A volume in Research in Careers
Series Editors: Sherry E. Sullivan, Bowling Green State University
and S. Gayle Baugh, University of West Florida
The Research in Careers series is designed in five volumes to provide scholars a unique forum to
examine careers issues in today's changing, global workplace. What makes this series unique is that
the volumes are connected by the use of Mainiero and Sullivan's (2006) Kaleidoscope Career Model
(KCM) as the organizing framework and the theme underlying the volumes. In this volume, Striving
for Balance, we consider how individuals seek a healthy alignment between work and nonwork.
In addition to building upon the established literature on work/family conflict, the chapters in this
volume also examine the reciprocal positive influences between work and nonwork, considering such issues as balancing work with
commitments to others, including spouse/partner, children, elderly relatives, friends, and the community.
Chapters 1 and 2 of this volume focus on macro-issues surrounding work/nonwork balance, specifically studying the effectiveness
of organizational policies. In Chapter 1, Westring, Kossek, Pichler and Ryan explore if there is a gap between an organization's
adoption of work/nonwork policies and its offering of a supportive environment for the employees' use of such policies. In Chapter
2, Purohit, Simmers, Sullivan and Baugh draw from social exchange theory and the compensation literature to examine how
employees' satisfaction with their organization's discretionary (i.e., not legally required) support initiatives influences their
work-related attitudes and personal well-being.
Chapters 3 and 4 examine balance from a micro perspective, focusing on generational
differences in balance as well as how individuals' reactions to work-nonwork conflicts
influence career outcomes. In Chapter 3, Stawiski, Gentry and Baranik study balance using
the lens of generational differences, exploring the relationship between work-life balance
and promotability for members of the Baby Boom generation and Gen X. In Chapter 4, Boyd,
Keeney, Sinha and Ryan discuss their qualitative analysis of how 1,359 university alumni's
reactions to work-life conflict events shaped their career choices, including entry,
participation, and attrition decisions. Their approach offers a different lens to examine
work-life conflict.
Chapters 5 and 6 provide two perspectives on where scholars should focus their future
research efforts in studying work/nonwork balance. In Chapter 5, van Emmerik, Bakker,
Westman and Peeters provide a conceptual examination of the processes that affect
work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and the overall resulting work/nonwork balance
or imbalance. In Chapter 6, Bataille offers a multi-dimensional definition of work-family
balance and develops a framework, which recognizes the dominant dimensions of workfamily
balance.
