Work/Non-‐Work Friendly Cities: Adopting a Human Perspective on
Urban Sustainability
JEAN-‐CHARLES E. LANGUILAIRE, PH.D. Assistant Professor in Business Administration, Ph.D. Malmö University, Faculty of Culture and Society, Urban Studies
205 06 Malmö – Sweden; Tel: +46 (0) 704 91 13 78 jean-‐charles.languilaire@mah.se
Extented abstract submitted at 6th International Community, Work and Family Conference 20-‐22 May 2015. Malmö, Sweden
Background and aim
Attaining work-‐life balance is one of most important needs for the 21st century global population. Traditionally, the work-‐life issues have been mostly treated from a sociologic perspective and from a business/HR perspective. Whereas in the first one the roles of societal values and social structures have been related with individuals' work-‐life balance, in the second one the roles of the employing organisations in enabling individuals to reach a balance have been discussed. Even if not visible on the research agenda, work-‐life issues also belong to "urban studies". This research bridges work-‐life studies with urban studies.
The 2012 edition of Demographia World Urban Areas (http://www.demographia.com/db-‐worldua.pdf) identifies around 1500 urban areas in the world sheltering about 1.9 billion people, or 52% of the world's urban population. The report indicates that 850 urban areas in the world with a population of 500,000 or more represent 48% of the world's urban population (http://www.demographia.com/db-‐worldua.pdf). From a work-‐life perspective, urbanisation indicates that cities shall represent one context in which individuals may fulfil their "needs" or "wants" to meaningfully develop and management life domains. The purpose of this paper is to describe the urban elements affecting work/non-‐work experiences and their roles for individuals' boundary development and management.
Method and Material
This paper is based on visual observations (picture) made by citizens about their urban milieu and how it affects their work/non-‐work experiences in terms of boundary management. The empirical context is Malmö, Sweden.
Main results
The pictures and associated text has been analysed from a boundary perspective revealing a set of urban
variables that are impacting individuals’ work/non-‐work boundary management and thus work/non-‐ work equilibrium. The results shows that several boundaries and their management is impacted by few
urban elements, like water as being associated with energy and thus Psychosomatic boundary management, or a specific landmark that is associated where spatial and temporal boundaries.
Theoretical/Practical/Methodological Implications
The may be essential in city planning and the sustainability of the global society as cities are growing and represent a work/non-‐work context for more than half of the population.
Contribution to the conference
This paper clearly put on agenda a new context the urban context where boundary management is made on daily basis. It also presents, boundary management in a contemporary timing of urbanisation that is a norm of development.
