Organisational work stress in Dual-Career Couples: Impact on Family and Children in Mumbai Region

Women are getting employed is on the rise globally and in particular, in India. Due to their career, there have been explicit changes observed with regard to conventional norms pertaining to their position and status both in the family and in society. Due to rise in literacy of women workers, increased aspiration in female workers to shoulder and share economic responsibilities of the family. Increase employment opportunities to female workers. Rising cost of living compelling families to break traditional cultural norms and barriers of restricting female to household chores and to allow women to work outside in Industry.

Women belonging to any class or creed or caste or religion have progressed well and reached new heights. They have set their own objectives in order to earn self-respect, freedom and financial independence, acquire decision making skills, retain self-esteem and personal growth. All these factors definitely contribute to the uplift of the family. These new roles and responsibilities are additional to the traditional roles and responsibilities of bearing and rearing children, managing the domestic household mundane activities.

In the dual career families where both husband and wife work in order to meet with the expenses, a different situation exists. Women have to balance identity, power, status along with family roles and responsibilities often in conflict and psychological distancing from not only spouse but also family and children. This leads to tension, stress and strain.

As a result, there is always a clash between the domestic and job roles for both husband and wife. The man is expected to share some domestic chores with his spouse and the wife is expected to share some of the expenses of the house. It is likely that no harmony, happiness, peace and love being retained in the families where both the couples work.

 

 

Statement of the Problem

There are high numbers of cases are files in the courts for the divorce cases, couples are facing depression, children feels they are left out without their fault. There are lots of stresses handle by couples in organization and as well as family affairs. Therefore the researcher wants to understand the organization work stress on the couples and its impact in their family and on children.

 

Literature Review

Numerous studies have been conducted in India on the dual-career couples especially on working women. The results of studies have shown some authentic reasons of conflict between both the couples and their family members.

Mothers and fathers thought that the mother’s work had a positive impact on their family relationships. The Mother’s employment provided skills and resources that meant they could meet their children’s emotional developmental and material needs better. Their relationship with their partner was enhanced because they shared the financial burden of providing for their family and had more common interests. The proportion of working mothers with dependent children is increasing, especially among those with children under the age of 10. Dramatic increases in mothers’ employment are seen as having importance effects on family life. (Tracey Reynold, et al, 2003).

In economic terms, families with two full time working parents are better off than other families. Mother responsibilities are increases when it comes to managing the children’s schedules and activities. While balancing work and family life can be difficult for many working parents. The mother does more than the father when it comes to certain tasks related to their children. Mothers also tend to take on more household chores and responsibilities. Mother pays more of a disciplinarian role in their families. Childcare responsibilities usually fall to the mother (Pew Research Centre, 2005).

Work Family Conflict: Working women percentage is increasing in day to day life which in turn enhances the role of women in both domestic and outside world. So naturally the conflict arises, when they try to balance between the work and family. If these roles are not properly handled, it leads to work family conflict (WFC) which in turn tends to create pressure / stress among the employees. Employees try to fulfil the increasing work role and at the same time with family responsibilities too; struggles with work family conflict and stress (Kaye and Gray 2007). Work family conflict is related to stress and psychological strain (Poelmans, 2001). If women workers not able to handle the conflicts it impact on the organization productivity and also creates friction between husband and wife relationship (K. Ragles Devi & S. Skthivel Rani, 2015).

The effect of parents’ employment on outcomes for children parents’ employment patterns can have long term consequences for their children’s development. Although full time work increased family income, less time for mothers to interact with their family tended to reduce children’s later educational attainments. Increase the child risk of experiencing psychological distress as a young adult. The pre-school years are particularly important for a child’s development.

Mahajan¹ has analysed the role that an educated woman has to play if she chooses a career and traditional pattern of home life. The societal pattern forces the woman not only to play the external role but also traditional family role of house-wife and mother. His studies reveal that educated women themselves do not realise their capabilities to handle multiple roles at different stages of life.

 

Research by Ramnath² explores the economic, psychological and social factors which influence women to opt for a career.

