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This is to certify that the

dissertation entitled

THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF DUAL-CAREER
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE POLICIES AND PRACTICES IN
SELECTED CORPORATIONS OF THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES
REGION

presented by

LINDA A. HENDERSON

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Ph.D. Education

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cmmut

THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
OF DUAL-CAREER RELOCATION ASSISTANCE
POLICIES AND PRACTICES
IN SELECTED CORPORATIONS OF THE
CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION

By
Linda A. Henderson

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
College of Education

1990

é 4a ' 3(7)

ABSTRACT
THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
DUAL-CAREER RELOCATION ASSISTANCE POLICIES
AND PRACTICES IN SELECTED CORPORATIONS
OF THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION
By

Linda A. Henderson

A multitude of problems stem from the relocation of a dual-career
couple. From the relocating couple’s perspective, these problems range from
ﬁnancial hardships resulting from the loss of the partner’s job to psychological
problems of stress, loneliness and isolation in the new location. From the
organization’s perspective, these problems range from the employee declining
the transfer to loss of productivity in the new location. To address these
issues, many corporations have instituted dual-career relocation assistance. An
exploratory and descriptive study was designed to identify how and under
what circumstances dual-career policies and practices are formulated. This
study 1) identiﬁes the perceptions of a panel of human resource professionals
regarding the problems Stemming from the relocation of dual-career couples,
2) analyzes the variables that impact organizational policy and practice, and 3)
determines the current conventional wisdom among the panel regarding the
nature of policies and practices required for effective development,

implementation and management of dual-career relocation programs.

Linda A. Henderson

In-depth interviews were conducted to address seven research questions
with twelve corporations that have dual-career programs. The ﬁrst research
question concerned the nature of the program policy. The second research
question concerned the planning and developmental variables critical in dual-
career program formulation. The third research question concerned the
rationale for the decision to establish a dual-career program in the respective
organizations. The fourth research question concerned the components of a
strong dual-career program. The ﬁfth research question concerned guidelines
and recommendations that panel members would suggest to others
implementing a dual-career program. The sixth research question concerned
the future of dual-career couples within the organization. And the seventh
research question concerned the extent to which panel members agreed and
disagreed on the strategic development of policy and practice of dual-career
programs. Also, a contrast group of organizations without a program was

interviewed to ﬁnd out why these organizations were without a dual-career

program.

Copyright by
Linda A. Henderson
1990

DEDICATED

To my parents, Phylis and Gordon,
for their encouragement and belief in the importance of

education as a meaningful and rewarding endeavor.

And, to my husband, Dan Fields, who has been a

wonderful friend and supporter.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people contributed to making this dissertation possible. A sincere
thank you is extended to each of these individuals.

To my advisor and dear friend, Max Raines, who gave his
unconditional encouragement, guidance and love.

To my committee members Howard Hickey, Richard Gardner and
Charles Blackman who provided ongoing support and guidance.

To the many human resources professionals who participated in my
study and gave freely of their time to contribute to the emerging body of
knowledge concerning relocation and dualocareer assistance programs.

To Don and Stephanie Henderson for their encouragement. To Linda
Holloway, Gail Ryder and Teresa Stork and other friends and colleagues for
their encouragement, patience and support. And to Gordie for his endless
hours of editing assistance.

Finally, I acknowledge the influence of my former mentor and ﬁ'iend,

the late Dr. Joseph E. Hill, who inspired me to achieve.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Background of the Problem
Statement of the Problem
Need for the Study
Purpose of the Study
Objectives of the Study
Procedures

Research Questions
Limitations of the Study
Delimitations of the Study
Deﬁnitions of Terms
Assumptions of the Study
Overview of the Study
References

11. Review of the Literature

Introduction
The Problem
Transferee Proﬁles
Two Careers and the Relocation Decision
Costs of Relocation to the Individual and the family
Relocation Costs to the Employer
Components of Spouse Career Assistance
Desirable Characteristics of

Spouse Career Assistance Programs
Beneﬁts of Spouse Career Assistance Programs
Beneﬁts of Outside Versus In-House Services
The Management of Employee Relocation
The Context: Personnel/Human Resources Management
The Role of Human Resources Management
Policy Development
Policies Deﬁned
The Origins of Policy
Functions of Policy
The Characteristics of Good Policies
Advantages of Policies
Relationship Between Policies and Procedures
The Communication of Policies and Procedures
Development of Personnel Policies
Relocation Policy

vi

Spouse Career Assistance Policy
Implementation of Relocation Policy
Conclusion

References

III. Research Design and Procedures

Introduction

The Purpose of the Study

The Population

The Sample

Selecting the Sample

The Exploratory Pilot Study

The Interview

Data Collection Procedure

Research Questions and Related Interview Questions
Contrast Group

Summary of Research Design and Procedures
References

IV. Analysis of the Data

Introduction
Description of the Data
Program Policy

Policy Objectives
Program Rationale
Program Effectiveness
Policy Guidelines
Future Trends

Shared Perceptions
Description of the Contrast Group Data
Summary

V. Summary, Findings, Implications, Conclusions and
Recommendations

Appendices

Summary

Findings of the Study

Findings of the Contrast Group
Discussion and Implications
Conclusions

Recommendations for Further Research

A. Conﬁrmation Letter (sent to participants)

vii

38
42
43

47

47
48
48
48
49
50
5 l

56
58
59
61

62

62
63
63
65
68
71
75
81

85
87

88

88
89
91
92
97
98

101

951“???"

Consent Form

Corporate Participants

Participant Thank You Letter

Contrast Group Participating Corporations

Contrast Group Thank You Letter

Tables
1 Program Policy
2 Policy Objectives
3 Program Rationale
4 Program Effectiveness
5 Policy Guidelines
6 Future Trends

viii

102
103
105
106
107
108
108
108
108
109

109
110

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

WEE]

During the last three decades American society has undergone major
changes. Some of the most drastic of these involve the family and the work
place. Women’s roles and their relationship to the family, the husband’s
career and the world of work have new dimensions. At the same time, the
husband’s economic role in many cases has shifted from being the sole
provider to a "lesser" role as a co-provider. In many instances, he has
assumed additional family responsibilities. Also, the structure of the family has
changed from "traditional" to a variety of family types.

In the 19505, prior to the women’s movement, the American value
system required that if a family was able to get along ﬁnancially without the
woman working at a paid job, the woman Stayed home. According to Gordon
(1979), working-class men took pride in the fact that their wives did not have

to work and upper-class men considered a working wife a social

2

embarrassment. The traditional family had one income, earned by the
husband whose principal role was to be a good economic provider
(Yankelovich, 1979). The woman was in charge of all household
responsibilities except those of making a living and attending to house repairs
and maintenance. Today, only a small percentage of all households can be
considered "traditional."

In addition to the usual traditional duties of all wives, executives’ wives
were expected to ﬁll another role, that of the corporate wife.

In the early 1950s William Whyte described the role of the corporate

wife as a social one. Whyte as well as later journalists and psychiatrists,

tended to Show the corporate wife as a helpless victim, even when a

willing one. Subject to corporate expectations, excluded from the office

world, stuck with almost total household responsibilities, and lacking the
opportunities available to their husbands for challenging assignments
and contacts, corporate wives were portrayed as victims of a too-

demanding system (Kanter, 1977).

One of the responsibilities of the traditional corporate wife has been to
support her husband’s climb toward the upper echelons of the corporation. In
the process, she has been expected to accommodate the high geographical and
organizational mobility that is frequently necessary for positional advancement.
Thus, when relocation has been required, the corporate wife was delegated
the task of reestablishing family life and its myriad details in the new location,
and to forge new social connections relevant to her husband’s career.

The ﬁrst signs of a break from the traditional family model came in the
19605. During this period, more women wanted to work and at the same

time their employment opportunities were becoming more varied and

rewarding. The number of women entering the work force grew to major

3

proportions in the 19705 and 1980s. Because traditionally women have had
the responsibility of raising families and managing the household, the
increased number of women in the work force has led to the question why
women work. Fox and Hesse-Biber (1984) cite several factors ranging from
economic necessity to changes in women’s traditional values that account for
women’s participation in the work force. Entrants into the work force because
of economic necessity include both women who work to supplement the family
income and women who work to support themselves and their families. Fox
and Hesse-Biber also view the changing life cycle of women as a reason more
women enter the work force. They state that, "Today the years devoted to
childbearing and child rearing are decreasing, while the average life span is
increasing. Women are having less children and living longer. As a result,
they have more years to engage in other activities including participating in
the labor force." Another factor that contributes to the increased participation
of women in the work force is the rising levels of women’s education which
influence their attitudes concerning work. And the inﬂuence of the women’s
movement in the late 19605 and 19705 has "been a major factor in changing
attitudes of men and women about their traditional roles. This movement has
heightened social consciousness by questioning the assumptions, values, and
images concerning a woman’s ’place’" (Hesse-Biber, 1984).

Women came to recognize that a paid job has a symbolic meaning that
extends beyond the initial economic need or convenience. A paid job is an

important vehicle for self-expression, self-fulﬁllment and self-improvement and

4

is also a means of achieving autonomy and independence (Yankelovich, 1979).

Thus, work outside the home has become more central to the lives of
women. Consequently, they have qualiﬁed themselves for more and higher-
quality positions. Work is the primary avenue through which most adults
establish their identity and thus becomes the central organizing principle of
their lives. Today, jobs available to women provide higher income, more
leisure, more security and better working conditions (Yankelovich, 1979). In
increasing numbers, working women have married working men, creating
what has been termed "dual-career couples" with both partners considered
"breadwinners."

Historically, relocation has been an integral part of American life.
People have changed locations to improve their living conditions, employment
and educational opportunities. As business enterprises have grown, it has
been necessary to transfer people for the beneﬁt of the corporation. With the
increasing recognition of the corporate beneﬁts of sound human resources
management practices, employers have become more supportive of policies
that respond to family as well as to individual needs and aspirations for
personal development in different jobs and different markets. Immediate
promotion with higher pay as well as enhanced probability of future
promotions are usually offered as incentives for accepting the move.

As career women enter positions of increasing responsibility, they are
requiring more assistance with their traditional homemaking and child-

nurturing responsibilities. Even when involved in career pursuits of their

5
own, married women still bear the major relocation responsibilities for the
husband and the family. Their cooperation and ability to coordinate the
transition successfully have been often taken for granted. Often, after the
husband has been whisked to the new location and engaged in learning about
new problems, new people and the new territory, the wife has been expected
to complete the details of moving from the old location while seeking a
suitable house in a compatible area at the new location. When the physical
move was completed, she has faced the job of getting the children into new
schools, ﬁnding new friends, doctors, dentists, etc. While this has been going
on, her husband’s time, thoughts and energies are likely to be consumed by
the responsibilities of his new job.

