Abstract

This research captures the lived experiences of eight women middle managers in Québec’s Health and Social Service System (HSSS) and makes recommendations for changes that will support them in their multiple roles, while fostering their psychological well-being. A qualitative inquiry research approach was used to study how women middle managers navigate their professional and private roles, in a public organization where women comprise the majority of the employees and middle managers. Additionally, it explores the opportunities and barriers that these women face in a context where family-friendly policies such as parental leave, affordable daycare, and pay equity have existed for over two decades.
All study participants were white French-Canadian mothers, except one who was a mother-to-be. The research revealed that they felt overextended and that the superwoman syndrome is still alive and well, reinforced by unrealistic organizational and societal expectations grounded in the gendered segregation of both paid and unpaid work. Although these women were highly educated, they still followed the societal norms concerning their domestic, caregiver, and emotional roles, trying to adapt and “do it all” at the expense of their own health and psychological well-being.
The implications of this study show that persistent gender segregation in paid and unpaid work spheres leaves women and mothers squeezed for time which negatively impacts their well-being. This study calls for changes in the organizational culture and a move away from a work-centric focus to a focus on human capital. It also has important implications for governments as their policies and practices contribute to work environments which are maladapted to women’s and especially mothers’ realities. If true progress is to be made, society must value caregiving and develop policies and practices which allow people to thrive in all spheres of their lives: self, family, and work. We have to stop trying to fix women and rather focus on system change and transformation.