Defining and representing the work-life interface: evidence from Brazilian organizations

Work-life studies address an individual’s need to reconcile work and non-work aspects of life. With the increasing demands in both spheres, organizations have responded by developing policies and programs aimed at alleviating conflict and providing support for workers. Despite an increasing trend in international work-life studies, the majority of research has focused on Anglo-Saxon countries. A key issue remains examining whether theories, models and findings are valid in a less comparable setting. The concepts of work-life balance and work-life conflict were constructed within a particular time and context and thus may be culture- and context-specific.

Work-life research in Brazil is scarce, even though the country has gone through significant changes in the labor market and household forms. In the last 50 years, there hasbeen a continuous increase of women’s participation in the labor force, but females remain responsible for the majority on non-paid activities. The traditional family comprised of a couple with children, formerly the only type of family observed, has declined significantly. Brazilian labor legislation provides measures that facilitate the balance between work and family, particularly for women. However, unique work characteristics distinguish Brazil from other countries, particularly when it comes to the staggering amount of unregulated work, ‘machismo’, and a ‘fluid’ approach to rules. A large percentage of the Brazilian population works under informal arrangements and therefore is precluded from access to governmental and organizational work-life policies. As far as policies and programs offered by firms, research suggests their implementation is ‘timid’.

The present research responds to the current call for more international studies to expand on the knowledge of work-life issues, taking into account a country’s unique characteristics. The study is part of a broader research project and includes a qualitative and a quantitative component. Researchers advise that care must be taken in the conceptualization of what constitutes life outside of work as well as the concept of work; therefore, the first phase of the research will focus on the work-life narrative from the perspective of both employers and employees in the Brazilian context. The second phase of the research entails a primarily quantitative approach utilizing a cross-sectional survey design that will test a multilevel model that measures the impact of organizational policies and supervisor-subordinate similarity on employee perceptions and individual outcomes.

The current paper addresses the first stage of the research process as it reports on the work-life scenario in Brazil by combining reports from organizational informants with those from individual employees. Data is being collected through semi-structured interviews with human resource professionals who speak on behalf of their organization, and individual workers, providing a comprehensive view of the work-life state of affairs. Information on organizational policies is compared with secondary sources, including the approach presented by organizations in the list of ‘Best Companies to Work For’. The first phase of the research is still in progress and is expected to be completed by March 2015. Initial findings suggest that Brazilian organizations provide very little in terms of policies and programs that facilitate work-life balance. These organizations tend to offer the bare minimum, that is, what is stipulated by the federal government. In contrast, multinational organizations operating in Brazil report a wider bundle of policies, often encompassing a set of global policies that ‘travel’ when the organizations go abroad and a set of localized policies. With regard to individual reports of the work-life interface, findings suggest that employees´ experiences vary tremendously based on the individual´s gender, whether they have children, the nature of their work, the level of support from direct supervisors and the work-life culture of their organization.

This research contributes to the academic field by expanding on the understanding of the work-life interface as a culturally-bound concept that is impacted by aspects such as gender roles and the meaning of work, family and life outside of work. It also provides a contribution in terms of methodology by adopting a hybrid approach, which allows for the collection of rich, contextual data that assists in the development and refining of a comprehensive multilevel model available for future research. As far as practical implications, findings provide guidance to organizations as to how their initiatives are perceived by employees and whether those must be re-evaluated. The International Community, Work and Family Conference is the ideal environment to present research that brings together concepts related to work and family within a specific context that has been under-researched, with the hope that findings can contribute to knowledge that can be applied in other regions of the world.