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The New Ideal Worker pp 73–91Cite as

Ideal Organizations for the New Ideal Workers: Exploring the Role of Life-Friendly Work Practices

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Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

Abstract

The increased interest of modern employees to balance competing demands between work and life has driven organizations to rethink the profile of the ideal worker. Life-friendly work practices (LFWP), which commonly include flexible work arrangements, compressed work weeks, teleworking, job sharing, family leave programs, organizational support for dependent care, and other life-related benefits, have evolved as a means to create workplaces which appeals to this new breed of workers. With limited resources at their disposal, it is important for organizations to be intentional about the selection and offering of LFWP. This interview study with 16 HR executives and 16 post-secondary university students as future employees, explores the organizational reasoning behind LFWP and future employee attraction criteria in relation to LFWP. The findings reveal that most organizations are genuinely interested in creating an ideal organization for their ideal employees. It may be beneficial for organizations to be more expressive of the organizational LFWP initiatives in their employer branding message to create awareness and attract the future ideal workers. The multi-perspective examination of LFWP provided useful insights for practical applications, and directions for further research.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This was the situation when most of the interviews were conducted. However, the low oil prices have affected the Calgary economy tremendously and the labor force statistics have shown dramatic changes since 2015. The economic outlook has improved over the years 2017/2018.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Uthpala Senarathne Tennakoon

Authors
  1. Uthpala Senarathne Tennakoon
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Correspondence to Uthpala Senarathne Tennakoon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Work and Family, IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain

    Mireia las Heras Maestro

  2. Carmina Roca and Rafael Pich-Aguilera Women and Leadership Chair, IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain

    Nuria Chinchilla Albiol

  3. Institute of Advanced Family Studies, International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain

    Marc Grau Grau

  4. Harvard Kennedy School, Women and Public Policy Program, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Marc Grau Grau

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Senarathne Tennakoon, U. (2020). Ideal Organizations for the New Ideal Workers: Exploring the Role of Life-Friendly Work Practices. In: las Heras Maestro, M., Chinchilla Albiol, N., Grau Grau, M. (eds) The New Ideal Worker. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12477-9_5

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