Today, according to the US. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a majority of
all couples are dual-income thus requiring particular attention to the
advancement opportunities for both partners. As a result, employer-initiated
relocations have become much more complex. A partner with a career cannot
be counted on to put aside his or her interests simply because the other
partner has an opportunity for a promotion and a move. (Because of the
concerted effort over the past ten years to recruit and develop female
executives, it can no longer be assumed that the trailing partner will be
female). It is likely to be perceived that the interest of the family will not be
served by accepting a promotion if the immediate effect is a net reduction in
income, especially in view of the personal dislocations emanating from the

move. As a result, employees are becoming more likely to say "No!" to a

transfer.

From the employer’s standpoint, complex issues arise when the desired
transfer of a key employee runs headlong into the personal and career plans
of a working partner. Accordingly, strategies developed by employers to
convert the proposed move from a win/lose to a win/win experience are
clearly needed. Dual-career assistance programs designed to enable the
partner to obtain an equal or better job than he or she had at the old location
are a major factor in resolving the conflict. Such programs may also
strengthen the bonds of loyalty between the relocated employee and his/her
employer by demonstrating that the employer is concerned with the overall
welfare of the employee rather than having only a narrow, selﬁsh interest in
its own problems.

From a broad perspective, a dual-career assistance program is one of
several relocation provisions that are increasingly offered by corporations to
attract, relocate and retain high potential employees. Other provisions include
such items as home purchase, ﬁnancing, househunting and familiarization
trips to the new area, area tours, legal fees, temporary living expenses and
others. This study focuses on the development of one speciﬁc relocation

service: dual-career assistance.

StatemsnmLthLIimhlsm

A multitude of problems stem from the relocation of a dual-career

couple. From the relocating couple’s perspective, these problems range from

7
ﬁnancial hardships resulting from the loss of the partner’s job to psychological
problems of stress, loneliness and isolation in the new location. From the
organization’s perspective, these problems range from declining the transfer
offer to loss of productivity in the new location. To address these issues, many
organizations have instituted a policy or practice to provide dual—career
assistance. This type of formal assistance is a relatively new dimension in the
area of human resources. As a new ﬁeld and a new addition to organization
policy and practice, the relevant, existing body of knowledge is limited.

To date, there has not been extensive examination of the policy and
practice development issues related to dualocareer assistance programs. Nor
has much work been done in establishing guidelines for developing and
implementing a dual-career assistance policy. To address the need to identify
how and under what circumstances dual-career assistance policies and
practices are formulated, this explorative study was designed with the
following purposes in mind: 1) To identify the perceptions of a panel of
human resources professionals regarding the problems stemming from the
relocation of dual-career couples; 2) To analyze the variables that might
impact the development of organizational policy and practice; and 3) To
determine the current conventional wisdom among the panel regarding the
nature of policies and practices required for effective development and

management of dual-career programs.

8
W!

The problems of relocating dual—career couples are new and
widespread, and like most new problems, are at ﬁrst only dimly perceived and
likely to be handled on an uneven, hit-or-miss basis. Failure to manage these
problems is likely to have a negative effect not only on the couple but
potentially on bottom-line organizational efﬁciency. Employers who have an
understanding of and an effective approach to these human resources
problems will be likely to enjoy a competitive advantage over those who don’t.

This Study focuses on how and why a panel of corporate dual-career
program specialists have taken the problems of dual-career relocations
through the steps of policy and practice development to the implementation of
a dual-career program. These human resources programs are provided by
organizations to meet the speciﬁc career assistance needs of relocating dual-
career couples. The programs have been born and nourished as a response
to difﬁculties facing corporate personnel when attempting to recruit, relocate
and retain dual-career employees. Currently, the most extensive and
comprehensive dual-career programs available are sponsored by corporations.
In the near future, other institutions such as higher education will be likely to
borrow from and/or follow models developed by corporate human resources
specialists to address the problems of hiring and relocating dual-career
employees. This study will provide insight into the strategies and procedures
used to develop dual-career programs. And, as a result it will help higher

education institutions when developing curricula for human resources courses.

9
W311

The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the range and
nature of current dual-career policy and program issues and to identify critical
components which have particular implications for the development of
organizational policies and company-sponsored dual-career programs in

corporations of the Central Great Lakes region.

Q! . 'v E l S l
The following objectives were the main focus of this study:

1. To identify the perception of a panel of dual-career program
administrators regarding the problems Stemming from the relocation of
dual-career couples.

2. To analyze the variables that might impact organizational policy
development; and

3. To determine current conventional wisdom among the panel
regarding the nature of policies and practices required for effective
development, implementation and management of dual-career
relocation programs. (The term formal spouse career assistance has
been deﬁned under the Deﬁnition of Terms section of this chapter.
Henceforth, formal spouse career assistance programs and dual-career

programs will be used interchangeably.)

10
Medusa

This study was descriptive and exploratory in nature. As the primary
focus of this dissertation, structured interviews were conducted with twelve
human resource specialists experienced with policy development and
implementation of a dual-career program. These specialists were responsible
for and involved in the relocation activities within their organizations
including the relocation of dual-career couples. As a secondary focus, a
sample of six organizations without a dual-career program was polled to assess

their thinking on this matter.

I. r o '
What is the range and nature of existing organizational policies and practices

in implementing dual-career programs for working couples as described by
participating administrators with the participating organizations?

11. v e
What planning and development variables have policy makers perceived as
critical in the formulation of their dual-career programs.

111. W

What criteria were most consistently mentioned by participants when
describing the rationale for the decision to establish a formal duaLcareer
program in their respective organizations?

IV. 'v
What are the components of strong dual-career programs as perceived by
participating administrators?

V.
Are there common guidelines and recommendations that participants would

suggest to others when developing dual-career policy and instituting a formal
dual-career program?

V1.
What kinds of futures do participating respondents envision in the

11

development of programs for dual-career couples within their organizations?
VII.

To what extent do members of the panel agree and disagree on strategic
development and policy formulation for dual-career programs?

I"'El51

The following limitations restrict the ability to generalize the ﬁndings of
this study:

1. The danger of interview bias exists.

2. There was a small sample size in the accessible geographic area.

Due to the limited geographic area from which a sample of subjects was

drawn, ﬁndings are valid only to the extent that this sample reflects

practices of similar organizations.

3. Because of the limited geographic area and sample size, the danger

of sample error exits.

4. The study reflected the perceptions and insights of human resources

professionals who agreed to participate and had experience with dual-

career programs. Other human resources professionals may have had

different perceptions than those of the program administrators in this

study.

Dl"' [151

1. The study has been limited to interviewing a panel of twelve human

resources professionals having experience with dual-career couples and

12
dual-career programs in the Central Great lakes region.

2. The study has been limited to only formal, dual-career assistance
programs.

3. The sample was not selected randomly but was selected based on
three speciﬁc criteria: 1) the human resources professional was
experienced in the relocation of dual-career couples, 2) the organization
had a welLdeﬁned dual-career assistance program, and 3) the individual

panel member interviewed was responsible for overseeing the program.

11 ﬂ . . [I
W - Two people who share a life-style that includes

cohabitation, work roles for both partners, and a love relationship that
supports and facilitates both (Hall and Hall, 1979).

W - (Also called spouse career assistance program.) A
formal career consultation program designed to assist the partner of a
relocating employee on a personal, face-to-face basis to ﬁnd a job in the new
location. These services are provided by professionals and usually include
such activities as skills assessment, resume development, networking and job

prospecting, interview techniques and job-search follow-up.

WW
1. It was assumed that the corporations agreeing to participate in the

interview process had faced some of the critical issues which potentially

13

surround corporate policy involvement in dual-career programs.
2. It was assumed that instituting dual-career programs is likely to be
an expanding practice among highly competitive corporations having a

strong commitment to attracting and retaining top-quality employees.

W

Chapter 11 includes a selected review of the literature focusing on the
issues faced by organizations that relocate dual-career couples and the
characteristics of dual-career programs. The overall functions of human
resources are deﬁned and the issues and methodology of policy development
are explored.

In Chapter III, the interview research methodology used to develop
and analyze the data is described. Human resources professionals with
knowledge and experience with dual-career couples were identiﬁed from
organizations of higher education, business and industry. Each professional
was interviewed on a one-on-one basis using speciﬁc, uniform strategies
addressing the research questions of this study.

In Chapter IV, the results of the interviews conducted and an analysis
of these results are reviewed.

Based on the ﬁndings of this study, discussions, conclusions, and

recommendations are presented in Chapter V.

References

Fox, Mary Frank and Hesse-Biber, Sharlene, W Mayﬁeld
Publishing Company, 1984, p. 29-33.

Gordon, Margaret 8., "Women and Work: Priorities for the F uture", in Kerr

and Rosow (Eds). W Van Nostrand
Reinhold, N.Y., N.Y., 1979

p. 111-137.

Hall, Francine S. Hall and Hall, Douglas T., W219,
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, ReadiiIg, Massachusetts, 1979 p.11.

Kanter, Rosabcth Moss, MW, Basic Books,
Inc., Publishers, 1977, p. 109.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington DO, 1989.
Yankelovich, Daniel, "Work, Values, and the New Breed" In Kerr and Rosow

(Eds ). W Van Nostrand Reinhold N Y
N. Y. 1979 p. 3- 26.

14

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Immdusztign

Because a majority of couples are now dual-career, employers have
begun to recognize the underlying problems involved in the relocation of
these couples. A developing trend in organizational relocation policies and
practices is to provide some type of career assistance for the "uprooted"
partner of the employee being relocated. In this chapter, two general topics
are reviewed. The ﬁrst topic is spouse career assistance programs (dual-career
programs) provided by organizations as a result of a relocation. Included in
the review is a description of the problem, a proﬁle of corporate transferees,
difﬁculties encountered by the dual-career couples being relocated and the
corporation relocating them, a description of spouse career assistance, the
beneﬁts of using a spouse career assistance program, and the problems of
dual-career couples as viewed by corporate personnel. Because relocation and

spouse career assistance are generally part of the human resources/personnel

15

16
activities of an organization, these functions are deﬁned as well.

The second topic of the literature review will be the broad area of policy
development. The purpose of corporate policies, factors that influence these
policies and how they are developed and implemented will be explored. The
extension of these considerations from general policies to personnel policies to

spouse career assistance policies is covered.

Men

The ﬁrst article selected summarizes the purpose of relocating
employees from the employing organization’s point of view. Thompson (1986)
points out that employers have long realized that relocation of employees
plays an effective and legitimate role in meeting manpower needs. Employees
are transferred for a number of practical business reasons: to deploy the
labor force, to develop or reward talented managers, to ﬁll key positions or
respond to changing patterns of corporate growth. Geographic placement of
people and facilities is an important option in corporate strategic planning.

