PhD Proposal Sample: Four-day work week: Exploring the sociocultural consequences of shorter weeks on work-life balance, productivity and social wellbeing

Introduction

Recently, there has been a growth in the demand for a four-day workweek in multiple countries and industries. The five-day, 40-hour workweek has remained a constant practice for more than a century. However, with changing times, companies are challenging this traditional workweek model. Countries such as Germany, Iceland, New Zealand and Spain have piloted a shorter workweek model with varying degrees of success and have been helpful in providing significant data for analysis. From preventing employee burnout to ensuring good mental health, it is observed that a four-day workweek can have multiple benefits for employees.

Earlier studies have focused on understanding the economic and organisational impacts of shorter workweeks. However, there is limited evidence of the benefits and challenges of shorter workweeks on sociocultural consequences. While initial studies indicate a positive relationship between reduced workweek and employee, its long-term societal consequences have not been studied in depth. As both public and private organisations worldwide experiment with reduced working hours, there is a need to comprehensively understand this shift in the workplace. Thus, the aim of this PhD research proposal is to explore the different consequences of shorter workweeks on work-life balance, productivity and social wellbeing.

Research aims and objectives

The primary aim of this research is to explore the sociocultural consequences of a four-day workweek. To achieve this aim, the research will examine different objectives that influence the overall social, cultural and professional well-being of the employees. The study will start by exploring the impact of reduced working hours on the employee’s ability to balance personal and professional responsibilities. For a comprehensive understanding of the subject, the study will include factors such as gender roles, family structures and interests of the individuals. Moving forward, the study will investigate the role of a four-day workweek in improving the productivity of employees. Finally, the research will focus on the broader social consequences of reduced working hours on community engagement, mental health and societal relationships.

The proposed study will address the following research questions to achieve the research objectives:

• How does the four-day workweek affect an individual’s work-life balance and overall job satisfaction?
• What are the long-term consequences of a shortened workweek on the social structures, family dynamics and cultural values of employees?
• What are the effects of a four-day workweek on workplace productivity, employee engagement and organisational culture?
• What are the productivity outcomes associated with shorter workweeks in different industries, and how do businesses adapt to such changes?
• What are the broader societal impacts of the four-day workweek in terms of social wellbeing, community involvement and mental health?

Literature Review

The concept of reduced working hours has gained popularity in recent years. However, this is not a new phenomenon. In labour economics and organisational psychology, early predictions were made suggesting the influence of technological advancements in shortening working hours (Keynes, 1930). In every country, work arrangements are highly dependent on its macroeconomic, societal and political factors (Okhuysen et al., 2013). Recently, due to technological advancements, several industries have seen a considerable shift in the structure of work arrangements. With companies being more flexible, employees now have the option to choose between part-time, remote and hybrid work arrangements (Walwei, 2014).

These arrangements have proved to be successful in enhancing work-life balance and possibly reducing gender differences at the workplace (Mas and Pallais, 2020). Understanding the positive impact of workplace flexibility on employee wellbeing and productivity, several countries and industries are now re-evaluating the traditional workweek arrangements and planning to reduce the number of working hours in a week (Spencer, 2024). This is combined with a rise in countries running pilot programs to understand the effect of a four-day work week on employees’ productivity and sociocultural well-being.

Work-Life Balance

Research on work-life balance shows that excessive working hours can lead to stress, burnout and reduced life satisfaction (Bhattacharya et al., 2020). As a result, a majority of young employees focus on components such as more personal time, the ability to work remotely and greater social and environmental responsibility (Waworuntu et al., 2022). In a study conducted in Iceland, it was observed that a major advantage of a shorter workweek is the reduction in conflicts between professional and personal life (Haraldsson and Kellam, 2021). Similarly, in another study conducted in the UK, it was observed that reduced work hours give individuals the flexibility to handle their personal responsibilities with ease (Lewis et al., 2023).

Productivity and organisational outcomes

Haraldsson and Kellam (2021) further noted a strong relationship between reduced working hours and increased productivity amongst wealthy nations. However, the study observed that this relationship is influenced by a variety of factors, such as levels of technological and industrial development, investment, equality and the availability of part-time work. Furthermore, Campbell (2023) observed that employees are more likely to be more productive in reduced working hours. This is because during a four-day workweek, employees demonstrate a behaviour where they want to prove it to themselves. This motivates them to work hard and be more productive.

