The adoption of family-friendly practices in family-owned firms Paragon or paradox?

• Published in: Community, work & family Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 237 - 249
• Main Authors: Moshavi, Dan, Koch, Marianne J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01-08-2005
• Subjects: family-owned firms; les enterprises familiales; les pratiques de conciliation travail-famille; work-family practices
• ISSN: 1366-8803; 1469-3615
• DOI: 10.1080/13668800500142210

Most family business research on managing work and family conflict focuses on the family unit while ignoring non-family employees. This study investigates how family businesses manage the work and family conflicts facing non-family employees by examining the adoption of work-family practices in family-owned firms. Two research questions are addressed. First, to what extent do family-owned firms adopt work-family practices? Second, do family-owned firms offer the same level of work-family practices as non-family-owned firms? Results indicate that when family-owned firms do adopt work-family practices, they favour flexible scheduling arrangements for non-family employees to reduce work-family conflict. In general, however, work-family practices are used less in family-owned firms than non-family-owned firms.