The Research Edge - Sustaining Career through Maternity Leave and Beyond

Newly published research explores the managing of work and career during maternity leave and beyond, and implications for organisations.

In a recent study conducted in Western Australia, women currently on maternity leave anticipated restricted opportunities in the workplace on their return to work, and a slowing and restricting of their longer-term career development.

The factors perceived to inhibit their careers beyond maternity leave included organisational (employer) factors - such as problematic access to training and professional development and a lack of opportunities to advance their careers and take on senior roles. It was noted that employers were unwilling to invest in training for women going on maternity leave or working part-time. In addition, training was often held at unsuitable times and there was an additional child care cost burden for part-time employees.

There were also institutional factors (related to professional associations and government regulations) including restrictive provisions around professional registration and training. This was particularly the case for women returning to part-time roles or taking lengthy career breaks, due to professional registration requirements around recency of practice and the number of hours required to maintain professional registration.

Of interest to women pursuing leadership roles will be the restrictive conditions to taking on or continuing in senior roles, which were not available in part-time or job sharing mode.

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In further research, family decisions pertaining to responsibilities for child care following return to work after maternity leave were explored. 50% of women expected to elect to have child caring provided wholly by family members, including extended family. Only 15 % anticipated the use of formal arrangements alone. The planned arrangements for child care can best be understood within a framework of a ‘family budget’ of time to be allocated by members of the family between market based work and child caring.

Critical to these child care decisions, and the ability to manage work and non-work demands, were employee centred workplace flexibility. However, dissonance between stated organisational family friendly policy and practice at the management level was observed. This dissoance created substantial difficulty for employees, disrupting their child caring arrangements.

The findings have important employment policy implications for workplaces and the issues issues raised have broad applicability, especially in the light of the Commonwealth’s “Parental Leave Pay Scheme” 2011. This research also raises some interesting questions:

• Can we explore a ‘technology’ of work organisation where career defining tasks/responsibilities can be aggregated into different sized bundles to support flexible workplace arrangements?
• Are “family friendly” policies subverted by claims for  “managerial discretion” and a prevailing orthodoxy that part-time work and senior roles are not compatible?
• Do restrictions by professional organisations add value or represent restrictive professional practice? 

We'd love to hear your thoughts - drop us a line below, on facebook or twitter to share your experiences or accounts of workplaces managing this well.  BB

For full articles, please refer to:

Sustaining Career through Maternity Leave - M. Nowak, M. Naude & G. Thomas. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 15 No 3, 2012

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: Childcare and Workplace Flexibility.  M.Nowak, M. Naude & G. Thomas. Journal of Industrial Relations. Vol. 55 No 1 2013  p118-135.

Do you have a Network Perspective? The Importance of Connection.

There are never a shortage of opportunities to meet people, establish new contacts or nurture and maintain existing networks. Certainly on The Bickley Blog, we frequently share a large number of great events being organised by and held for women in leadership each month.

Most of us know that developing relationships is important professionally. We often hear the phrase "it's not what you know, it's who you know"... that gets things done, opens the door to that job you were looking for...

But do you have a Network Perspective?

A recently released paper from The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) - Developing Network Perspective - might reveal the answer. 

According to CCL, someone with a network perspective is able to look beyond a formal organisational chart or formal titles. They can see and understand the significance of the informal and invisible structures that support the formal organisation.

They understand the importance of relationships and are aware that often the real influencers are those without the senior title.

They understand that the key to success is that "everything is, or will be, connected" (CCL 2013).

Why is having a Network Perspective important? There are seven key reasons:

1. Connections matter - connections provide opportunities and create constraints.
2. Work often happens through informal channels - particularly in flat, team-based and agile work environments
3. Leadership occurs through relationships
4. Successful leaders develop networks of strong, diverse relationships - purposeful (strategic) and authentic networking is the key
5. Network knowledge is an asset in change efforts - this is critical in cultural transformation
6. Innovation networks can be identified and supported
7. The most important challenges leaders face today are interdependent - complex challenges are best address by groups, working collaboratively, not by indiviudals in isolation.

As a leader, how can you develop a this perspective? How do you get it if you don't have it?

1. To begin with, improve your understanding of how your organisation really works. How does  information flow? Who are the influential people?
2. Understand and strengthen your personal network. Is yours a network of convenience or have you built it with purpose?
3. Finally, build connections with those who offer "support, energy, information, feedback and diverse and challenging viewpoints?" (CCL 2013)

Of course, this perspective extends beyond your individual workplace, and into your broader industry, into the social and political realm. 

We challenge you to think about this before your next function! What shape is your network in?  Which relationships do you need to establish and nurture to achieve your plans and goals? Who are the key influencers in your space?

Drop us a line by email or facebook, or leave a comment below to let us know how you went.

To read the full paper on Developing a Network Perspective, visit the CCL webpage: http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/developingNetworkPerspective.pdf

Did you know that the Bickley Blog is on facebook and twitter?  Join us for regular news and views from the Maureen Bickley Centre for Women in Leadership.