Social impact

Apart from improving work-life balance and productivity, a four-day workweek also has the potential to address widespread societal issues. For example, a reduced workweek can lead to a significant decrease in the use of vehicles. This can lead to multiple benefits for the environment, such as a reduction in automobile emissions and better fuel conservation (Prendushi, 2023). On the other hand, Kelly et al. (2022) observed that opting for a four-day workweek can create a long-term decarbonisation strategy for several countries. By offering individuals to work less, countries can not only limit their automobile emissions but also restore the quality of life. A reduced workweek can be an intelligent move to tackle diverse sociocultural issues such as climate change, racial income inequality and worker burnout.

Cultural and value shifts

With the fast-moving job market, there has been a rise in workplaces being more demanding. To cope with the rising expenses and other societal pressures, individuals working in certain professions often surrender and ignore their cultural expectations. This also raises questions about the sustainability of current work structures. Fay (2019) highlighted key theoretical frameworks that recommend a condensed workweek. These frameworks also indicate a need to respect the cultural boundaries of professionals and value their time to enhance job fulfilment and employee wellbeing. Implementing a four-day workweek has the potential to bring a bigger cultural change towards valuing leisure time. It can give individuals time and an extra day to indulge in cultural and religious activities.

Research design and methodology

Due to the nature of the research, it will employ a mixed-methods approach by combining quantitative techniques such as surveys and statistical analysis, along with qualitative techniques such as in-depth stakeholder interviews. This will help in getting a comprehensive understanding of the sociocultural impacts of four-day workweeks. The study plans to conduct a large-scale survey with employees from various organisations in Sweden that have implemented a four-day workweek structure. Additionally, a control group of participants will be selected from workplaces following a traditional five-day workweek structure. The survey will be conducted in different phases over a period of 2 years to capture the changes over time.

Furthermore, the research aims and objectives necessitate the measurement of different variables affecting the sociocultural behaviour of employees at the workplace. These include work-life balance, job satisfaction, individual fulfilment, community engagement and productivity levels. For the quantification of these variables, a Likert scale will be used. Additionally, the research will take into account the demographic data and information on family structure, nature of leisure activities and utilisation of time. To make the research more comprehensive, the study will collect performance data from the participating organisations. This will help in understanding the impact of a reduced workweek on employee productivity and organisational performance. Furthermore, the qualitative measures will be studied using semi-structured surveys to record the personal experiences and perspectives of employees, managers and their family members on the four-day work week. This will further facilitate the understanding of community impacts and cultural shifts associated with changed working patterns. Additionally, qualitative data will allow researchers to observe the cultural shifts made by organisations to adapt to four-day workweeks.

Data collection and analysis

The research aims to select research participants from 30 different organisations from both the public and private sectors in Sweden. To ensure fairness and equal opportunity for participation, the survey will be made available to all individuals within the selected organisations. This will allow individuals to voluntarily choose whether to participate in the survey or not. The participants will be further divided into different focus groups, such as employees, managers, stakeholders and family members. In order to test the hypothesis, advanced statistical techniques, such as multilevel modelling and structural equation modelling will be used. This will help in examining the individual-level and complex relationships between variables. Additionally, qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis and grounded theory approaches, as these methods are known for identifying emerging themes and developing theoretical insights.

Research contributions

The existing studies on the four-day workweek emphasise different theories that indicate a connection between reduced working hours and sociocultural advantage. For example, the role theory by Kahn et al. (1964) states that exposing individuals to unrealistic expectations can lead to higher levels of stress, job dissatisfaction and decreased performance. On the other hand, Blau (2017) proposed the social exchange theory that explains the social behaviour of individuals based on four major criteria. These include motivation to engage in social interaction, cost and benefit factors in the social exchange, the dependence on social structures and interdependence between social actors. While these theories focused on the social expectations of individuals, Ogburn (1922) proposed the cultural lag theory. According to this theory, any development in society, such as technological advancement, needs a corresponding change in other parts to avoid a cultural lag in societal habits. This means that to deal with the technological advancements, there is a need to make adjustments to adapt to new changes.

While the above theories provide a solid theoretical framework to understand the sociocultural impact of reduced working hours, there is limited evidence about their implementation in different societies. The proposed research aims to fill this gap in the existing literature by investigating the different dynamics of a four-day workweek on employees and the organisations. It explores the possibility of the four-day workweek as a solution to reduce burnout and improve overall work-life balance, productivity and well-being. The study also aims to offer an in-depth understanding of the long-term benefits of reduced working hours on individual well-being, family dynamics and community engagement. It further attempts to develop methodological approaches for studying complex sociocultural phenomena associated with changing work patterns and employee expectations.