In the publication entitled W sponsored by the
Employee Relocation Council, a professional organization concerned with
employee transfer, states that:

More than 20 percent of the United States’population moves every year,

making ours the most mobile society in the world. A signiﬁcant portion

of that percentage can be attributed to company-generated moves,
promotional or lateral employee transfers that enable our companies to

adapt and respond to transitional situations like reorganizations and
downsizing, and to foster expansion and ﬁnancial growth.

17

At the same time, the number of women in the work force has
increased and women’s outlook toward relocation has changed. The next
article in this review was chosen because it addresses the background of the
problem of dual-career relocation. Crosby and Lawrence (1985) indicate that,

In the late 19705, wives who were willing to move believed that

transfers provided opportunities for career development for their

husbands. They also felt that they should be willing to move to further

their husbands’ careers, that frequent moves are not hard on a

marriage, and that moving is a growth experience.

The changing role of women has impacted corporate relocation
managers as well. Traditionally, they have worked with transferring males
whose wives in most cases did not work. These same relocation managers are
now facing new and complex problems involving the relocation of dual-career
couples. A study entitled "The Impact of the Changing Family on Employee
Relocation" funded by the Employee Relocation Council was conducted by the
noted futurist Marvin Cetron. This study examines the increasing incidence
of the dual-career family and notes trends and issues that may affect the
mobility and complexion of society and our nation’s work force. According to
Cetron et al. (1987), the problems facing relocation managers are a result of
the widespread entry of women into the work force. He states, "Working
women are profoundly changing the family, and the impact of both is
changing the relocation equation..."

Cetron et al. state that the increasing number of women in the labor

force affects corporate relocations in several ways. First, the number of female

transferees is increasing and as a result the number of trailing career-oriented

18
husbands will increase as well. Secondly, more spouses of male employees will
have their own careers. And, working couples are changing ﬁ‘om a wife
working part time to make a little extra money to dual-career couples where
both members actively pursue independent careers. These couples have
family living standards that depend on their joint incomes. Cetron et. al.
(1987) advise, "Relocation managers must therefore shift their focus from a
narrow view of a company’s relocating sales and marketing force to more
general societal and employment patterns which better describe the activities
and concerns of spouses affected by employee relocation."

Cetron et. al. indicate that, "The power of working women is just
beginning to be felt. As women take on positions of authority, they will be
less likely to move for the sake of their husbands’ careers. And as women
enter ﬁelds traditionally dominated by men, companies will be under

increasing pressures to change their policies toward spouses.”

M

It is important to look at sex, age and salary information of the
employees that companies are relocating. In 1986 the Employee Relocation
Council surveyed approximately 350 relocation managers regarding
information on their ﬁrms’ typical transferees and documented the results in a
report entitled MW, 1281. The results
indicated that although women represent a small percentage of the total

number of transferees, one in every four companies surveyed reported that

19

the number of women transferees was growing each year. Women made up
11 percent of the total number of transferees. In the age category, this survey
indicated that the largest number of transferees (70%) are between the ages of
31 to 40 years. The average age is 37 years. In the area of salary, it was
found that the largest percentage (22%) of the transferees earned between
$35,001 and $40,000 annually. The next largest group was $40,001 to
$45,000 (20%). In addition, more than half of the respondents noted that a
majority of their male transferees were married with working spouses. Of the
female transferees, 31% of the ﬁrms reported that the majority were married
with working spouses. Looking at the age factor coupled with the data on
salary level, it appears that the majority of transferees are at the middle
management level. The increasing number of dual-career couples has a
complicating impact on relocation. And in turn relocation, which can be a
traumatizing experience, can have profound effects on the spouse in a dual-

career marriage.

1‘” Q a 1 l B l . D . .
Part of the study conducted by Cetron et. al. (1987) involved the

surveying of corporate relocation managers and transferred employees to
determine the reasons employees refused offered transfers. The results
indicated that spouse employment was a major factor in the decisions to turn
down transfers. In a list of reasons given when an employee reﬁised a

transfer, it was found that "Spouse reluctant to leave or change job" ranked

20
third and "Spouse fears career may be jeopardized" ranked sixth. The
number one reason was "Economic hardship" which may relate to family
income (i.e., loss of spouse’s income) as well as to the cost of living in present
and prospective areas, and the state of the national and local economies.

Ranked two was ”Satisfaction with present location."

g [Bl' lIl"llllE'l

The following articles were chosen because they focused on need
identiﬁcation and relocation problems. Munchus (1985), states that the effects
of relocation are

related to the changing role of women and the increased prevalence of
the dual-career couple. Women are becoming more influential in
family decision making and are no longer willin to follow their
husbands blindly. The woman with a career su ers the most in a
relocation and faces the greatest psychological cost. Resistance to the
relocation can become a critical Issue in such a family because
relocation can create a wedge between the spouses’ career paths and
can dilute a family’s disposable income if the relocated spouse cannot
ﬁnd equivalent employment in the new location. Mental health
problems also have been documented concerning the plight of the
transferred spouse. A loss of identity, loneliness, and helplessness have
been experienced. The pressures associated with the logistics of moving
have also caused emotional problems. These factors include tying up
loose ends at the old and new residences while the spouse is working,
leaving the old community and integrating the family into a new
community.

In addition, there is signiﬁcant exposure to ﬁnancial losses which, if realized,
can give rise to further damage to the spouse and the family. Doull 8: Rose
( 1986) report that:
A newly unemployed spouse faces loss of income, personal and business
networks, and self-worth identiﬁcation often built up over many years.

New networks cannot be built quickly enough to replace old, and
demand much time as well as assistance. When a spouse loses income

21
and its attached status even for a period of six months, not even a
substantial raise allocated as a transfer beneﬁt can offset that 1055.
When fear of lost income, lost network, and a lost sense of pu 5e
combine, a tremendous sense of lost identity for the spouse an crisis
for the family result; and consequently so do transfer rejections.
Thoughtful employers must pay heed.
In addition to increased transfer rejections, the staff of Catalyst (a nonproﬁt
New York research organization) note other problems the company
experiences when relocating a dual-career couple. Among them are

"reluctance to move, increased relocation stress, unsuccessﬁil relocations or the

loss of a valued employee."

W
While relocation has many advantages to an employer, it has signiﬁcant
costs, both direct and indirect. According to the Employee Relocation Council,
on average, it costs $36,500 to relocate a home-owning employee and his or
her family. The Council reports that corporations in America relocate
employees approximately 500,000 times each year. Total annual costs are
estimated at $18.25 billion.

In addition to the direct costs there are indirect, or as described by
Herring (1989), "hidden costs" of relocation. These fall both on the employer
and the employee and include decreased productivity, increased probability of
family dissatisfaction, increased stress on the employee and the work team,
and increased search time and cost if the desired candidate refuses the
relocation offer. Thompson (1986) adds that the indirect costs that can "result

from a company having to settle for the second or third choice to ﬁll a key

22

position or even losing key personnel. And when an employee agrees to
relocate, there can still be costly problems such as lost productivity when an
executive’s focus is diverted by personal stress, ﬁnancial concerns, or is

worrying about a partner’s job search."

WWW

To minimize the problems faced by the employer and the relocating
dual-career couple, corporations are beginning to offer various forms of
spouse career assistance. The next two articles are representative of the
parameters of spouse career assistance. The Employee Relocation Council
and Catalyst categorize the offered services into two main groups: internal
support and outside contractual services. Internal support includes such
activities as in-house job searches, ﬁnancing job hunting trips, monetary
reimbursement for job search expenses and use of employer networks to share
prospective resumes thus helping each other access newly relocated spouses.
Another form of in-house assistance is a program whereby any spouse who is
employed full-time in the former location and who seeks full-time employment
in the new location can receive reimbursement ofjob-search-related expenses
up to a maximum amount, frequently ranging from $500 to $1500. This
beneﬁt typically covers costs such as resume preparation, employment agency
expenses, and job search or interview travel expenses.

Outside contractual services are provided by specialized organizations

utilizing career consulting professionals who individually assist the spouse on a

23
personal basis and who are independent of the employer making the service
available. According to Gregory (1986), Munchus (1985), Kahnweiler (1988),
Pave (1985), Flanagan and Bamford (1983), the use of outside services is
growing. These programs usually include a range of career assistance services
including skills assessment, resume development, job prospecting, interview
techniques and job search follow-up. Some include a practice video-taped
interview. Although each program seems to have unique features, they all
have in common the objective of helping prepare the job seeker in the quest
for work (Gregory, 1986).

The staff of Catalyst (1986) suggest that the addition of "networking
opportunities and speciﬁc information on local job markets make assistance
more valuable to spouses." This includes suggestions for the development of
new professional contacts.

Thompson (1986) reports that spouse assistance programs are designed
to help the spouse accomplish the following: 1) transfer job skills to a new
location, 2) continue a career or a second income, 3) reduce the stress of
relocation and 4) make the relocation a positive experience for everyone
involved.

L- r..- .._ .. 1', .7 m,- .-~ .A. ,.,. ~ ' 93......
Both Kahnweiler (1988) and the staff of Catalyst (1986) have made
suggestions as to the important characteristics to take into account when

selecting an outside provider of spouse career assistance. Both believe the

24
consultant must be ﬂexible in his/her approach in order to respond to each
person’s unique needs. They think it is important for the ﬁrm providing the
service to have a broad base of community contacts to whom spouses can be
referred when appropriate. This is valuable because the relocated spouse
loses a professional network due to the move and many times experiences a
loss of professional identity. Also, the staff of Catalyst stress the necessity of
providing emotional support. They state, "the psychological factors and
lifestyle issues intertwined with the search for employment all have a great
impact on the success of relocation. Emotional support on a range of issues
resulting from the relocation is a critical part of the spousal employment
assistance." In addition to these criteria, Kahnweiler (1988) suggests the ﬁrm
should follow-up with the spouse on a regular basis until appropriate

placement is found.

Wm:

Although there are already high costs associated with relocation and its
resulting problems, many corporations have chosen to add the cost of spouse
career assistance to their relocation budgets. This assistance seems to provide
numerous beneﬁts to companies offering it as discussed in various articles on
spousal assistance (Kahnweiler, 1988; Munchus, 1985; Lord, 1987; Druessnack,
1987; Thompson, 1986; Herring, 1989).

Relocation costs are reduced for the company when the dual—career

problem is handled as a one-time payment rather than as an increase in the

25

employee’s base pay, a cost which recurs each payday (Munchus, 1985 and
Druessnack, 1987). Further cost reductions can occur if spouse assistance
signiﬁcantly decreases the number of employees who quit their new jobs
because of domestic problems. According to Lord (1987), spouse career
counseling can reduce "the number of unsuccessful relocations, which can
ultimately result in requests for reassignment, possibly another relocation
expense, or the employee leaving the company." Received beneﬁts for the
employer include the projection of a favorable community image and positive
employee relations for all employees as well as new and transferred employees
(Munchus, 1985 and Druessnack, 1987). Thompson points out that using a
program demonstrates that company personnel are concerned about both the
employee’s family and the employee and has the added beneﬁt of
strengthening employee loyalty (Herring, 1989). A spouse program can help
to reduce family tension and stress resulting in a smoother transition for all
concerned (Kahnweiler, 1988 and Druessnack, 1987). Spouse assistance has
also been cited to promote a positive community and industry-wide image as
an organization that cares about people (Kahnweiler, 1988). Lord (1987)
states that using spouse career counseling "reinforces the company’s image as
forward-thinking, innovative, and concerned for the individual and family
unit."

