Offering More Job Autonomy to Working Mothers Can Improve Their Retention
Journal of Applied Psychology, March 2011
Not available online
Employers may experience more turnover among new moms who face work-related physical or mental stress. But if these mothers are given more control and flexibility over their schedules, they're more liable to stay on the job, according to research out of Baylor University.
In her study "Health and Turnover of Working Mothers after Childbirth via the Work-Family Interface: An Analysis Across Time," Dawn S. Carlson, professor of management and H. R. Gibson Chair of Organizational Development at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, 179 full-time working mothers in North Carolina – with an average age of 31 years – were surveyed. The majority, 79 percent, were married. They worked an average of 39.7 hours per week and planned on returning to work 30 or more hours by four months postpartum. The duration of maternity leave was 6 weeks, but only 48 percent reported having paid maternity leave. Among the new mothers, 40 percent reported that the recent birth was their first child.
Results suggest that employers may be able to promote beneficial outcomes through systematic attempts to increase the use of a working mom's skills by cross-training her for multiple functions. Mental and physical health play an important role in retaining working mothers and deserve attention, such as through employee assistance programs, support systems or more integrative work-life initiatives, Carlson said.
Job security also plays an important role in decision-making. When job security is high, working mothers are not distracted by worry or exhausted by strain. Instead, they are able to engage more fully in responsibilities inside and outside the workplace.
The study was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
