Abstract
Dual-earner families have been treated as if they are a homogenous group of individuals having to cope with similar demands. Yet these families vary in their rationale for both spouses working outside the home (from financial necessity to personal growth) and the responsibilities each spouse assumes in the home. Given the variations in work and home responsibilities it is proposed that members of dual-earner families should be studied on the basis of (a) the rationale each spouse has for working, (b) the responsibility each spouse assumes in the home, and (c) the gender of the spouse. A model delineating the different problems experienced by individuals within these subgroups is developed based on an extensive review of the literature.
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Loren Falkenberg and Mary Monachello both teach in the Faculty of Management, at the University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). They are currently doing empirical research on work and family issues and consult in the area of employment equity.
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Falkenberg, L., Monachello, M. Dual-career and dual-income families: Do they have different needs?. Journal of Business Ethics 9, 339–351 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380332
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380332