Other beneﬁts include the enhancement of the recruiting, retaining and
succession planning ﬁmctions. Offering spouse assistance has been seen to be

responsible for a higher rate of relocation acceptance (Lord, 1987 and

 

hc

of

26
Herring, 1989). Both Kahnweiler (1988) and Herring (1989) point out that
using a program is a way to retain satisﬁed and productive employees. A
company may be better able to relocate personnel to the location where they
are most critically needed by offering the dual-career couple special assistance
(Munchus, 1985). Personnel departments are better able to implement
succession plans and career pathing when resistance to relocation is minimized
(Thompson, 1986). Also, this may be the added beneﬁt that enables a
company to ﬁll a vacancy more quickly, thereby reducing the cost of a
prolonged job search (Druessnack, 1987). In a competitive marketplace,
spouse relocation assistance helps the corporation to attract and retain the best
talents (Druessnack, 1987 and Thompson, 1986). Herring (1989) adds that
spouse assistance will also enhance the recruiting of ﬂame employees.
Further, the employee is seen as being able to relocate faster since he/she can
spend more time on the job and less time on problems at home (Munchus,
1985 and Druessnack, 1987). Also, spouse career counseling can increase the

number of successful, productive relocations with good family adjustments

(Lord, 1987).

E ii I Q . l V I -H S .
When a company sees the necessity for a spouse assistance program, a

decision should be made as to whether the service is to be provided by in-

house staff or an outside consultant. Gregory (1986) delineates the advantage

of obtaining spouse career service from an outside consultant rather than an

 

27

in-house program:
For one thing, a certain value accrues simply because it is not an in-
house program. Both the company and the recipient of the service are
protected, the one ﬁ’om charges of invasion of privacy or attempting to
provide assistance for which it may not be prepared, the recipient is
protected ﬁ'om the e o and emotional battering that can be the result
of inept job/career a vice. A program provided by a vendor is probably
going to have a clearer deﬁnition than a program added to the many
tasks already performed by a busy human resources department.
Vendors usually provide progress reports during the program delivery,
another feature not always easy to obtain in-house. Such updates relate
to the program itself and safeguard the privacy of the recipient. Fees
are set in advance and the vendor, employer, and recipient have a clear
understanding of the services that are to be supplied.

From a staff perspective, using an outside service instead of offering assistance

internally can relieve in-house human resources personnel from time-

consuming counseling and coordination (Lord, 1987).

When

Grossman (1988) reports that the W surveyed its
subscribers and found that "61% of the respondents indicated that during the
preceding 12 months their organizations had relocated employees. As might
be expected, the primary responsibility for managing an organization’s
employee relocation rests with the personnel/human resources department."
Eight in 10 survey respondents say employee relocation is managed by the
personnel/human resources department and these eight also indicate that it is
managed by an executive with a general personnel/human resources

management title, not a speciﬁc relocation title.

 

28
Went

Because generally the responsibility for employee relocation activities
falls within the larger context of the personnel/human resources management
ﬁmction of an organization, it is important to look at this emerging ﬁInction
and the nature of the corresponding responsibilities. The responsibility of
personnel or human resources management is to formulate personnel policies
in cooperation with other members of top management, to plan and develop
personnel programs, to carry out personnel service activities and to insure
that the entire range of personnel activities is performed effectively
throughout the organization. Personnel management typically encompasses
the activities of recruitment and employment, human resources planning,
employee training and management development, organization planning,
organization development, wage and salary administration, health and safety,
beneﬁts and services, employee relations, equal employment opportunity, and
personnel research (Beach, 1980).

According to Beach, human resources planning is "a process for
determining and assuring that the organization will have an adequate number
of qualiﬁed persons, available at proper times, performing jobs which meet the
needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals
involved" (1980). Employee relocation is often a result of human resources

planning.

29
WW

Muessen (Famularo, 1986) describes the emerging role of human
resources management.

Today human resources management has a greater impact on
corporate proﬁtability than it has ever had before. Until recently, the
human resources function was considered to be a secondary concern
and did not attract the more aggressive, bottom-line-oriented manager.
In past years the human resources director was usually a functional
specialist, mostly concerned with routine matters and, more often than
not, conﬁned to labor relations, beneﬁts administration, and work force
planning at the organization’s lower levels. Offering counsel about the
effect of management decisions on a corporation’s human resources was
not considered a key role. But today, both the work force and the
work itself have entered a period of rapid and profound change. New
employee attitudes toward work, new government regulations, the
growing concern for individual rights, and the complexity and costs of
employee beneﬁts have made the human resources function of prime
importance. The management of human resources is ﬁnally taking its
place alongside ﬁnance, purchasing, quality control, and information
management. The role of the human resources director has changed
to one that joins the chief executive officer of a corporation in planning
the development of executive management and organization. The
human resources director must now reconcile the human equation with
the corporation’s growth strategy. Because he or she is making
important policy decisions, the human resources director must also be
knowledgeable about and sensitive to the economic and social
environment in which the corporation operates.

 

Dyer (1988) states that top management became more involved with
human resources when corporate America went through a move toward
competitiveness which included massive layoffs, reorganizations, dislocations
and salary freezes or cuts. During this time, "enhanced levels of contribution
and commitment on the part of all employees became recognized as necessary
conditions for business success." As a result, the personnel function took on

an enlarged role. "Personnel managers and specialists were increasingly called

 

30
upon to understand the business in which they operate, to be familiar with
extant or evolving business strategies, to propose strategic HR (human
resource) solutions to strategic business issues, and to work closely with line
management to implement these solutions."

Beach describes the broadening of the personnel/human resources
management ﬁtnctions by viewing its expansion from the standpoint of a ﬁeld
of knowledge or an academic discipline. The ﬁmctions of personnel/human
resources management have become widely accepted to include the typical
personnel ﬁmctions plus applied human behavior areas such as supervision,
motivation, work group behavior, communication, and managing change.
Beach states that,

In recent years schools of business administration and of management

in universities have begun calling this academic area human resources

management or management of human resources. The Academy of

Management, which is a scholarly and professional society composed

largely of university faculty members in schools of business and

management, changed the designation of its ’manpower management’
division to ’personnel/human resources’ in 1975 (Beach, 1980).

W
The difﬁculties that arise from employee relocation have been
recognized to some degree by most employers. More liberal treatment of
house hunting trips, house sale and purchase assistance, etc., have cushioned
the immediate ﬁnancial impact on the transferred employee. The more
personal effects, especially those arising from the spouse, have been much less

widely recognized. As a result, practices vary widely between companies and,

 

 

(11

TC

de

the
P011}
Seco

0f 30

31
as might be expected, the degree to which such practices have been
formalized in company policies and procedures varies from complete
codiﬁcation to informal understandings that the individual employee’s
problems will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Before addressing the extent of development of spouse career assistance

policies, the general subject of policy development will be explored.

E l. . 11 [i l

Policies are broad guides to thinking. They are general statements
which guide or channel the thinking of managers responsible for decision
making (Haiman and Hilgert, 1972). johnson and Stinson (1978), describe
policies as deﬁning boundaries within which decisions can be made and
directing decisions toward the accomplishment of objectives. Famularo (1986)
deﬁnes a personnel policy as "a statement of what the ﬁrm wishes done with
regard to its employees in order to meet the ﬁrm’s objectives." Massie and
Douglas (1977) simply deﬁne a policy as "a useﬁil day-by-day guide for making
decisions."

I] Q . . [E 1'

Essex and Bishop (1986) state that policies may be adopted for any of
the following three reasons: innovation, succession, or maintenance. "First,
policies may be adopted when an organization begins a new area of business.
Second, policies may be adopted to replace existing policies in the same area

of activity. Third, policies may be adopted because laws, government

 

32
regulations, or organizational goals have changed." Haiman and Hilgert
(1972) recognized that "obviously policies are not developed just by chance.
Most major policies are originated by top management--this is one of the most
important ﬁmctions of top management. Executives are in the best position to
see the need for various overall policies which are required to guide the
thinking of subordinate managers, so that the enterprise’s objectives can be

achieved."

E . [2]..

Kastens (1976) describes the real function of the policy as a time saver.
It allows the management of the organization to proceed more quickly and
with focus. Well—written policies can cut down on meetings and memos
because agreement has been reached in advance regarding the response to
certain kinds of situations. Essex and Bishop (1986) admonish that "When
properly written, disseminated, and discussed, policies and regulations provide
guidance to every person within an organization and serve as a means for
determining how well employees have translated the organization’s objectives
into a plan of action. In addition, policies and regulations permit stability to

be maintained when top executives leave the organization."

I] [ll . . [E l E l. .
According to Massie and Douglas (1977), good policies provide deﬁnite

and clear direction by management. At the same time, they allow

 

33

subordinates to make their own decisions within clearly stated parameters. A
good policy is typiﬁed by the following characteristics:

1. It should be related to an objective of the organization and be

explained to all those to whom it applies.

2. It should be stated in understandable words and in writing.

3. It must prescribe limits and yardsticks for future action.

4. It must be subject to change but relatively stable.

5. It must be reasonable and capable of being implemented.

6. It should allow for discretion and interpretation by those responsible

for carrying it out.

7. It should be subject to periodic review.

W219:
Massie and Douglas (1977), listed the important advantages of policies
as a guide for making decisions.
1. Policies serve as precedents and therefore can reduce the repetitive
rethinking of all the factors in individual decisions. As a result, they
can save time.
2. Policies aid in coordination; if a number of people are guided by the
same policies, they can predictmore accurately the actions and
decisions of others in the organization.
3. Policies provide stability in the organization and thus can reduce

frustrations of members.

34

4. Clear policies encourage deﬁnite individual decisions, inasmuch as

each manager has a clear understanding of the range within which he

or she can make decisions.

Beach (1985) pointed out the beneﬁts of policies. First, policies force
management to think through the needs of the organization and its
employees. Developing policy helps to ensure the continuity of action even
when the managers involved are changed. And, policies aid in establishing

standards of performance to examine management effectiveness.

