PUTTING THE WORK BACK INTO WORK FAMILY

This article locates the source of the work/family conflict in our sha red underlying assumptions about how work must be done if one is to su cceed. Based on a 6-month field study of engineers in a Fortune 100 co mpany, three barriers to the successful implementation of work/family policies and programs were identified. Examining the source of these b arriers reveals an assumption that individuals must be present at work to succeed. Gidden's theory of structuration is applied to explain wh y this assumption perpetuates. The article further indicates that to a lter this assumption will require rethinking the organization's reward system and the recurrence of impromptu interactions that result. At t he end, the article suggests that surfacing this and other underlying assumptions about work has potential benefits for organizations, as we ll as individuals.