Chapter 3: Can Managers of Every Generation have it all?: Examining the Relationship Between Work-Life Balance and Promotability for Baby Boomers and Generation X

Balancing the demands of work, family, and leisure is a daunting challenge for many managers. Specific examples of activities that managers balance with their work responsibilities include caring for young children, maintaining a fitness regimen, and nurturing personal relationships. While the roles managers play outside of work may demand time and energy away from their professional obligations, they may also provide valuable resources that can be applied on the job. One goal of our study is to assess whether balance between work and personal life can help managers in terms of career advancement. Further, this relationship may vary depending on demographic characteristics of the managers themselves as well as the characteristics of the managers’ bosses. Consequently, this chapter will also assess whether the proposed relationship between balance and career advancement is true regardless of the generational membership of managers or their bosses.