Bl' 1.]: El" IE 1

As policies are a reflection of the objectives of the organization,
procedures are a reflection of policies. Policies provide the ﬁ'amework within
which procedures are established and resources are administered. Haiman
and Hilgert (1972) delineate the role of procedures stating that, "Procedures,
like policies, are plans for achieving objectives, but procedures are much more
speciﬁc. Procedures essentially are guides to action, not guides to thinking.
Procedures deﬁne a chronological sequence of deﬁnite acts which are to be
performed. Procedures specify a route which will take subordinates between
the guideposts of the policies toward their ﬁnal objectives. They aim for
consistency by deﬁning which steps are to be taken and in which sequence
they are to be followed." In contrast to policies, procedures answer such

questions as who, where, when, how and how much.

35
If [2 . . [2].. 12 1

Essex and Bishop (1986) emphasize, "After policies and administrative
rules and regulations have been adopted, they must be clearly communicated
to each member of the organization." In order that they may be made more
authoritative, it is desirable that policies be formalized into written statements
(Chruden and Sherman, 1976). Such statements permit policies to be
communicated more rapidly and accurately to each individual within the
organization.

A clearly developed communication plan contributes to the successﬁil
understanding and implementation of policies. Famularo (1986) gives several
examples of how policies can be communicated within an organization. One
way is to develop and have available a handbook on policy and procedure.
And to encourage ﬁill understanding of the information in the handbook,
training sessions on policy and procedure are conducted. Articles in the
company newsletter or house organ provide another way of communicating

policy to employees.

v c]
When relations between the employer and its employees are affected by
a new policy or a policy change, the personnel (or human resources)
department has responsibility of developing and implementing the change.

Massie and Douglas (1977) summarize the personnel department’s role in

36

policy development in the following eight steps:
1. Identify the purposes and objectives that the organization wishes to
attain with regard to its work force.
2. Analyze all the factors under which the organization’s personnel
policy will be operating.
3. Examine the possible alternatives in each area in which a personnel
statement is necessary. Here extensive research and continuing
familiarity with industry practice are essential.
4. Choice of the alternative is determined by the purpose to be
achieved and by the cost burden the alternative will place upon the
organization. Also, the cost of not adopting a particular policy may
become a determining point.
5. Execute the policy through the development of procedures to
support the policy and to deﬁne the necessary authority for
implementation.
6. Communicate to the entire organization the policy and procedures
adapted.
7. Audit the policy.
8. Reevaluate and revise the policy as the audit reveals the necessity

for change.

37
Relocatinnlclicx

Organizations continuously work toward establishing appropriate policy
to act as a guideline for organizational principles. Most employers have
developed policies regarding the relocation of employees. As might be
expected, such policies vary from forward-looking to unresponsive. Cetron et
al. (1987) recognized that:

Whether a company leads the others in innovative relocation policy

features, or simply follows along, will depend on a number of factors.

If relocation packages are inordinately generous, company proﬁts and

productivity will decline; if too parsimonious, employee loyalty will

suffer (if he or she does not resign). The appropriate policy goal, of
course, lies between these extremes. In order to retain their best
people, companies are justiﬁed in facilitating transfers, or at least not
penalizing their employees for moving. A balance must be struck
between what is perceived to be necessary (to retain valuable
employees) versus what is reasonable to offer the transferring work
force. This is a dynamic balance; both sides of the equation change
over time.

The goal appears to be to establish an effective relocation policy that will

satisfy the needs of the transferring work force at a reasonable cost to the

organization.

The development of a policy to solve a problem, or at least to manage
it effectively, depends on an accurate and realistic reading of the problem.
Estimating the probable cost of the policy is equally dependent on accurate
data.

Cetron et al. (1987) also suggest that organizations need to know
certain demographic information about their employees in order to develop

appropriate relocation policies. They suggest organizations collect information

regarding dual-career couples, commuter marriages, single parents, day-care

38
requirements etc. They believe that the maintenance of a base of statistical
employee information is useﬁil in the development or modiﬁcation of
relocation policies. They advocate that, "Companies should monitor pertinent
societal trends as well as the needs and desires of their own transferring work
force in order to identify candidate features for incorporation in company

relocation policies or to identify policy provisions which need revision."

5 C i . E I.

The considerations that govern the development and implementation of
any new policy also should be followed for a personnel relocation policy
regarding spouse career assistance. In this regard, the staff of Catalyst (1986)
advises employers to take the following steps:

1. Establish a written policy clearly deﬁning the type and amount of

services available to the dual-career couple. This should also delineate

the point at which the ﬁrm’s obligation ends.

2. Communicate the policy effectively. The policy should be explained

to both employees and their spouses. If the spouse cannot be

guaranteed a job, this should be clariﬁed at the outset.

3. Set a time frame. Determine the amount of time the dual-career

assistance service will be available. It is recommended that a policy for

dual-career assistance be determined and communicated to the

employee before the employee decides whether to relocate.

39

While the process of establishing dual-career assistance policy is
reasonably clear, the need for such a policy is not universally recognized.
Several factors need to be considered when an organization makes a decision
to institute a dual-career assistance program. The staff of Catalyst (1986) list
guidelines that evolved ﬁ'om over four years of research on dual-career
couples. First, they recommend considering the organization’s objectives.
They found that common goals included "increasing relocation success,
decreasing reluctance to move, offering an incentive to recruits, reducing the
stress and expense of relocation, and indicating corporate concern for
employees’ personal and family needs." They also suggest collecting
information on the demographics of the organization’s work force such as the
age range of transferees, number of dual-career couples among transferees
and the number of requests for career assistance.

The need for a dual-career assistance policy can be cast into doubt by
the fact that transferees themselves often do not initiate requests for such
assistance. Most companies (76 percent in ERC’s 1987 Trends Survey) report
their male transferees with working spouses "rarely" request job
counseling/placement assistance for their spouses. Female transferees with
working spouses request help even less often. Eighty-ﬁve percent of
companies indicate such assistance is "rarely" sought by these transferees.

Regarding assistance, the Employee Relocation Council in a 1988 report
entitled, "RELOCATION: Trends and Developments," points out that to date

many companies have not been responding to the dual-career employment

40
issue with formal policies. They report that dual-career assistance has tended
to be delivered on a case-by-case basis. And they indicate that they believe
that this is not surprising because transferees generally have not been
requesting assistance in this area. They report that some corporate human
resources personnel have indicated that if employees are not requesting
spouse assistance then it must not be an issue requiring a policy. They
admonish, "Before reaching such a conclusion, it should be considered that
there are many reasons an employee may not request such a service other
than that his/her spouse does not need assistance."

In an article entitled, "Dual-Career Families -- Issues of the 805" Wilson
(1985) lists several reasons why some organizations may not have a formal
policy for providing spouse assistance. She indicates that the value system of
older managers was developed at a time when dual-career couples were more
rare than they are today. And these managers tend to say, ’If this is such a
problem, why haven’t we seen any signs of it?’ She believes another reason is
some corporate cultures prohibit an employee from raising questions
regarding dual—career assistance thus appearing weak or uncommitted to the
company. The third reason she listed was that corporate personnel may tend
to be hesitant to cross ’the invisible barrier’ between an employee’s
professional and private lives. And the last reason was because of the already
high cost of relocation, companies are looking at ways to contain costs, rather

than adding new programs.

41

Crosby and Lawrence (1985) concluded that upper level management
was unaware of the number of dual-career relocations and thus was not in a
good position to evaluate the need for spouse career assistance services. They
state, "Perhaps the lack of familiarity by upper management personnel with
the serious issues created by the overwhelming impact of dual-career families
can be attributed to the fact that management personnel belong largely to the
11 percent of our population that comprise people in traditional family
settings and whose spouses are ﬁJll-time homemakers." Note: This article was
written in 1985. In 1989 the number of traditional families has dropped to
less than 10%.

In a May/june 1984 Mgbiljiy article, Thomas Calo of Manufacturers
Hanover Trust Company pointed out that issues which have not been
"legitimized" by the organization will not surface. He explains that employees
may not bring the problem of spouse employment to the attention of
management either out of embarrassment or because it is felt that the
corporation would not respond anyway. Transferees ﬁ‘om some ﬁrms. may
feel their companies would hesitate to respond to the spouse employment
issue because, as Calo notes, "there is an invisible boundary between work life
and personal life that organizations fear crossing."

Regarding the problems of dual-career relocations and the spouses’ loss
of employment, Herring (1989) states, "Most employees and their families will
not rebel openly. Instead, they will talk to friends, other family members and

counselors because they rarely feel safe enough to voice their concerns to the

42

company."

ll 'EEl'El'

When the necessity for a relocation policy becomes clear and it is
developed, the implementation phase should be handled in the same general
way as other policies. Cetron et al. (1987) take the following prescriptive
perspective, "Relocation policy provisions should be instituted as the need
emerges in each company; policy development should begin when 5-10
percent of the transferring work force is affected, and the policy should be in
place before 15 percent of the work force is affected." They also recommend,
that "to the maximum practicable extent, relocation policy should be formally
written and published to assure equitable treatment of all transferees, to
facilitate personal relocation planning by employees and their families, and to
reduce the uncertainty and apprehension which typically accompanies the
relocation decision process."

The fact that many relocation decisions are handled on an individual
case basis, (including, presumably, spouse assistance) does not argue for the
absence of a policy. Based on their survey responses, Cetron et al. (1987)
believe that case-basis relocation decisions are often involved. They recognize
that actions taken on a case basis often precede formal written policy, or may
be a substitute for it. However, they admonish that there is a hazard to this
approach, "If an action taken cannot stand the light of day (i.e., if a formalized

version of a case-basis policy were legally or morally indefensible), perhaps it

43
should not be taken. Further, case-basis actions, by their nature, are
discriminatory and unfair, and they will be perceived as such by those affected.

’Case-basis policy’ is no policy."

Men
The literature cited conﬁrms the need for written policies in general
and for written personnel policies in particular. Because the ﬁ‘equency of
spouse-connected relocation problems has grown and is continuing to grow
rapidly, the need for a speciﬁc policy covering this subject has not been clearly
recognized by many employers. Failure to recognize this problem, rather
than diminishing it, may intensify it with adverse consequences for both

employer and employee.

References

Beach, Dale S, W Macmillan, (4th ed.)
New York, New York, 1980 p. 48 8: 184.

Beach Dale 8 WM Macmillan. (5th ed)
New York, New York, 1985 p. 35.

Best. john W., KW Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs,
New jersey, 1977, p. 182.

Cetron, Marvin j., Lucken, Rebecca, McFadden, Charles F., and Weir,
Barbara j. ._ , ', . . ! Employee
Relocation Council, Washington D C. 1987.

 

Chruden, Herbert j. and Sherman, Arthur W., W,
South-Western Publishing Co., Cincinnati, 1976, p. 88.

Collie, H. Cris, "Corporate Relocation: Targeting the Trends" Mobility,
September/October, 1986, p. 17-19.

Crosby, Marlene and Lawrence, jill, "A Survey of Fortune 500 Companies on
Spouse Career Assistance" Mimijity, May/june 1985, p. 79-82.

