and work–family balance among employed parents. Journal Marriage and Family 72(5): 1329–1343.
• Mogstad, M., and Pronzato, C. (2012). Are lone mothers responsive to policy changes? Evidence from a workfare reform in a generous welfare state. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics 114: 1129–1159.
• Montez, J., Sabbath, E., Glymour, M., and Berkman, L. (2014) Trends in work-family context among U.S. women by education level, 1976–2011. Population Research and Policy Review 33: 629–648.
• Mostert, K. (2009). The balance between work and home: The relationship between work and home demands and ill health of employed females. SA Journal Industrial Psychology 35(1): 145-152.
• Nabavi, A., and Shahryari, M. (2012) Linkage between worksite support with work role expectation, role ambiguity and its effects on work-family conflict. Canadian Social Science 8(4): 112–119.
• Noor, N. M., and Zainuddin, M. (2011) Emotional labor and burnout among female teachers: work-family conflict as mediator. Asian Journal of Social Psychology 14: 283-293.
• Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., and Hoagwood, K. (2013) Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 42: 533-544.
• Palmer, M., Rose, D., Sanders, M., and Randle, F. (2012) Conflict between work and family among New Zealand teachers with dependent children. Teaching and Teacher Education 28(7): 1049–1058.
• Robbins, L. R., and McFadden, J. R. (2003) Single Mothers: The Impact of Work on Home and the Impact of Home on Work. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education 21(1): 1-10.
• Roman, C. (2017) Between Money and Love: Work-family Conflict Among Swedish Low-income Single Mothers. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies 7(3): 23-41.
• Roth, H., Homer, C., and Fenwick, J. (2012) ‘Bouncing back’: How Australia’s leading women’s magazines portray the postpartum ‘body’. Women Birth 25(3): 128–134.
• Roxburgh, A. J. (1997). The missionary congregation, leadership, and liminality. A&C Black.
• Sanders, M. R., Stallman, H. M., and McHale, M. (2011) Workplace Triple P: A controlled evaluation of a parenting intervention for working parents. Journal of Family Psychology, 25: 581-590.
• Savin-Baden, M., and Major, C. H. (2013) Qualitative research: The essential guide to theory and practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Schrag, A., and Schmidt-Tieszen, A. (2014) Social support networks of single young mothers. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 31: 315-327.
• Shirahase, S., and Raymo, J. M. (2014) Single Mothers and Poverty in Japan: The Role of Intergenerational Coresidence. Social Forces 93(2): 545–569.
• Smith, P., Caputi, P., and Crittenden, N. (2012) How are women's glass ceiling beliefs related to career success? Career Development International 17(5): 458-474.
• Sojo, V., & Wood, R. (2012) Resilience: Women’s Fit, Functioning, and Growth at Work: Indicators and Predictors. Centre for Ethical Leadership. Retrieved from https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/123773/Resilience%20Women%27s%20Fit%20Functioning%20and%20Growth%20at%20Work_Report.pdf?sequence=1.
• Spangler, N. W., Koesten, J., Fox, M. H., and Radel, J. (2012) Employer perceptions of stress and resilience intervention. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine 54(11): 1421-1429.
• Sperlich, S., and Geyer, S. (2015) The impact of social and family-related factors on women’s stress experience in household and family work. International Journal of Public Health 60: 375-387.
• Tabassum, N., Shafique, S., Konstantopoulou, A., & Arslan, A. (2019) Antecedents of women managers’ resilience: conceptual discussion and implications for HRM. International Journal of Organizational Analysis 14-43.
• Tomlinson, J., and Durbin, S. (2010) Female Part time managers, work life balance, career aspirations and career mobility. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An international Journal 29(3): 255-270.
• Torchia, M., Calabro, A., and Huse, M. (2011) Women Directors on Corporate Boards: From Tokenism to Critical Mass. Journal of Business Ethics 102(2): 299–317.
• TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute). (2020) Women in Statistics, 2019. Retrieved from http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=33732.
• Turner, S. B. (2014) The resilient nurse: An emerging concept. Nurse Leader 12(6): 71–90.
• Vanhove, A. J., Herian, M. N., Perez, A. U., Harms, P. D., and Lester, P. B. (2015) Can resilience be developed at work? A meta-analytic review of resilience-building programme effectiveness. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 89(2): 278-307.
• Waldron, I., & Jacobs, J. A. (1989). Effects of multiple roles on women's health-evidence from a national longitudinal study. Women & health, 15(1), 3-20.
• Walker, J., and Cooper, M. (2011) Genealogies of resilience: From systems ecology to the political economy of crisis adaptation. Security Dialogue 42(2): 143–160.
• WEF (World Economic Forum). (2020) Global Gender Gap Report 2020. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf.
• Windle, G., Bennett, K. M., and Noyes, J. (2011) A methodological review of resilience measurement scales. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 9(1): 1–18.
• Winwood, P. C., Colon, R., and McEwen, K. (2013) A practical measure of workplace resilience: Developing the Resilience at Work Scale. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 55(10): 1205–1212.
• Witmer, H. (2019) Degendering organizational resilience – the Oak and Willow against the wind. Gender in Management 34(6): 510-528.
• WJP (World Justice Project). (2020) Rule of Law Index 2020. Retrieved from https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-ROLI-2020-Online_0.pdf.
• Wolfson, N. E., and Mulqueen, C. (2016) Advancing employee resilience research: Additional thoughts. Industrial and Organizational Psychology 9(2): 452–456.
• Youngblut, J. M., Brady, N. R., Brooten, D., and Thomas, D. J. (2000) Factors influencing single mother's employment status. Health Care for Women International 21(2): 125-136.