Synopses & Reviews
A penetrating analysis of the changing and interacting worlds of work and family life in the U.S. military, this volume extends the concept of the organization man to focus on the organization family. Based on the most recent literature and research on work and family dynamics in the military services today, the contributors examine such issues as the special problems of dual career couples and single parents, the challenge of rebuilding military communities, and the influence of family factors on the workplace. Taken together, their essays advance our understanding of the nature and dynamics of the work/family interface. This work also presents some significant policy implications for military leadership and family life professionals interested in forging a more productive partnership between the military organization and the military family.
The book is divided into three major sections, each of which addresses a key aspect of work and family life: work and family linkages, the problems of special population groups, and the organizational response to family-level issues in the workplace. Each chapter provides a theoretical and/or historical perspective on the topic under study as well as presenting the latest empirical research in the area. Throughout, the contributors draw relevant comparisons between the military and civilian employment sectors, making the book invaluable for advanced students of military and family sociology, contemporary family patterns and issues, and public policy.
Review
. . .contributes to a greater understanding of the evolving interface of work and the family--the system that provides the worker.Families in Society
Synopsis
A penetrating analysis of the changing and interacting worlds of work and family life in the U.S. military, this volume extends the concept of the "organization man" to focus on the "organization family." Based on the most recent literature and research on work and family dynamics in the military services today, the contributors examine such issues as the special problems of dual career couples and single parents, the challenge of rebuilding military communities, and the influence of family factors on the workplace. Taken together, their essays advance our understanding of the nature and dynamics of the work/family interface. This work also presents some significant policy implications for military leadership and family life professionals interested in forging a more productive partnership between the military organization and the military family. The book is divided into three major sections, each of which addresses a key aspect of work and family life: work and family linkages, the problems of special population groups, and the organizational response to family-level issues in the workplace. Each chapter provides a theoretical and/or historical perspective on the topic under study as well as presenting the latest empirical research in the area. Throughout, the contributors draw relevant comparisons between the military and civilian employment sectors, making the book invaluable for advanced students of military and family sociology, contemporary family patterns and issues, and public policy.
About the Author
GARY L. BOWEN is an Associate Professor and Chairperson, Services to Families and Children Specialization, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.DENNIS K. ORTHNER is Professor and Director of the Human Services Research and Design Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Together, the editors have published more than 100 articles and technical reports on various aspects of family life in the U.S. military.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Work and Family Linkages
The Nature of Work and Family Linkages: A Theoretical Perspective
Family Factors and Member Retention: A Key Relationship in the Work and Family Equation
Marital Quality and Job Satisfaction of Male Air Force Members: A Test of the Spillover Hypothesis
Special Population Groups
Single Parents in the Workplace: Conserving and Increasing Human Capital
The Dual-Career Couple: Challenges and Satisfactions
Growing Up in an Organization Family
The Organizational Response
Toward Conceptual Refinement of Operational Outcome Variables: The Case of Family Life Satisfaction
The "Company Town" in Transition: Rebuilding Military Communities
Postscript: Toward Further Research
Bibliography
Index