Doull, Susan and Rose, Elizabeth, "Making The First Move: Initiating Spouse
Programs" Mgbilitx. March/April, 1986, p. 10.

Druessnack, Carl, "Spouse Relocation: A Moving Experience" Remand
Administrator, August 1987, p. 95- 102.

Dyer, L. (Editor), v'
Kgspgnﬂbﬂiﬁgs, BNA Books, Washington, D..,C 1988.

Employee Relocation Council, Wm, 1987, p.
17.

Employee Relocation Council, W 1987, p. 3.

Employee Relocation Council, KW 1988, p.
22.

Essex, Nathan L. and Bishop, Harold, "The Key Role of Policies in Well-
Managed Organizations" Kemnngl, Vol: 63 Iss: 8, August, 1986, p. 47-49.

Famularo, Joseph J .. WEE, Second
Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1986, p. 8-1 - 8-13.

44

Flanagan, William G. and Bamford, janet, "More than a Moving Experience"
[91155, November 21, 1983, p. 310-312.

Gordon. Raymond L. W The
Dorsey Press, Homewood, Illinois, 1980, p. 61-62.

Gregory, jewel, "The Spouse Seeks a job" MW
1986, p. 58-61.

Grossman, Morton E. and Magners, Margaret, "Relocation is on the Rise"

W31 December 1988, p. 74-77.

Haiman and Hilgert. WW
South-Western Publishing Co., Cincinnati, 1972, p. 134-140.

Herring, Laura, "Helping Spouses Helps Employers" W21.
january, 1989, p. 35-37.

johnson, Thomas W. and Stinson, john E., W:
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1978, p. 198.

Kahnweiler, jennifer B., "The Human Side of Relocation" Mobility,
March/April, 1988, p. 56-60.

Kastens, Merritt L., -
Manual, AMACOM, 1976, p. 29.

Lord, Virginia M., "Relocation: A Family Affair" Mbbility, july/August, 1987.

Massie, joseph L. and Douglas, john, Managing, Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
Englewood Cliffs, New jersey, 1977. p. 304-305.

McNichols, Thomas]... W McCraW-Hill
Book Company, New York, 1977, p. 1.

Munchus, George, "Corporate Relocation Program Issues: Some Human
Resources Policy Implications for American Firms" Mobility,
September/October 1985, p. 41-45.

Pave, Irene, "Move Me, Move My Spouse: Relocating the Corporate Couple
Wk, December 16,1985 p. 57- 59.

The staff of Catalyst, "Spouse Employment Assistance: The Expert’s
Perspective" Mobiliiy, September/October 1986, p. 57-62.

The staff of Catalyst, "Moving the Two Career Couple" W,
September 1986, p. 54-56.

45

Thompson, TimothyW .,"Helping the Mate to Move: Relocating the Dual-
Career Couple" MW; Fall-Winter, 1986, p. 75- 77.

Thompson, Timothy W., "Relocation Today” WW,
Spring 1986, p. 57-58.

Wilson, Christine M., "Dual Career Families-Issues of the 80’s" Mobility,
july/August 1985, p. 93-95.

46

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES

lnttoduslion

To address the need to identify how and under what circumstances
dual-career assistance policies and practices are formulated, an exploratory
and descriptive study was designed with the following purposes in mind: (1)
To identify the perceptions of a panel of professionals regarding the problems
stemming from the relocation of dual-career couples; (2) To analyze the
variables that might impact organizational policy and practice development;
and (3) To determine the current conventional wisdom among the panel
regarding the nature of policies and practices required for effective
development, management and implementation of dual-career relocation
programs. This panel consisted of selected human resources professionals
having extensive experience in taking dual-career relocation problems through
policy development steps to the implementation of a dual-career program.

Structured interview procedures were used for data-collection. It is believed

47

48
by the investigator that the interview as a research strategy for this study
could yield relevant in—depth data and information that other tools could not
yield and thus is uniquely suited to the type of exploration sought by this
study. As a secondary focus, a small sample of organizations without a dual-

career program were polled to assess their thinking on this matter.

W311

The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the range and
nature of current dual-career policy and program issues and to identify critical
components which have particular implications for the development of
organizational policies and company-sponsored dual-career programs in

corporations of the Central Great Lakes region.

Wagon
The population included human resources professionals from
organizations in the Central Great Lakes region having a well-deﬁned, formal,

dual-career assistance program and experience in the relocation of dual-career

couples.

Iheﬁamplc

The sample consisted of a panel of specialists made up of twelve
carefully selected human resources professionals from Central Great Lakes

region organizations having established career assistance programs for the

49
relocation of dual-career couples. The responsibilities of each member of the
panel included employee relocation and overseeing a dual-career program.
Three criteria were used in the selection of the sample: 1) the human
resources professional was experienced in the relocation of dual-career
couples, 2) the organization had a well-deﬁned formal dual-career assistance
program, and 3) the individual panel member interviewed was responsible for

overseeing the program.

ti a

It was decided that a sample size of twelve panel members would
generate a comprehensive picture of the issues under examination. First, a
pool of potential companies was identiﬁed by using a variety of sources
including W W
inﬂuence WW and the W
Mombm. Using theses resources, a pool of one hundred and seventy-three
potential companies were identiﬁed in the Central Great Takes Region. The
human resources department of the organizations that met the three criteria
was contacted for participation. As an additional source of participants, the
investigator asked the participating human resources managers if they were
aware of any other programs that met the criteria. The ﬁrst twelve
representatives from the contacted organizations found to meet the necessary

criteria and to agree to participate were included in the study.

50
MW

Research questions and accompanying interview questions were
developed. Prior to the actual interviews conducted for the study, these
questions were tested during an exploratory pilot study. First, the questions
were reviewed with a content expert who has extensive experience in policy
development and also in dual-career programs for a major automobile
corporation in Detroit, Michigan. Following this review and analysis, both the
research and interview questions were reﬁned.

The second stage of the exploratory study involved an interview with a
personnel specialist of a major Michigan university. The purpose of this
interview was twofold. First, it would provide valuable insight and critique of
the research questions. Second, the levels of awareness and perceptions of the
problems facing organizations relocating dual-career couples were sought.
And, speciﬁcally the perceptions regarding dual-career relocations within a
university context were sought.

This personnel specialist was selected because of her experiences with
policy development and personnel issues in higher education. She was asked
to help clarify and focus the questions as well as point out any critical
omissions in the questions. It was believed that she would be able to provide
valuable insight and feedback regarding the research and interview questions.
Also, it was believed that the participant could possibly project whether the
same dual-career issues and programs now being developed in companies

would also be developed in the near ﬁJture in institutions of higher education.

51
New

For the purpose of this study, an interview schedule was developed and
then reﬁned following the exploratory pilot study. According to Gorden
(1980), an interview schedule "speciﬁes the questions to be asked, ﬁxes their
wording, supplies contexts where the need is anticipated, and determines the
degree of answer structure to be supplied by the interviewer." Using this
technique, it is sometimes necessary for the interviewer to clarify the intent of
the question and to probe for any necessary clariﬁcation or elaboration of the
responses. The interviewee may also seek clariﬁcation of the questions.

Kerlinger (1973), describes the interview as a "face-to-face interpersonal
role situation in which one person, the interviewer, asks a person being
interviewed, the respondent, questions designed to obtain answers pertinent to
the research problem." There are two types of interviews: structured and
unstructured. This study employed a structured interview where the
questions, sequence and wording were ﬁxed. The interview questions were
carefully prepared prior to the interview to obtain information pertinent to
the research problem. The interview contained both closed and open-end
questions.

The interview methodology was chosen for this study because it allowed
the researcher to obtain the in-depth investigation that she was seeking. It
was decided to conduct interviews with fewer subjects (12) rather than to
administer a written questionnaire to a large number of subjects, possibly

yielding only a surface understanding of the issues.

52

Best (1977) discusses why the interview process is often superior to
other data-gathering devices. He states that:

One reason is that people are usually more willing to talk than to write.

After the interviewer gains rapport, or establishes a friendly, secure

relationship with the subject, certain types of conﬁdential information

may be obtained that an individual might be reluctant to put in writing.

The interviewer can explain the purpose of his investigation, and can

explain more clearly just what information he wants. If the subject

misinterprets the question, the interviewer may follow it with a

clarifying question. At the same time, he may evaluate the sincerity

and insight of the interviewee.

Gorden (1980) also believes the interview process contains numerous
advantages as a strategy for gathering information. First, he states that the
interview provides a context whereby the interviewer can motivate the
respondent to provide accurate and complete information. Next, when the
questions are complex or abstract, there is more opportunity to guide the
respondent in the interpretation of the questions. Third, the interview allows
a greater ﬂexibility in questioning the respondent. Gorden believes this is
important because "when the purpose of the research is exploratory there is a
greater need for ﬂexibility in determining the wording of the question, the
sequence of the questions, and the direction and amount of probing used."
Gorden advocates that when "emphasis is upon discovery as opposed to
measurement, we must give serendipity a chance to operate and allow the
interviewer to pursue hunches and clues he may get as the interview
progresses." Finally, the interview provides "greater opportunity to evaluate

the validity of the information by observing the respondent’s nonverbal

manifestations of his attitude toward supplying the information. This type of

53
evaluation is particularly important when the subject matter or the

circumstances tend to be controversial or ego-threatening."

W

The goal for this study was to conduct in-depth interviews with 12
human resources professionals responsible for the relocation of employees and
a dual-career program. Because there is a limited number of organizations
today that meet the criteria for this study and the in-depth nature of the
research, it was believed that a sample of 12 participants could adequately
represent the population of corporations engaged in dual-career programs. It
was decided to forego the technique of random sampling and instead to seek
participants who had been involved with a formal dual-career program and
who met the three criteria of selection. An invitation to participate was
extended to these individuals.

The panel of specialists from participating organizations were selected
based on three criteria: 1) the human resources professional was experienced
in the relocation of dual-career couples, 2) the organization had a well-
deﬁned dual-career program, and 3) the individual panel member interviewed
was responsible for overseeing the program.

A set of structured interview questions was developed to gain
information relevant to the research questions of the study. The interviews
involved a series of open-ended questions which permitted the individual the

freedom to respond in depth to the questions and inherent issues. This

54
approach allowed for follow-up questions where necessary to gain more
speciﬁc information. Each interview was tape-recorded to ensure accuracy in
the documentation of the insights and information.

The researcher contacted each participant and explained that she was
conducting a study focusing on dual-career programs and the development of
policy for these programs. She asked if the individual would be willing to
participate in the study by being interviewed regarding his/her particular
program and its development. Twelve human resource professionals were
contacted and twelve agreed to participate. The researcher expressed
appreciation for the individual’s agreement to participate and offered to
provide a summary of ﬁndings to participants.

