Conservative or liberal? Patterns of professional and family roles of female specialists: A study of professional biographies in the Human Resources Management sector

Abstract

The Human Resources Management industry is feminised and gives women the opportunity to achieve high managerial and expert positions. Female specialists in this field, who are strongly involved in their professional duties, are subject to twofold pressure. On the one hand, they are expected to adjust their working style and time management to the needs of the world of business, governed by the rules of liberalism. On the other hand, they are confronted with traditional expectations concerning family roles. The aim of this article is to present the strategies of combining professional and domestic roles and the ways of coping with the organisation of time and space in a complex life situation by women for whom professional work is an important element of identity and who have a sense of high value of their work. Selected aspects of women’s work are presented on the example of professional biographies obtained from narrative interviews with female informants working in the HR industry. The results of the study indicate three strategies of combining professional and family roles, which can be set on a scale from the most liberal to a mix of traditional and liberal models.