Can We Measure and Communicate the Benefits of Work-Life Policies more Effectively

The current paper reviews twenty one different studies of work-life programmes drawn from articles published in a range of academic and management journals and promotional documents aimed at businesses. The review was interested to find out if the use of control groups, or other rigorous forms of measurement techniques have become more widespread. The review also highlights those studies that make a contribution by developing an interdisciplinary framework or made an effort to disseminate findings in a bilingual format. On the basis of the review, the paper finds that recent studies have used one of five different research designs to measure and evaluate the impact of work -life practices. The designs included; multivariate modelling; control groups; action research; business case calculations; and social surveys. The paper concludes that there has not been a wider application of control group methods. There is also evidence that the 'action research' approach is leading the path toward a more inter-disciplinary understanding of work-life conflict.