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Dual career couples: Individual and organizational implications

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Abstract

Since the introduction of the term ‘dualcareer’ family by Rapoport and Rapoport in 1969, an increasingly large body of literature concerning this phenomenon has developed — perhaps in response to the rapid growth of dual-careerism in North American Society. This literature is extremely diverse, ranging from purely ‘academic’ articles in the professional journals of economics, business, sociology, psychology, etc., to ‘self-help’ and ‘trade’ books such as The Two Career Couple by Hall and Hall; to ‘light’ articles in popular magazines such as Redbook, People, Good Housekeeping, etc.

This paper reviews this literature and discusses the implications of the dual-career family structure from both the individual and the organizational points-of-view.

Specifically, five major topic areas are covered: (1) advantages and disadvantages of the lifestyle, (2) marital satisfaction, (3) egalitarian relationships, (4) the impact of transfers, relocations and living apart, and (5) the employing organization's reaction to and adaption to the phenomenon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the University of Saskatchewan, Canada

    Donna H. Green M.B.A.

Authors
  1. Donna H. Green M.B.A.
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  2. Thomas J. Zenisek
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Additional information

Thomas J. Zenisek is an independent management consultant. Among his most important publications are: Rowney, J. and T. Zenisek: ‘The Effects of Real-Life Stress on Verbal Analogies Performance’, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 13 (1981), 363–367 and Zenisek, T. and J. Rowney: ‘A Note on Job Satisfaction Measurement’, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 12 (1980), 393–396.

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Green, D.H., Zenisek, T.J. Dual career couples: Individual and organizational implications. J Bus Ethics 2, 171–184 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382900

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