• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.4 s.82
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• pp.51-73
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to introduce the evolution of corporate family-friendly policies and programs, a recent business issue throughout the world. In addition, this study suggests implications for a corporate reference guide to work-family policies and programs by providing a comparative analysis of the typical stages of development of U.S. corporate family-friendly policies and programs, and by presenting model initiatives of Korean and American family-friendly companies. Just as technological changes at the time of the Industrial Revolution altered the relationship between workers and their work, more recent technological advances have again transformed this relationship, offering the promise of a society in which work demands a smaller portion of the worker's time and permitting the worker more freedom and control over work conditions. These new work arrangements have the promise of producing a new paradigm for work and family, based on which many industrialized nations have developed family-friendly policies already. Family-friendly policies and programs can be grouped into four discernable stages in the evolution of a corporate work-family agenda. According to these stages, most companies in Korea are in the predevelopment stage or stage 1. Development of scales to assess company family-friendliness is needed to create a family-friendly workplace environment, policies, and programs. It is critical that companies have champions who have the vision to step out in kent, and the determination to ensure that the family-friendly programs are solidly grounded. Companies should develop their work-family initiatives as an integral part of a program for managing diversity focusing on needs of women and minority employees.