Perceptions of the role that family friendly policies should play within the personal financial services market in Ireland

Abstract

The dissertation is an exploratory insight into the views of those connected with the use of family friendly policies within the Personal Financial Services Market in Ireland. The topic of Family Friendly Policies incorporates the need to analyse current gender trends in relation to work role expectations and family roles, thereby significantly contributing to the learning of ever-changing trends of Organisational Behaviour. In such a dynamic and competitive market as the Financial Services much can be learnt from the analysis of organizational expert views on Family Friendly Policies against workers’ experiences of using them. The dissertation commences by exploring relevant theory with reference to academia in relation to the topic and it’s affects on those of different gender. The exploratory nature of the dissertation prompted a predominantly qualitative approach where Primary Research Methods used were Focus Groups for Staff and Indepth Interviews with Experts in order to assess perceptions of the policies within the organisations. The empirical data obtained from the study was collected from 3 focus groups of employees of mixed gender, rank and backgrounds to present many of the diverse elements which constitute the sample population of the sector, thereby giving a significant insight into perceptions within the representative market. Research findings showed that while extra administration is necessary, costs of their implementation are far outweighed by the cost savings originated from their use. With labour and skills shortage in such a tight market, their implementation for competitive purposes is a necessity in itself for attracting and retaining staff. While debate among the use of family friendly policies at senior level is more divided, research findings prove that all workers who have a healthy balance between work and family contribute more efficiently towards the well-being of Organizations.