At the time of scheduling the interviews, it was stated that the interview
would take a maximum of one hour and probably closer to forty-ﬁve minutes.
A date, time and location were decided upon and a follow-up conﬁrmation
letter was sent. The broad parameters of the interview topics were listed in
the conﬁrmation letter giving each participant an idea of the nature and scope
of the interview. (See Appendix A for a copy of the conﬁrmation letter.)
Permission to audio-tape the interview was requested to minimize the loss of
valuable information. Conﬁdentiality was discussed and it was agreed that the
speciﬁc participant and the respective organization would not be identiﬁed or
associated in the context of responses or data but would be listed as a
participant in the study. Each participant’s responses would be referred to as

Company A, B, C, etc.

55

The principles of good interviewing call for the establishment of a
relationship of sincere friendliness and mutual conﬁdence. Therefore, before
formally beginning the interview, the researcher and participant casually
chatted to create a friendly atmosphere. The broad nature of the research
was discussed to provide background information on the study for the
participant. The ﬁrst few questions were intended to conﬁrm the parameters
of the general background of the program. Speciﬁc interview questions were
developed to obtain responses to the research questions.

As outlined by Gorden (1980), the following steps were taken as
preparation for deﬁning the interview situation. First, the interviewer
introduced herself in the context of this study as conducting dissertation
research toward the completion of a Ph.D. The purpose of the interview was
explained as an attempt to derive an understanding of the rationale, nature
and scope of the decision to develop and institute a policy providing a dual-
career program for relocating dual-career couples. Next, the panel members
were told that each was selected because of his or her involvement in the
policy development, administration and implementation of a such a program.
Each respondent was informed that his or her interview would be conﬁdential.
Each panel member was asked to sign an interview consent form. (See
Appendix B for a copy of the consent form and Appendix C for a list of
corporate participants.) Finally, the audio-taping was explained as a means to
ensure the accurate recording of each response. Following the interview each

participant was sent a follow-up thank you letter. (See Appendix D for a copy

56
of the thank you letter.)

B IQ' lBllI'Q'

Research questions are listed and corollary interview questions are listed below

each research question.

W

What is the range and nature of existing organizational policies in
implementing dual-career programs for working couples as described by
participating administrators with the participating organizations?

I understand you have an organizational policy for providing a dual-career
program. Please describe this policy. Please describe your dual-career
program. Who is entitled to this service? New hires and/or transferees?

W

e
What planning and development variables have policy makers perceived as
critical in the formulation of their programs?

Your organization probably had some good reasons for developing a policy to
implement a dual-career program. Do you recall what they were? Was there
a particular incident or inﬂuencing factor that led to instituting a program?

W

What criteria were most consistently mentioned by participants when
describing the rationale for the decision to establish a dual-career program in
their respective organizations?

You made a decision to institute a dual-career assistance program. As you
know other types of approaches exist, such as canned workbooks and audio-
tapes, informal resume circulation, reimbursement policies for job related
expenses and group workshops. What led you to decide not to use any of

57

these programs and instead use a formal dual-career program?

W
What are the components of strong dual-career programs?

What criteria are used to judge the success of the program? What are the
components of your program that make it a success? How would you rate the
current functioning of each of the major components? On a scale of one to
ten with ten being the highest, how would you judge the effectiveness of your
program? What improvements would you like to see made?

W

5 ' V
Are there common guidelines and recommendations that participants would
suggest to others when developing dual-career policy and instituting a formal
spouse career assistance program?

I 'o
In looking at your program, what guidelines and recommendations do you
have for other organizations developing a dual-career assistance policy? In
your opinion, what are the most important factors in implementing a dual-
career rogram? How would you recommend a program provider be
selecte ? How should the dual-career program services be communicated to
the employees? How often would you recommend a reevaluation of a
program?

W

u ' V
What kinds of ﬁItures do participating respondents envision in the
development of programs for dual-career couples within their organizations?

What do you see as possible future trends for relocation and the dual-career
couple within your organization?

W

V
To what extent do members of the panel agree and disagree on strategic

58

development and policy formulation for dual-career programs?

Emmi:

The main thrust of this dissertation research is to explore why
organizations have instituted dual-career programs and the implications for
policy development. To shed additional light on the subject of dual-career
programs, six organizations without programs were polled to ﬁnd out why
these organizations were without a dual-career program. These six
organizations were randomly selected ﬁom a list of organizations that do not
have a dual-career program. (These organizations were identiﬁed at the time
the sample for the study was selected. See Appendix E for a list of
participating corporations in the contrast group.)

Each organization’s human resources representative was contacted by
telephone using the following script:

"Hello. The reason I am calling you is because I am conducting
dissertation research on dual-career programs. I am talking with both
organizations that have programs and organizations that do not. The
research is conﬁdential and participation is voluntary. With your permission,
I would like to ask you a few questions about your perceptions of dual-career
programs within the current ﬁ'amework of your organization. (Wait for
permission.) Do you currently have a dual-career assistance program within
your organization?

NO: Have you made a decision at this point in time W a dual-

59

career program?
YES: I presume there has been some discussion and a decision was reached
to not have a program. Can you tell me your thinking on this decision?
NO: Under what conditions would implementing a formal dual-career
assistance program seem like a good idea for your organization?
I’d like to request your permission to use your statements in my dissertation if
I do not correlate them with your company name. Is this all right with you?"

The purpose of the contrast group interviews is to ﬁnd out why human
resources professionals within organizations have looked at dual-career issues
and chosen not to implement a dual-career program. Following the telephone
interviews, each contrast group participant was sent a thank you letter. (See

Appendix F for a copy.)

W

The structured interview procedures used for data collection in this
descriptive and exploratory study were presented in this chapter. The
population and sample were delineated. The research questions and interview
questions were listed. A description of the contrast group and procedures
used to ﬁnd out why some organizations have not implemented a dual-career
program is included.

An analysis of the data stemming from the interviews is described in
Chapter IV. Perceptions and experiences inﬂuencing the policy development

of dual-career programs is explored. Recommendations, conclusions and

60
implications regarding policy development issues and dual-career programs

are presented in Chapter V.

References
Best, john W., W Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs,
New jersey, 1977, p. 182-183.

' ' Employee Relocation
Council, Washington, DC, 1989.

Gorden. Raymond L W The
Dorsey Press, Homewood, Illinois, 1980, p. 61-62 and 360.

Kerlinger, Fred N., W Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, Inc., New York, New York, 1973, p. 481.

Kramer, M. (Ed), W Crain Communications Inc., Detroit,
Michigan 1989.

Levering, R., Moskowitz, M. 8: Katz, M., 11115 109 ﬁes; Companiog fl'o Wozlg
W, New American Library, New York, New York, 1985.

Zeitz, B. & Dusky, L., W511, Simon and Schuster,
New York, New York, 1988.

61

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS OF THE DATA

Inttodustiou

This descriptive and exploratory study attempted to identify why, how
and under what circumstances dual-career assistance policies and practices are
formulated. The purpose of this study was to analyze the range and nature of
current dual-career policy and program issues and to identify critical
components which have particular implications for the development of
organizational policies and company-sponsored dual-career programs in
corporations of the Central Great lakes region. This study was designed with
the following objectives in mind: 1) To identify the perceptions of a panel of
dual-career program administrators regarding the problems stemming ﬁom
the relocation of dual-career couples, 2) To analyze the variables that might
impact organizational policy development, and 3) To determine the current
conventional wisdom among the panel regarding the nature of policies and

practices required for effective development, implementation and management

62

63
of dual-career relocation programs. The data were collected through in-depth
interviews of human resources specialists responsible for and involved in the

administration and implementation of dual-career programs.

11 . . E l B
Each major research question is listed below with its corollary question.
A description of the data derived from the twelve interviews is presented
following each related research question. To describe the data, both actual
numbers and descriptors such as a vast majority, a majority, several and few
have been used. Because each panelist responded to open-ended questions,
the actual number of common responses is not statistically signiﬁcant.
However, numbers and descriptors have been included to help the reader to
track the responses. (See Appendix G for tables listing the key components of

each Research Question.)

W

e .
What Is the range and nature of existing organizational policies In
implementing dual-career programs for working couples as described by
participating administrators with the participating organizations?

I understand you have an organizational policy for providing a dual-career
program. Please describe this policy. Please describe your dual-career
program. Who Is entitled to this service? New hires and/or transferees?

All of the participating organizations offered a career assistance

program containing such topics as: skills assessment, personal goal setting,

64
cal‘cer interests, job targeting, resume development, interview techniques,
cOlllmunication strategies, networking and job search management strategies.

Two main types of organizational approaches for dual-career programs

were described by the interviewees. As the ﬁrst approach, nine of the twelve
interviewees had a formal, written policy for the implementation of dual-
carcer assistance. The policy was included in the company’s policy and
procedures manual or in the relocation manual. These organizations took the
approach of announcing the implementation of a program to all employees
and personally communicating the program to relocating employees.

The second approach was informal in nature and was characterized by
case —by-case decisions. Three respondents reported that their organizations
had a program but had no written policy. These organizations utilized a
PI‘Ogram on a case-by-case basis as necessary. It was usually offered to the
6111 ployee and spouse at the discretion of the human resources or hiring
manager.

Eight of the twelve respondents reported that their dual-career program
was available to both new hires and transferees. Four organizations reported
Ll1&1: their program was available only to transferees (employees working for
‘1'“: company at the time of relocation). However, there were times that

e3‘Kceptions to this policy were made based on individual circumstances.

55
W11

All of the organizations utilized a formal dual-career program. The two

main types of organizational approaches for dual-career program operations

were either: 1) a formal, written policy or 2) an informal, unwritten, case-by-

case approach. A majority of the organizations made the program available to

new hires as well as transferees.

W

i
Identify the policy objectives which policy makers have perceived as critical in
the formulation of their programs.
0 a t'

Your organization probably had some good reasons for developing a policy to
implement a spouse career assistance program. Do you recall what they

were? Was there a particular incident or inﬂuencing factor that led to
instituting a program?

Respondents reported that their organizations instituted a dual-career
Pro gram for a variety of reasons with all of the respondents citing more than
one reason. The reasons seemed to fall into two main categories: pragmatic
and humanistic. The primary pragmatic reason, as reported by eight
Parncipants, was that the program was instituted as a transfer enticement.

Participants viewed a program as a way to ease the resistance to relocation

when asked why the organization installed a program, one participant stated

sil’l'lply, "to get people to transfer." Another respondent stated as the reason

for a dual-career program "to get the talent we need, in the areas we need to

the locations we need." Another described their outlook by stating that "we

 

66
encourage folks to accept a transfer by helping them in any way we can."

