ABSTRACT
In this chapter we consider the organisational environment as a determinant of work-life experiences. We draw on the published research to argue that the provision of work-life benefits, such as those described in Chapter 6, is not sufficient to ensure that employees’ work-life experiences are positive. We discuss the notion of work-life cultures and explain how these cultures influence the use of formal work-life benefits. We identify the key facets of a supportive organisational culture and suggest that, in the main, organisational cultures in the construction industry are unsupportive of employees’ work-life balance. We consider the organisational outcomes of workplace cultures that are supportive of employees’ non-work life in the construction industry, and present empirical evidence from the construction sector. We then consider the ways in which a supportive organisational environment can help employees cope with work-life balance issues, suggesting that social support from the organisation, from supervisory personnel and from coworkers can all have a positive effect. Finally, we present results of several Australian construction industry surveys which demonstrate the influence of support on employees’ work-life experiences.
