Project Management Demographics
There is only a scarce amount of evidence dwelling on the role of women within the field of project management. Nevertheless, the existing quantitative statistics show that only as much as 20-30% of all project managers are female worldwide (Siemiatycki, 2019). This is an important finding because the existing salaries of project managers represented by women are also significantly lower than of their male counterparts.
With an average salary of $112,000 per annum, men lead the way, and women consequently trail behind, with an annual salary of at least 11% less (Tereso et al., 2019). The pay gap continues to increase, especially with the rising levels of seniority and responsibility. According to Lo Presti and Elia (2020), top project management positions are experiencing an almost 30% gap in terms of salary between men and women. The difference between wages for entry-level project management positions is not as drastic, paving the way for more female employees.
Flexible Schedules and Work Responsibilities
The biggest advantage of implementing a flexible schedule is the possibility of advancing employee morale and strengthening loyalty. When having an opportunity to engage in flexible working arrangements, employees can be seen improving their productivity and reducing absenteeism rates (Kim et al., 2020). Also, flexible scheduling could benefit employers since it could enhance recruitment procedures.
The labor market welcomes organizations that create space for their employees and take care of the company’s image (Fuller & Hirsh, 2019). One of the disadvantages that might affect a worker on a flexible schedule is the inability to engage in a full-fledged career progression. For the most part, gender pay gaps are the most visible in the field of part-time employment (Fuller & Hirsh, 2019). As for the organizations, Kim et al. (2020) state that their exposure to flexible schedules could affect every stakeholder in a negative manner due to the need to sideline certain employees occasionally.
HR Benefits of Child and Elder Care
The existing findings prove that human resources could significantly benefit from the possibility of providing child and elder care. Employers cannot ignore the growing pressure of work-family responsibilities because worker retention depends on the management’s capability to improve morale and reduce the stress of their biggest contributors (Ybema et al., 2020). Accordingly, better access to care would mean that the company’s recruitment potential could be amplified, with a higher level of job satisfaction among employees. While being less pressured by their work-life balance, staff members would have a chance to remain much more consistent in terms of their work and focus on organizational commitment instead (Bell, 2017).
Despite the need to invest in such initiatives, businesses will benefit from revised HR strategies in the long run. From profitability to employee and consumer loyalty, the management will succeed if it chooses to offer family-friendly conditions to all of its workers.
Work-Life Balance and Its Impact on Performance
When linking organizational performance to work-life balance, it is crucial to mention that stress-free individuals can generally be less prone to not being in control of their output. Issues of absenteeism and inadequate production rates can be associated with a flawed work-life balance only in the case where the organization does not provide any support to its employees (Tijani et al., 2020). Hence, the idea is that work-life balance is a decisive predictor of employee performance, but only in the case where the management takes no initiatives to improve the working conditions. It would be crucial for organizations to promote and provide public services that could benefit workers both at work and at home (Bell, 2017). In a sense, there has to be a strong organizational culture to maintain work orientation and help employees cope with certain challenges.
References
Balcar, J., & Hedija, V. (2019). Influence of female managers on the gender wage gap and returns to cognitive and non‐cognitive skills. Gender, Work & Organization, 26(5), 722-737. Web.
Bell, M. P. (2017). Diversity in organizations (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Fuller, S., & Hirsh, C. E. (2019). “Family-friendly” jobs and motherhood pay penalties: The impact of flexible work arrangements across the educational spectrum. Work and Occupations, 46(1), 3-44. Web.
Kim, J., Henly, J. R., Golden, L. M., & Lambert, S. J. (2020). Workplace flexibility and worker well‐being by gender. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(3), 892-910. Web.
Lo Presti, A., & Elia, A. (2020). Is the project manager’s road to success paved only with clear career paths? A dominance analysis of the additive contributions of career attitudes and employability factors. Project Management Journal, 51(2), 199-213. Web.
Siemiatycki, M. (2019). The diversity gap in the public-private partnership industry: An examination of women and visible minorities in senior leadership positions. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 90(2), 393-414. Web.
Tereso, A., Ribeiro, P., Fernandes, G., Loureiro, I., & Ferreira, M. (2019). Project management practices in private organizations. Project Management Journal, 50(1), 6-22. Web.
Tijani, B., Osei-Kyei, R., & Feng, Y. (2020). A review of work-life balance in the construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-16. Web.
Ybema, J. F., van Vuuren, T., & van Dam, K. (2020). HR practices for enhancing sustainable employability: Implementation, use, and outcomes. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(7), 886-907. Web.