The decline of the 'traditional' family: Work-life benefits as a means of promoting a diverse workforce in the construction industry of Australia

Abstract

The 'traditional' managerial career model was based upon a clear division of labour. Typically, women stayed at home to raise children and manage household work while men acted as primary breadwinners. In this arrangement, relocation, long and inflexible hours of work and frequent travel were not only possible but were a prerequisite for advancement. However, since the 1950s, dramatic changes to family structures and workforce composition have occurred. In the twenty-first century the majority of women, including those who may be considered in the child-bearing and early child-rearing age group, are in paid employment. There has also been an increase in the number of lone parents in the work..