Research limitations

Regardless of the multiple benefits of the four-day workweek structure, its implementation requires several changes in the labour laws and regulations. This workweek structure might not be suitable for all industries and may have a long-term negative effect on the organisation. As very few countries have adapted this model for pilot studies, the research might not be able to fully explore the overall sociocultural impact of a reduced workweek on employees and organisations. Moreover, the study is limited to a fixed geographic location, which limits its understanding to different demographics. The research also did not take into account the disagreements that may occur between the government, employer and labour unions for the implementation of a four-day workweek model. As reducing the working hours may also lead to a reduction in salaries and employment benefits, there might be disagreements between the employees and the workplace. Thus, more comprehensive research is required that explores both the positive and negative impact of a four-day workweek on individuals from different industries and demographics.

Conclusion

The proposed PhD research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the sociocultural consequences of four-day workweeks. By employing a mixed-methods approach and focusing on different theoretical perspectives, the study plans provide a theoretical and empirical framework for further research. It also offers valuable insights by bridging the existing knowledge gap in the academic discourse. The research has the potential to help organisations and public entities in making informed decisions about workweek structure and improving work-life balance, productivity and social well-being of their employees in an evolving economic landscape.

References

Bhattacharya, S., Neelam, N. & Rajagopal, K. (2020). A perspective on work-life balance and its determinants. International Journal of Human Capital and Information Technology Professionals (IJHCITP), 11(4), pp.41-59, http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/IJHCITP.2020100103

Blau, P. (2017) Exchange and power in social life, London: Routledge.

Campbell, T. (2023). The four-day work week: A chronological, systematic review of the academic literature. Management Review Quarterly, pp.1-17, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00347-3

Fay, D. (2019) The four-day school week: Teacher retention and recruitment, perceptions, and achievement, Lindenwood University https://www.proquest.com/openview/21319c1d0136f0d8b12632eb2b112cb1/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y accessed 21 October 2024

Haraldsson, G. & Kellam, J. (2021) Going Public: Iceland’s Journey to a Shorter Working Week, Autonomy https://autonomy.work/portfolio/icelandsww/ accessed on 21 October 2024

Kahn, L., Wolfe, M., Quinn, P., Snoek, D. & Rosenthal, A. (1964) Organizational stress: Studies in role conflict and ambiguity, New York: Wiley.

Kelly O., Juliet S., Wen F., Tatiana B., Guolin G. & Niamh H. (2022) The Four Day Week: Assessing global trials of reduced work time with no reduction in pay: Evidence from Ireland, University College Dublin https://www.forsa.ie/four-day-working-week-a-resounding-success/ accessed 22 October 2024

Keynes, M. (1930) Economic possibilities for our grandchildren In Essays in persuasion, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Lewis, K., Stronge, W., Kellam, J., Kikuchi, L., Schor, J., Fan, W., Kelly, O., Gu, G., Frayne, D., Burchell, B. & Hubbard, B. (2023) The results are in: the UK’s four day week trial. https://autonomy.work/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The-results-are-in-The-UKs-four-day-week-pilot.pdf accessed 22 October 2024

Mas, A. & Pallais, A. (2020) Alternative work arrangements, Annual Review of Economics, 12(1), pp.631-658, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-022020-032512

Okhuysen, A., Lepak, D., Ashcraft, L., Labianca, G., Smith, V. & Steensma, K. (2013) Theories of work and working today, Academy of Management Review, 38(4), pp.491-502, http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amr.36.1.zok192

Prendushi, S. (2023) The Four-Day Workweek on Worker Burnout and Work-Life Balance, WHS Journal of Scholarship, https://www.galushaapseminar.com/uploads/5/5/4/8/5548294/sp.pdf accessed 20 October 2024

Spencer, A. (2024) Beyond Full Employment: Keynes and Kalecki on our Economic Future, Review of Political Economy, pp.1-17, https://doi.org/10.1080/09538259.2024.2317183

Walwei, U. (2014) Times of change: What drives the growth of work arrangements in Germany?, Journal for Labour Market Research, 47(3), pp.183-204, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12651-013-0136-z%0A

Waworuntu, C., Kainde, J. and Mandagi, W. (2022) Work-life balance, job satisfaction and performance among millennial and Gen Z employees: A systematic review, Society, 10(2), pp.286-300, https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v10i2.464