The Meaning of Work/Life: A Corporate Ideology of Work/Life Balance |
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| Authors: | Mary F. Hoffman Renee L. Cowan |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Communication and Journalism , University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire , Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA hoffmamf@uwec.edu;3. Department of Communication , Texas A&4. M University , College Station, TX |
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| Abstract: | Organizations wield great power over the structure of contemporary life. Using the rhetorical method of cluster analysis, we investigated the construction of work/life issues on Web sites of companies on Fortune's 2004 list of “100 Best Companies to Work for.” By identifying key terms and the terms that clustered around them, we uncovered a corporate ideology of work/life: 1) work is the most important element of life; 2) life means family; 3) individuals are responsible for balance; and 4) organizations control work/life programs. We conclude that organizational work/life programs may increase, rather than decrease, the amount of control organizations exercise over personal life. We explore the implications of this finding as well as directions for future research. |
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| Keywords: | Critical Organizational Studies Organizational Rhetoric Work/Life Balance |
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