Work-life balance policy in the UK : gendered ICT workplaces and the culture of resentment

Previous studies have recognized the low adoption of corporate work-lifebalance policies during a time when reports indicate the continual pressures of balancingwork and personal life. Alongside these stresses there is additional pressures for womenin the ICT labour market due to the continual 'culture of resentment' they face on a dailybasis, when they attempt to balance work and non work activities. This study aims toprovide a more comprehensive explanation of the phenomenon of the culture ofresentment than those currently available in work-life balance policy. This thesisprovides a critical review of the work-life balance literature which deliberates onorganisational and individual solutions and the belief that this method of analysing orconcentrating on work-life balance issues is the best way forward. The exclusion ofgender as a social structure or major force and the omission of the socio-politicalenvironment in which work-life balance arrangements are made is at best inadequate.This qualitative case study research was theoretically informed by critical andfeminist perspectives; it sought to investigate women's experiences within the context ofInformation Communication Technology (ICT) organisations. Over a four year period,in-depth interviews were conducted with thirty one women from the ICT profession, afurther 236 women took part via an on-line questionnaire survey. The findings from thisstudy revealed that women ICT professionals often feel lonely, angry and rejected.Women are experiencing resentment from senior management, line managers, peers andindeed other women working in the industry. A major implication from this study forICT as a profession relates to the need to create a discourse that values women as ICTprofessionals.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral (Level 8)

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Keogh, C

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337082

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337082