Family-friendly employment practices: Importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China

Peng Wang; John J. Lawler; Kan Shi; Fred Walumbwa; Ming Piao

doi:10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7

Family-friendly employment practices: Importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China

Peng Wang, John J. Lawler, Kan Shi, Fred Walumbwa, Ming Piao

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Global Diffusion of Human Resource Practices
Subtitle of host publication	Institutional and Cultural Limits
Editors	John Lawler, Greg Hundley
Pages	235-265
Number of pages	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7
State	Published - 2008

Publication series

Name	Advances in International Management
Volume	21
ISSN (Print)	1571-5027

Access to Document

10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7

Cite this

Wang, P., Lawler, J. J., Shi, K., Walumbwa, F., & Piao, M. (2008). Family-friendly employment practices: Importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China. In J. Lawler, & G. Hundley (Eds.), The Global Diffusion of Human Resource Practices: Institutional and Cultural Limits (pp. 235-265). (Advances in International Management; Vol. 21). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7

@inbook{299a7299925443f38c921199e04150b3,

title = "Family-friendly employment practices: Importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China",

author = "Peng Wang and Lawler, {John J.} and Kan Shi and Fred Walumbwa and Ming Piao",

note = "Funding Information: Most studies of family-friendly programs have been conducted with North American samples ( Greenhaus & Parasuraman, 1999 ). We know little about family-friendly policies and their effects on organizations in other societies, for example, the developing and collectivistic countries. Two detailed case studies conducted by the Gender in Agribusiness Project at the University of Illinois, under a grant from the U.S. Agency of International Development, provide insights into the potential role well-designed family-friendly practices could play in firms operating in developing countries. Lawler and Atmiyanandana (2001) provide evidence by way of a case study suggestive of the utility of family-friendly policies in these societies. Most of the production workers employed by Sun Valley (Thailand), a poultry processor that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill, are women, which is typical of light manufacturing companies in much of Asia. Although the company had been successful after initiating operations in the early 1990s, it still suffered from high absenteeism, high turnover, and lower than desired productivity. The women employed by Sun Valley were often the principal source of income for their families, because they either were divorced or widowed with children or had husbands that were unemployed because of limited opportunities in the rural area in which the plant was located. It was apparent that absenteeism and turnover problems were often linked to family responsibilities of these women (i.e., sick children, infirm parents, work demands on family farms). Productivity was diminished in part because of turnover and absenteeism. The company achieved significant reductions in turnover and absenteeism, as well as increased productivity, after revamping it human resource (HR) system, adding numerous family-friendly policies. Employees were given more latitude in terms of taking short-term and long-term leaves to deal with family problems, certain educational and medical expenses were covered for children, and the company provided on-site educational program to help these employees, most of whom had limited education, complete additional years of schooling and thus qualify for better jobs. Some of the policies were culturally based. For example, supervisors were taught to be empathetic to employee concerns and often helped resolve family difficulties. This tied into the cultural norm that bosses in Thailand are supposed act as wise and benevolent elder “brothers” or “sisters.” To be sure, the company implemented other changes in its HR system unrelated to family issues, but interviews with many of the workers in the company conducted by Lawler and Atmiyanandana (2001) indicated that the family-friendly policies innovations were perhaps most appreciated by the workers. Funding Information: In sum, Hypothesis 1a was supported by the effects of flexible time but not supported by the effects of dependent care and assistance with family responsibilities. Hypothesis 1b was not supported by any family-friendly policy factors. Hypothesis 2a was supported by the effects of dependent care on work satisfaction and affective commitment, but not supported by the effects of other family-friendly policy factors. Hypothesis 2c was partially supported by the effects of dependent care and flexible time on affective commitment. Hypothesis 2b was not supported by any family-friendly policy factors. ",

year = "2008",

doi = "10.1016/S1571-5027(08)00010-7",

language = "English",

isbn = "9780762314010",

series = "Advances in International Management",

pages = "235--265",

editor = "John Lawler and Greg Hundley",

booktitle = "The Global Diffusion of Human Resource Practices",

}

Family-friendly employment practices: Importance and effects in India, Kenya, and China. / Wang, Peng; Lawler, John J.; Shi, Kan et al.
The Global Diffusion of Human Resource Practices: Institutional and Cultural Limits. ed. / John Lawler; Greg Hundley. 2008. p. 235-265 (Advances in International Management; Vol. 21).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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AU - Walumbwa, Fred

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