Shifting Workplaces
Taking Care of Our Elders while Being Employed: The Case of Mexico
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Karla Cuilty Esquivel, Benjamin Aleman-Castilla, Yvette Mucharraz Y Cano, Diana Dávila Ruiz
The issue of caring for the elderly is becoming increasingly important as the global population ages. Employees often struggle to balance caring for elderly loved ones and their professional responsibilities, which can be challenging. However, there has been limited research on these challenges in developing countries like Mexico. This study is grounded in an exosystemic contextual approach to caring environments for the elderly, with perspectives of improvement for employed caregivers being discussed based on the bioecological systems theory of human development and the conservation of resources theory. The theoretical contribution is the proposal of a social eldercare system as an additional attribute denominating preconditions to enable minimal decent circumstances to address eldercare challenges. We then conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 5,677 caregivers, of whom 3,648 were employed. Data were obtained from the 2022 National Survey for the Care System (ENASIC), a nationally representative three-stage probabilistic statistical survey. Our econometric analysis reflects the empirical evidence of the dual burdens faced by caregivers, particularly those engaged in full-time employment. We observed differences in the level of education of caregivers, with greater work-family balance for the more educated and fewer wage opportunities for marginalized groups. The findings of this study have the potential to assist in the creation of public or organizational policies that are designed to support employees with care tasks. This, in turn, could promote a more equitable distribution of tasks and gender roles within the context of caregiving.
Approaches to Language Management in Organizations: Challenges, Opportunities and Best Practices
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session JC. Bruno Teboul
Research has long pointed to the numerous difficulties associated with ensuring that workforce populations of diverse linguistic backgrounds are effectively integrated, functional and productive. Employees in multilingual environments often report experiencing stress, anxiety and fatigue associated with self-expression and understanding others, exclusions from and conflicts with social groups, prejudice associated with stereotypes and stigmatized speech, and limited opportunities for advancement. In turn, organizations can fail to capitalize on knowledge sharing and problem-solving, compromising efficiency and productivity, potentially damaging the quality of the products and services they deliver, their reputations, and the safety of both internal and external organizational stakeholders. An organization’s approach to managing the language(s) its employees use to communicate has been found to be consequential in provoking or mitigating these outcomes. This paper identifies four different strategies that organizations can adopt to manage language diversity. Enforced monolingualism, which limits communication in the workplace to a specific language, can be nativist or globalist. In contrast, an organization adopting a conditional monolingualism orientation, expects employees to speak an identified predominant language locally or functionally, but not always. Functional multilingualism, allows individuals and groups to self-regulate linguistically, considering it beneficial for employees to use whatever language is most functional or useful for their communication goals. Finally, organizations that subscribe to proactive multilingualism take leadership in facilitating the linguistic integration of their workforce (e.g., through HR planning and programming). Each of these approaches carries challenges, opportunities and best practices.
Corporate Responses to the Growing Backlash Against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives : Evidence from Bulgaria
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gergana Manolova
This research investigates the feasibility of effectively countering opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within Bulgarian businesses. Existing research focuses on DEI backlash responses in the US and major economies, neglecting Eastern Europe, thus this study fills this gap by examining the issue in Bulgarian firms. An analysis of Bulgarian business cases was conducted to identify successful strategies for overcoming resistance to DEI programs. Data was collected through both quantitative and qualitative methods. The analysis demonstrates the viability of combatting opposition through the implementation of strategic measures, the establishment of a leadership-driven commitment, and the maintenance of consistency. These firms have demonstrated that investing in DEI initiatives, despite the demands of consistent effort and attention, yields quantifiable commercial advantages. A five-pronged model is proposed as a means for Bulgarian companies to effectively address the growing backlash against DEI initiatives. This research contributes to the understanding of effective DEI strategies within the context of the Bulgarian business environment, providing valuable insights for organizations seeking to navigate the challenges of implementing and sustaining inclusive workplace cultures.
