A Change of Perspective on Work-life Balance: from a Corporate Services Implementation to Time Management. A Study on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Reggio Emilia

Abstract

Work-life reconciliation is one of the current issues within the political and academic debate. This article describes at first the evolution of the concept of work-life reconciliation through an interdisciplinary review of the literature. Second, the article proposes a synthesis of organizational and business reflection and practice; starting from a critical interpretation of mainstream literature and of related controversial results in terms of work-life reconciliation practices, the article goes on to offer a working hypothesis, which takes explicitly into account Thompson’s theoretical framework added to a new one: the territorial work-family culture. The evolution of the concept of reconciliation inevitably leads to consider this fourth dimensions that affects the systemic level. Through the collection of 777 questionnaires, the analysis took into consideration the identification of each dimension’s role, roles that contribute to creating an organizational work-family culture, both within the organizations and  in the whole territory. 

Keywords: work-life reconciliation, organizational culture, human resource practices