 

Mishra³'s research reveals the dissonance between the social expectations and women's actual situation. Women by accepting a new career seek new role fit and there exists a constant frame of reference to anchor her to a relatively stable set of values. To her husband the role-person-system is always in a state of flux due to the lag of value. There has been continuous changes at macro level including political, economic, ideological and religious spheres but at micro levels such as social expectations of women has not undergone much of a change.

 

Desai and Krishnaraj⁴ study reveals that middle-class women participation does not only include economic activity but also mixing with other male members, staying out of house for long hours, affecting the norms regarding the proper sphere of women, their status vis-a-vis their husbands, values underlying patriarchal family structure prevalent, redefinition of the roles of family members including the spouse.

 

The study by Mathur⁵ examined the motivational levels of professionals and decisions to look out for employment, implications of dual roles, problems they face because of the women engaged in full-time continuous employment in professional or non-professional jobs. The study further reveals how the women balance both the roles by developing strategies.

 

The study by Noor⁶ found that after taking into account factors such as initial well-being, personality and demographic variables; work overload is the only variable that predicts psychological distress in working women.

 

Andrade, Postma & Abraham⁷ shows that husbands experienced better social support but developed less social contact, they adopted less mental mastery, and perceived poor health than husbands in one-working families. The study further reveals that there are few or no socio demographic variables associated with their well-being and employment benefits women but stress their husbands.

 

The study by Arora⁸ shows that concentrated efforts put by woman in order to achieve higher socio-economic status in the society leads to her success that also undergoes tremendous amount of psychological pressure and conflict. The conflicts are not only by the clashing of societal values, norms and natural non-acceptance of them as an individual. The conflict is also due to the disapproval of and the inability to comply with traditional family and social roles.

 

Research by Coltrane and Cooke⁹ suggest that when men do housework the women's perception of fairness and marital satisfaction increases and the couple experiences less marital conflict and hence there is minimum level of role conflicts.

 

Radloff¹⁰ found that the traditional role of housewife is unstructured, devalued, frustrating, restrictive and isolated.

 

Research by Beteille¹¹ revealed that there are sharp differences of opinion on the changes that are taking place with women in India. Some find these changes as persuasive and profound; and women's participation in public life has also increased their legal status.

Jain¹² study states that working women face difficulties in performing their familial roles. Often, she has conflicting demands but she is not ready to leave her job on account of these conflicts and tries to make new adjustments in her family life and while performing occupational roles her family responsibilities come in her way.

 

Coverman & Shelly¹³ through their research work found that there is little change in the amount of time that husband spends on household activities in dual-earner families.

 

Berardo, et. al. & Ferber and Birnham¹⁴ found that men in dual-earner families do as little work as men in single-earner families.

 

Research Methodology

This is an empirical type of research. Empirical research is that research which is based on experimentation or observation, i.e. evidence of the researcher. Search research is often conducted to answer to a specific question or to test a hypotheses. This is an empirical study to find the reasons of role-conflicts and stress among the dual-career couples of Mumbai region. The different levels of stress and conflict among the dual-career couples will be evaluated. The coping strategies adopted by them will be observed and also to identify areas for policy interventions.

 

Sampling

Snowball sampling method will be applied to collect information about the dual-career couples in Mumbai region as there are no evidences of any department preparing the data about dual-career couples in Mumbai.

 

Nature of data

Primary Data: Will be collected through questionnaire designed both in qualitative and quantitative in nature. The researcher collects data. Sample Size of 1000 dual-career couples working in any sector will be selected. Their age will range between 18-45 years of age with at least 1 child who is school going will be selected and their family members.

Total sample size approximately 500 couples and their families.

Secondary Data: The researcher collected secondary data from magazines. Newspaper, research journals and research papers, government agencies and publications, reports from HRD ministry, UGC bulletin, and university news, etc.

Proposed Research Tools to be adopted for Research Exercise

The technique used for data collection is one to one interviews or telephones and E-mail. A close-ended questionnaire has been designed to get the responses from the sampled data. Individual responses, thus obtained, have been compiled, processed and analyzed.

