1. The Agency Gap: Capabilities for a Work–Life Balance Across Welfare States and Within Work Organizations Brussels, 17 June 2011

2. Example of Agency Gap: Study of Work-Home Interference (WHI) in Germany and Spain (S. Drobnič and A. Guillén) In this study we use the usual demands- resources theoretical framework to assess the tensions between work and home. Separately for men and women Demands: time-based, strain-based Resources: job autonomy, career opportunity

3. But… … why are certain job characteristics differentially perceived as resources or stressors by the employees? … what is the role of broader institutional and societal arrangement? … how can significant country differences be explained within the resources-demands framework?

4. The Capability Approach (Amartya Sen) A key assumption in this framework is that work– life balance and avoidance of WHI is a valuable functioning that enhances capabilities and agency for attaining a better quality of life and increase an individual’s well-being. We contend that high quality jobs generate capabilities that allow incumbents to achieve work- home balance, and reduce negative interference between work and home. In our analysis, we focus on the means and resources individuals have at their disposal.

5. Data analysis: WHI in Germany and Spain European Quality of Life Survey, EQLS 2003 European Social Survey, ESS 2004 European Social Survey, ESS 2006

6. Aim of the Study Assessing job characteristics and working conditions as resources or means to people‘s capabilities and achieved functionings

8. Outcomes:Job characteristics and WHI / satisfaction with WLB

9. Outcomes Strong association between working conditions and WHI in line with resources-demands hypotheses The quality of jobs matters! Workplace characteristics and jobs in many ways constrain German and Spanish employees in their capabilities for avoiding tensions between work and nonwork life.

10. Conclusions Unexpected result: more job control and job autonomy  higher WHI Measures that should expand capabilities for balancing life domains (work control, job autonomy) increase the conflict instead.

11. Conclusions Job control is a particularly important from the capabilities perspective. Job control or autonomy is conceptualized as a work resource and is hypothesized to expand individuals’ capabilities and agency. However, there is an indication of agency gap: employees cannot translate resources into work-life balance.

12. Children and WHI / satisfaction with WLB

13. Outcomes No effect of parental status on WHI/satisfaction with WLB  this is a surprising result in view of the „double burden“ hypothesis

14. Reasons Measurement problems WHI of non-parents may be underestimated: contemporary working conditions make work–home interface problematic also for employees without caring responsibilities. Sample selection bias for women in Germany and Spain: mothers of young children with presumably highest WHI are not in the labor force. Women who are more likely to be employed are those with more resources (e.g. economic resources to purchase services in the market or have access to social support).

15. Conclusions The institutional contexts of Germany and Spain curtail women’s ability to reconcile employment and parenthood  the agency inequality is located at a stage preceding our measurement of work–life balance. Agency gap sorts out women even before they can experience work–life tensions. On the aggregate level this is expressed in the low fertility and low employment rates of German and Spanish women in cross-national comparison.