German Parents Attaining Intrapersonal Work-Family Balance While Implementing the 50/50-Split-Model with Their Partners

Ronja Schaber (), Tirza Patella, Josefine Simm and Susan Garthus-Niegel
Additional contact information
Ronja Schaber: Technische Universität Dresden
Tirza Patella: Technische Universität Dresden
Josefine Simm: Technische Universität Dresden
Susan Garthus-Niegel: Technische Universität Dresden

Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 2025, vol. 46, issue 1, No 17, 259-276

Abstract: Abstract Work-family balance (WFB) is attained if parents combine work and family roles aligned with their values. For an egalitarian parent aiming to implement a 50/50-split-model, this means sharing paid work, childcare, and housework equally with their partner (involvement balance), performing well in all roles (effective balance), while having positive emotions (emotional balance). This is difficult since work and family are competing for time and attention. Therefore, this article presents resources which can help parents attain WFB within a 50/50-split-model. Quantitative data of n = 1036 couples participating in the Dresden Study on Parenting, Work, and Mental Health (DREAM) were used to calculate the implementation rate of the 50/50-split-model at 14 months postpartum. Quantitative DREAM data were screened to purposively select n = 25 participants implementing a 50/50-split-model for the qualitative study DREAMTALK. Problem-centered interviews were conducted and analyzed via qualitative content analysis. Quantitative results showed a 50/50-split-model implementation rate of 3.8–17.5% among German parents. Qualitative results revealed 14 individual- and eight macro-level resources to facilitate WFB within a 50/50-split-model. Individual-level examples are acknowledging benefits of childcare assistance, segmentation from paid work and controversially, in other situations, integration of paid work and family. Macro-level examples are availability of childcare assistance, of solo paternal leave, paid work

Keywords: 50/50-split-model of paid work; childcare; and housework; Dual-earner parents; Gender role distribution; Work-family balance; Family policy; DREAM study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10834-024-09989-1 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:46:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10834-024-09989-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... es/journal/10834/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s10834-024-09989-1

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Family and Economic Issues is currently edited by Joyce Serido

More articles in Journal of Family and Economic Issues from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().