 

Two separate structured questionnaires one for the husband and one for the wife will be used. Some of the questions will be identical and some will be different. Two separate structured/unstructured questionnaires one for the family members and one for the children will be used. The questionnaires will be made to fill by the respondents in presence of the researcher. There will also be an informal discussion with the couples, their family members and children. During the discussion the researcher will observe their feelings and note their opinions about the questionnaire and related issues. This will help the respondents to provide with additional relevant information. Three stress levels will be measures such as scores below 50 points as 'low levels of stress'; between 50 - 100 points as 'moderate' and between 100 - 150 points as 'high level of stresses.

 

 

 Objectives of Research

1. To identify the main reasons for stress among dual-career couples.

2. To identify the coping strategies adopted by the dual-career couples.

3. To identify areas where policy interventions are needed.

4. To identify the difficulties faced by the family members and the children.

 

Limitation of the study

The research study is conducted only for the working couples in Mumbai region and analysis their stress levels and how its impact on family and their children development.

Significance of the Research

Women getting employed are increasing, in particular in India. Women want to have their own identity, status, economic and financial freedom. In view of all the above mentioned characteristics, women take up jobs and stay out of the house for long hours. This tends to impact the family members and the growth of the children of that particular family due to the dual responsibilities observed by women - family role and responsibilities and career roles. It is imperative to draw balance between the family and career front. In addition to the assumed responsibilities at home and office, women, in particular in Mumbai have to spend hours together in travelling from  home to office and office to home. This study identifies the dual responsibilities played by women and how their spouses support the total efforts in maintaining a balance.

 

 

References

1. Mahajan, A. 1966. Women's two roles-A study of role conflict in India. Journal of Social Work, 25(4):377-380.

2. Ramaiha, R.K.L. 1969. Problems of Indian working women'. In Development of Women's education, PP. 201-210.

3. Mishra, R. 1977. Working women: A frame of reference. Indian Journal of Social Research, 18(2 & 3).

4. Desai, N. and Krishnaraj, M. 1990. Women and society in India, Ajanta Publications, New Delhi.

5. Mathur, D. 1992. Women, Family and Work, Rawat Publications, Jaipur, India.

6. Noor, N.M. 1995. Work and family roles in relation to women's well-being: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Social Psychology, 34:87-106.

7. Andrade, C., Postma, K. and Abrahm, K. 1999. Influence of women's work status on the well being of Indian couples. The International Journal of Psychiatry, 45:65-75.

8. Arora, P. 2003. Professional women: Dual role and conflicts. Manak Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

9. Coltrane, S. 2004. Fathering: paradoxes, Contradictions and Dilemmas. In: Hand Book of Contemporary Families: Considering the Past, Contemplating the Future. Marilyn Coleman & Lawrence Ganong (eds), Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, Canada.

10. Cooke, L.P. 2006. Doing gender in context: Household bargaining and risk of divorce in Germany and the United States. American Journal of Sociology, 112(2): 442-472.

11. Radloff, L. Sex differences in depression. Sex Roles, 1: 249-265.

12. Beteille, A. 1989. The idea of natural inequality and other essays, Published by S. K. Mookerjee, Oxford University Press, London.

13. Jain, S. 1988. Status and role perception of middle class women. Classical Publishing Company, Karam Pura, New Delhi.

14. Coverman and Shelly and Sheley, J.F. 1986. Change in men's house work and child care, time, 1965-75. Journal of Marriage and the Family.

15. Berardo, D.H., C. L. Shehan and Leslie, G. R. 1987. A residue of tradition: Job careers and spouses' time in Housework. Journal of Marriage and Family, 49:381-390.

16. Ferber, M. R. and Birnham, B. 1982. The impact of mother's work on the family as an economic system. In S. B. Kamerman and C.D. Hays (Eds), Family that Work: Children in a Changing World, National Academy Press, Washington DC.

17. Gove, W.R. 1972. The relationship between sex roles, marital status and mental illness. Social Forces, 51:34-44.

18. Thoits, P.A. 1983. Dimensions of life events that influence psychological distress: An evaluation and the synthesis of the literature. In H. B. Kaplan, Psychological Stress: Trends in Theory and Research, Academic, New York, pp. 33-103.