ABSTRACT
How do we bridge the gap between work and family particularly in a time of workforce and workplace mismatch? Presumably, the goal is to create a workplace where men and women, in different family structures and at different phases in life, can be as productive as possible. In other words, the goal is to combine issues of equity across groups with organizational effectiveness (Rapoport, Bailyn, Fletcher, & Pruitt, 2002). I suggest in this chapter that such an integration is possible, and I consider some of the conditions that would be necessary to bring it about. In general, it would require an institutional realignment and a reversal in thinking. In research, it would mean changing dependent variables to independent. In organizational practice, it would mean shifting marginal considerations to the center. Systemically, it would require moving from an individual to a collective view of the problem. My argument is not for simply creating a family-friendly workplace. Rather, it is for creating an effective workplace given the current workforce. I argue that we must devise policies and strategies that put family needs first and adapt working conditions to meet those needs. The result of this better family-work alignment, I suggest, will be a new commitment and effectiveness in the workplace (see Fig. 9.1).