Bubbles & Boobs for Breast Cancer Care WA - 11th June 2013

A special post to promote Chica Catering's Bubbles & Boobs Afternoon High Tea to be held on Tuesday 11th June in Perth, Western Australia. Featuring a deluxe high tea, champagne, a fashion parade and a silent auction to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care WA. Gather your friends together to support this very worthy cause.

For ticket information and reservations, please visit the event webpage.

On the Horizon - Events for Women in Leadership in April

Looking for a chance to meet new people, learn something new, or take a break from your desk?  There are many events for women leaders in April and May:

the gender agenda: the role of men in the gender equity movement

When: 11 April 2013, 5:45pm for a 6pm start
What: after work event featuring a panel discussion, networking drinks and canapes
Where: Herbert Smith Freehills, Level 36, 250 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Australia
For tickets: www.trybooking.com/CPMP

Travis Bell presents: 

 Design Your Bucket List!

When: dates throughout April 2013
What: a 3 hour seminar focusing on creating your life by design.
Where: capital cities in Australia. For details, visit: www.designyourbucketlist.com



British Academy of Management present:

  Women in Leadership - Breaking the Glass Ceiling

When: 2 May 2013,  5 - 8:30pm
What: after work networking event featuring a panel discussion
Where: London Metropolitan Business School. Moorgate, London, UK
For program details and registration, visit the BAM website

On the Cusp of Change, but 'Where to Now?'

Women on Boards Conference

When: 8 - 10 May 2013
What: multi-day conference focusing on achieving gender balance on boards and in leadership roles
Where: Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, Australia
For conference program details and registration: www.womenonboards.org.au/events/conference2013

Do you have an event that you would like to promote?  Our readers come from all over the world, not just Australia!  Get in touch via email, facebook or twitter if you have an event to share with us.

Amazing Talent - Winners of the 2013 Chamber of Minerals & Energy Women in Resources Awards

The annual Chamber of Minerals & Energy Women in Resources awards were presented recently. The awards recognise the outstanding female talent working in the resource industry in Western Australia, and companies that are setting the standard in terms of diversity initiatives and inclusivity.

The winners of the awards this year were:

• Outstanding Company Initiative: Chevron - Women in Engineering
• Women in Resources Champion - Julie Shuttleworth (Barrick Australia)
• Outstanding Professional Woman - Dr Vanessa Guthrie (Toro Energy)
• Outstanding Young Professional Woman - Jenna Robertson (Chevron Australia)
• Outstanding Technician/Operator/Trade Woman - Jody Gray (Newmont)

The Bickley Blog congratulates all winners!  For further details on the awards and profiles of the award winners, visit the Chamber of Minerals & Energy WA website

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Shaky Ground or Firm Foundation? - 2013 Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture

This year, the Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture on March 21st 2013 in Perth, Western Australia will focus on the implications of using the business case perspective to motivate the increased employment of women.

This increasingly popular argument will be explored by the astute and vibrant Dr Jacquie Hutchinson from the UWA School of Business in her presentation Shaky Ground or Firm Foundation?. Dr Hutchinson will address the challenging questions of "does the business case argument work?" and "what are the implications of linking employment fairness and equality with market forces and a company balance sheet?"

For more details and to register, go to the 2013 Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture website.

The Grace Vaughan Memorial Lecture is jointly hosted by the Australian Association of Social Workers, The University of Western Australia and Department for Communities - Women's Interests, Western Australia.

Happy International Women's Day! - March 8th

 
Happy International Women's Day! Today (March 8th), is a day of celebration for the achievements that women make in our societies and a day of reflection on the inequalities that still exist and areas in which progress is still to be made.


Yesterday, one of the Bickley Bloggers attended the UN Women International Women's Day breakfast, held in Perth, Western Australia.  Here are her reflections:

UN International Women’s Day breakfast in Perth, Western Australia is one of a number of events being held to celebrate International Women’s Day. Around a thousand women (and some men) attended the event the proceeds of which will help women victims of domestic violence in Papua New Guinea. We were reminded that one in three women worldwide experiences violence in their lifetimes. If those figures are horrifying enough we were then told that for women in Papua New Guinea the situation is so very much worse. Over two-thirds of women there report having been beaten by their husbands and that figure rises to nearly 100% for women living in the highlands. Two-thirds of women aged between 15-24 are forced to provide sex in order to survive. 

The keynote address was given by Rosie Johnson who is a Senior Magistrate in the Papua New Guinea Magisterial Services. Much of her work has focused on ensuring women and other vulnerable members of the community receive appropriate legal advice and support.

She spoke passionately about the need to end violence against women in Papua New Guinea. She highlighted the lack of resources that are available to women who are victims of violence. There is very little if any legal protection and almost no social support such as qualified social workers or counsellors. Rosie spoke of the need for technical support to help draft legislation and to provide the counselling and welfare that is needed as well as the need for money to help break the cycle of violence. She then recounted some of her own life story and the challenges she had faced and continues to face with respect to her own safety – it was a sobering reminder on the eve on International Women’s Day, 2013 of how much work still needs to be done to make the world a safer place for women.

What did you do to mark International Women's Day? We would love to hear about your experiences, updates on events that you attended, or initiatives that your company is leading.  Get in touch via facebook, twitter or email!