Theoretical Perspectives from Organizational Psychology on the Role of Family-Work Balance in Women's Departure from the Engineering Profession

While much attention has focused on the recruitment and retention of women into engineering programs, underrepresentation of women in engineering remains. Women are leaving the profession at rates double that of men. In order to tackle underrepresentation, we cannot isolate these academic and professional aspects. Career development is an integral part of engineering academic endeavors. Studying women's engineering career decisions, including their decisions to leave the profession, provides fertile ground for identifying creative solutions to retain them. Family-work balance influences women's engineering career pathways. Workplace changes due to the pandemic have further exacerbated these challenges. Women have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic, often taking on a higher percentage of the home and childcare responsibilities. In this study, we use a three-pronged approach to develop a framework for understanding the role of family-work balance in women's engineering career decisions. First, we explore existing knowledge on the role of family-work balance on women's engineering career decisions, particularly their decision to leave the profession. Next, we integrate related literature on women's experiences in engineering, STEM, and other male-dominated professions. Finally, to expand our understanding of the work-life challenges of women in engineering, we incorporate concepts from organizational psychology, such as job burnout, resource allocation/ job-demands-resources, work-family boundary management, and contemporary career issues. The resulting framework provides promising implications for both researchers and individuals in addressing work-family balance. Using these theories to frame their studies, researchers will gain new knowledge, and identify proactive solutions to retain those who feel pushed out of engineering because of challenges with family-work balance. Additionally, women in engineering academic programs may be more inclined to persist if they understand how they can simultaneously achieve their family and career goals. This work contributes toward broadening women's participation in engineering by providing a framework for understanding and addressing family-work challenges.