Talking the talk and walking the walk: How managers can influence the quality of work-life balance in a construction project

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Bradley, L
Brown, K
Lingard, H
Townsend, K
Bailey, C
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Derek Walker

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2010
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Abstract

Purpose - The construction industry in Australia is characterised by a long work-hours culture, with conditions that make it difficult for staff to balance their work and non-work lives. The objective of this paper is to measure the success of a work-place intervention designed to improve work-life balance (WLB) in an alliance project in the construction industry, and the role the project manager plays in this success. Design/methodology/approach - The paper focuses on an alliance case study. Interviews were conducted at two points in time, several months apart, after the interventions were implemented. Findings - Results showed that staff on the whole were more satisfied with their work experience after the interventions, and indicated the important role that managers' attitudes and behaviours played. Originality/value - Managerial support for work-life initiatives is a critical element in achieving WLB and satisfaction with working arrangements. The fact that the manager "talked the talk and walked the walk" was a major contributing success factor, which has not previously been demonstrated.

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International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

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3

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4

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Built environment and design

Commerce, management, tourism and services

Industrial and employee relations

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