My Family Matters

Abstract

One reason for women’s absence in science, technology, engineering, math, and medical science (STEMM) disciplines is the perceived incompatibility of having a family and a science career. However, little is known about the climate surrounding support for balancing work and family responsibilities for STEMM and non-STEMM scholars at the postdoctoral training level. In Study 1, we examined the relationship between STEMM and non-STEMM postdocs’ perceived family-friendly climate, job satisfaction, and workplace belonging ( N = 553). In Study 2, we examined the relationship between a broad range of tenure-track faculty members’ family-friendly climate, job satisfaction, and workplace belonging ( N = 385). Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that perceived institutional support for family commitments was linked with job satisfaction and sense of belonging for men and women in faculty and postdoctoral training positions in both STEMM and non-STEMM fields. In addition, for STEMM postdocs (but not for non-STEMM postdocs or faculty), gender moderated the effects of perceived support for family on job satisfaction and sense of belonging, such that women with low institutional support for family commitments were significantly less satisfied with their jobs and felt less belonging to their workplace environment than comparable men. We discuss implications of academic departmental climate and initiatives for family-friendly policies for retention of women in academia.