Abstract
Although work-family benefits are increasingly important organizational policies, limited research addresses the impact of communication on benefit utilization. However, communication is significant because the perceived appropriateness of work-family benefits emerges through interaction. For example, when coworkers complain about "picking up the slack" for those using family leave, their discourse may impact future decisions of other workers regarding whether they utilize the work-family benefits available to them. We apply Giddens' (1984) Structuration Theory to examine organizational members' discursive responses to conditions (and contradictions) present in utilizing work-family benefits in a governmental organization. We argue the daily discursive practices of individuals can either reinforce or undermine formally stated work-family initiatives, and in turn discuss the implications of this "structuration" of policy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 50-77 |
| Number of pages | 28 |
| Journal | Journal of Applied Communication Research |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Communication
- Language and Linguistics
Cite this
"The policy exists but you can't really use it" : Communication and the structuration of work-family policies. / Kirby, Erika L.; Krone, K.
In: Journal of Applied Communication Research, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2002, p. 50-77.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - "The policy exists but you can't really use it"
T2 - Communication and the structuration of work-family policies
AU - Kirby, Erika L.
AU - Krone, K.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Although work-family benefits are increasingly important organizational policies, limited research addresses the impact of communication on benefit utilization. However, communication is significant because the perceived appropriateness of work-family benefits emerges through interaction. For example, when coworkers complain about "picking up the slack" for those using family leave, their discourse may impact future decisions of other workers regarding whether they utilize the work-family benefits available to them. We apply Giddens' (1984) Structuration Theory to examine organizational members' discursive responses to conditions (and contradictions) present in utilizing work-family benefits in a governmental organization. We argue the daily discursive practices of individuals can either reinforce or undermine formally stated work-family initiatives, and in turn discuss the implications of this "structuration" of policy.
AB - Although work-family benefits are increasingly important organizational policies, limited research addresses the impact of communication on benefit utilization. However, communication is significant because the perceived appropriateness of work-family benefits emerges through interaction. For example, when coworkers complain about "picking up the slack" for those using family leave, their discourse may impact future decisions of other workers regarding whether they utilize the work-family benefits available to them. We apply Giddens' (1984) Structuration Theory to examine organizational members' discursive responses to conditions (and contradictions) present in utilizing work-family benefits in a governmental organization. We argue the daily discursive practices of individuals can either reinforce or undermine formally stated work-family initiatives, and in turn discuss the implications of this "structuration" of policy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036002573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036002573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00909880216577
DO - 10.1080/00909880216577
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036002573
VL - 30
SP - 50
EP - 77
JO - Journal of Applied Communication Research
JF - Journal of Applied Communication Research
SN - 0090-9882
IS - 1
ER -