Work Roles as Stressors in Corporate Families

There is a growing interest in examining the impacts of executive work roles on corporate families in spite of a general tendency on the part of corporations and executives to ignore or deny the relatedness of work and family roles. This position, referred to by Kanter (1977b) as the denial of connections, has been supported by a strong allegiance to the protestant ethic among corporate executives which includes high priority on work roles, strong dedication to achievement and advancement, and loyalty to the corporation. Executives have been expected to be good family men without having family obligations infringe upon work role responsibilities.' Recent work indicates that there are several characteristics of executive employment that