Consequences of Flexibility Stigma Among Academic Scientists and Engineers

• Published in: Work and occupations Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 86 - 110
• Main Authors: Cech, Erin A., Blair-Loy, Mary
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2014; Sage Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: College Faculty; Demand; Devaluation; Engineering; Flexibility; Flexible hours; Job Satisfaction; Occupation; Parenthood; Risk; Scientists; Sex; Sociology; Sociology of professions; Sociology of work; Sociology of work and sociology of organizations; Stigma; Studies; University faculty; Work environment; Work life balance; Work place; Workers; Workplaces; work devotion schema; ideal-worker norm; flexibility stigma; science and engineering; STEM; Ideal; Science; Scientist; Consequence; Flexibility; Stigmatization; Engineering; Engineer; University; Norm; Teacher-researcher
• ISSN: 0730-8884; 1552-8464
• DOI: 10.1177/0730888413515497

Flexibility stigma, the devaluation of workers who seek or are presumed to need flexible work arrangements, fosters a mismatch between workplace demands and the needs of professionals. The authors survey “ideal workers”—science, technology, engineering, and math faculty at a top research university—to determine the consequences of working in an environment with flexibility stigma. Those who report this stigma have lower intentions to persist, worse work–life balance, and lower job satisfaction. These consequences are net of gender and parenthood, suggesting that flexibility stigma fosters a problematic environment for many faculty, even those not personally at risk of stigmatization.