Another pragmatic reason stated by six participants was to use a
program as a recruiting tool to attract potential employees. One company
respondent involved in hiring candidates from other geographic locations, but
not in the transferring of existing employees, stated, "The reason for
instituting a program, ﬁrst and foremost, we were trying to get people to
accept our job offer." Others reported that "it was a matter of enhancing the
recruiting process" or a way to "attract employees". Another respondent
pointed out that when a company recruits potential candidates, a great deal of
resources are invested in the process. "Before you get the guy hired, you
have committed resources to travel and resources from your organization to
evaluate the person." Due to the investment of resources, this respondent
thought it would be "ludicrous" to lose the candidate to save the cost of a
program to aid the spouse in ﬁnding employment in the new location.

Once the employee has accepted the new position and has relocated,
half of the respondents reported that their organizations were concerned, from
a pragmatic point of view, about the retention of these employees. Thus, a
dual-career program was seen as helpful in preventing turnover among
relocating employees. Respondents viewed the relocation as tenuous until the
spouse had found employment. One respondent said, "If you don’t have a
program, you will lose people." Another described the rationale for instituting
a program as, "It was a matter of retaining the employee...making the deal

stick."

67

There were two pragmatic reasons that were reported with less
frequency. The ﬁrst, as reported by one fourth of the respondents, was that a
dual-career program was linked to employee productivity. Their organizations
instituted a program to help to make the employee happy and productive. To
"keep the employee from being distracted by family problems" was a
contributing reason for one organization to implement a program. Another
respondent viewed a program as enabling the employee to concentrate on the
task at hand instead of being consumed with problems at home. Still another
summarized the problem by saying, "If the family is unhappy, the employee is
unhappy and the productivity goes way down." Using a dual-career program
as an effort to increase employee productivity during the relocation transition
process, was a concern delineated in the statement, "....it was a matter of doing
what we could to ensure his (or her) productivity and effectiveness and
shortening his (or her) orientation and training time."

The second pragmatic reason reported, although with less frequency,
was that of reducing employee stress. Simply stated, one interviewee said,
"Our goal is to minimize stress of a transferee and the family going ﬁom
location A to location B." Another viewed spouse assistance as having "taken a
great burden off the employee that is transferring." These respondents viewed
relocation as a stressful experience to be alleviated by means of a program.

The second set of reasons for instituting a dual-career program are
humanistic in nature and are related to establishing, maintaining and

improving positive employee relations. Concern for positive employee

68

relations is demonstrated in the statement that by using a dual-career
program, "employees realize that the company cares about their welfare." Also
included in the category of employee relations is morale improvement, as
indicated by the statement, "Our employees are much happier if they have
someone that’s helping their spouse". One company representative reported
that a program is seen as a means of treating their employees and their
spouses fairly during the relocation.

The reasons for instituting a dual-career assistance program resulted
from both ﬁrsthand experience with speciﬁc employee problems and from
taking a proactive approach to avoid potential problems. For two speciﬁc
companies, moving a group of employees ﬁom one location to another
seemed to intensify the problems and consequently inﬂuenced the

implementation of a formal dual-career program.

E I. Q! . 'v 5
Organizations instituted dual-career programs for a variety of both

pragmatic and humanistic reasons.

WALT.

What criteria were most consistently mentioned by participants when
describing the rationale for the decision to establish a dual-career program in
their respective organizations?

You made a decision to institute a dual-career couple program and use a
formal spouse career assistance program. As you know other types of
programs exist, such as canned workbooks and audio-tapes, informal resume

69

circulation, reimbursement policies for job related expenses and group
workshops. What led you to decide not to use any of these programs and
instead use a formal spouse career assistance program?

In response to this question, all respondents stated two main reasons.
The ﬁrst reason, as stated by nearly every respondent, was that the best type
of program available included face-to-face career consultation with direct,
personal contact. In selecting their programs, each indicated that personal
contact was a beneﬁcial component, as exempliﬁed by such comments as, "the
personal contact is extremely important," "direct contact was very important to
us because it was more personal" and "face-to-face is deﬁnitely a plus of the
program." In addition to perceiving the advantages of personal contact, one
respondent explained their choice by saying, "Because people are individuals
and as individuals we all need to look at our own individual needs as opposed
to a canned program or reading a ’how to’ book. As individuals you have to
tailor make (the program to) everyone’s particular needs. To do that, you
need an interactive process." Another described the beneﬁts by saying, "I
think it is just common sense if two people can sit and discuss the issues that
are interacting on them at that moment. It is superb. The beneﬁt that you
get is so much more...you can’t even evaluate it against being pushed through
a form and forced to consider this item now when they have no interest in
that item now."

The use of outside, expert assistance and professional guidance was the
second main reason stated by two-thirds of the interviewees. Having their

employees’ spouses receive qualiﬁed, experienced guidance was extremely

70
important to the respondents. They believed this component added to the
success of their program. As one respondent described it, "It’s the support
you get from the team (career consultants) that makes a difference. If you do
it on your own, you’re usually not as successful as if you do it with someone
else."

Several respondents reported that an additional beneﬁt of using a face-
to-face professional program was that it projected a positive image to the
employee and the spouse. One interviewee declared, "The company wants to
project that it is interested in the person and interested enough to do the best
job for us and make the employee and the spouse comfortable with the whole
program." Another respondent stated, "At least the employee knows you
committed the best resources that were available to it." Other respondents
indicated that using this type of program shows a degree of dedication and
concern for the individual. One reported, "Well, I think that it says
something about the company and whether you care or not."

A few respondents pointed out that a professional, face-to-face program
has the added beneﬁt of being more focused and tailored to the individual’s
needs. One respondent described her reason for selecting a dual-career
program over other options as, "Other programs are less structured, more
self-initiated, and we felt that we needed something to help the spouse more

directly and in a more focused way."

71
W
The panelists believed that the best programs available included face-to-
face career consultation with direct, personal contact and the use of outside,

professional guidance.

W

V
What are the components of strong spouse career assistance programs?

0 ue '
What criteria are used to judge the success of the program? What are the
components of your program that make it a success? How would you rate the
current ﬁInctioning of each of the major components? On a scale of one to
ten with ten being the highest, how would you judge the effectiveness of your
program? What improvements would you like to see made?

The ﬁrst question asked participants to list the criteria used to judge the
success of a dual-career program. Ten of the participants agreed that, "The
highest criterion for judging the success of a program is spouse satisfaction."
One respondent described the situation as, "the bottom line is spouse
satisfaction."

Another important criterion, mentioned by slightly less than one-half of
the interviewees, was "employee satisfaction." One respondent stated, "The
second criterion would be the satisfaction of the employee. 15 he (the
employee) satisﬁed that she (the spouse) is satisﬁed?"

A third criterion reported by one fourth of the interviewees can be

described as "spouse achieves goals." This includes such endeavors as ﬁnding

satisfactory employment or "do they ﬁnd what they want to do?" In other

72

words, the spouse’s goal in a majority of cases is to ﬁnd employment but the
important issue from the respondents’ viewpoint is whether the spouses meet
whatever goals they have set for themselves regardless of the goal.

Two other criteria were mentioned less ﬁequently. Two respondents
listed "months to placement" as a criterion of program success. Another
respondent saw a successful program as one where there was a "lack of
employee relations problems."

When asked to list the components that made a program a success,
eight of the interviewees agreed that the quality of the service rendered by the
providers was a key component. They saw these professionals as doing a very
good job for their organizations and described them as "knowledgeable,"
"professional," and "well-versed in relocation issues." One respondent stated,
"First and foremost, I think the kind of service provided is excellent. The
personal touch is great."

The second most ﬁequently mentioned component of a program’s
success was a "face-to-face career consultation process" with support personnel
readily available. One respondent emphatically stated, "Face-to-face is
deﬁnitely a plus of the program." Another expressed this view: "The number
one component from my standpoint is the availability of the counselor when
the spouse needs them."

Several other components were mentioned to a lesser degree during

the interviews. The following features were listed by several interviewees as

73
contributing to the success of their program:
0 national program with multiple locations
0 service provider having a network of contacts and

0 an evaluation questionnaire.

Two participants mentioned each of the following components rendered

by the service providers as adding to the success of their program:

' quick response to problems

0 support until employment is found

0 good resource materials.

Two additional components were each mentioned once. One
participant listed "spouses have found jobs" as a component that makes the
program a success. And one respondent described a comprehensive tracking
Sys tem offered by his company’s service provider, "They track the progress of
tlie individual so that you have feedback of what is happening and if there is

something we need to do with the employee or whatever, we can respond

before it’s too late."

Listed below is each company’s program effectiveness rating on a scale

of one to ten with ten being the highest.
10
9
8-9
8
7
6
5

"too early
to judge"

I—II—oI—ImMI—Im—IE

74

There was not an overwhelmingly consistent answer to the question
asking participants what improvements they would like to see made. Less
than half of all participants said, "none.” Several improvements were
mentioned by one respondent each. These were:

1) a national program with "quality in the program whether they
(transferees) go to Dallas or LA,"
2) improve the communications process within the company to let more
people know about the program,
3) "market the candidate" (call employers for the spouse and present the
spouse as a possible job candidate),
4) offer the program to new hires as well as transferees,
5) gear the program to non-professionals as well as professionals and

6) provide additional in-house support services.

Want
The panelists rated "Spouse Satisfaction" as the highest criterion for
judging the success of a dual-career program and "Employee SatisfactiOn" as
the second highest criterion. The panelists judged the quality of the service
rerIlciered by the providers as a key component in making a dual-career
lz’t‘<>gram a success. The panelists did not have any consistent responses to

s Llggestions for dual-career program improvement.

75

W

Are there common guidelines and recommendations that participants would

suggest to others when developing a dual-career policy and instituting a
fbrmal spouse career assistance program?

I I) looking at your program, what guidelines and recommendations do you
b ave for other organizations developing a spousal assistance policy? In your
opinion, what are the most important factors in implementing a spouse
assistance program? How would you recommend a program provider be
selected? How should the spouse career assistance services be communicated
to the employees? How often would you recommend a reevaluation of a
p regram?

deﬂmmndimmendaﬁons

When asked about guidelines and recommendations for other
organizations developing a spousal assistance policy, a majority of the
participants suggested taking what can be classiﬁed as a systematic approach to
pelicy development through such activities as assessing the overall philosophy,
researching the need and deﬁning the objectives. Because their approaches

and suggestions vary to a degree, illustrations from each respondent’s answer

wi ll be listed so as not to lose the essence of their responses.

The Company B representative suggested that other organizations need
to look at the volume of cases where a dual-career program would be useful.
She also suggested that the organization take into account their location, the

=1"ailability of jobs and the difﬁculty for the displaced spouses to ﬁnd

er:Ilployment. For her company, "the impact that the displaced spouse has on
the recruiting process was the single most important factor" in offering a

l)l‘Ogram. She believed that other organizations should take this factor into

76
account as well. She stated, "they have to look at their general overall
philosophy." At her company, their objective was to have a happy, settled
and productive employee and they believed that one contributing factor to
achieving that objective was to offer a dual-career program. She stated,
'mere is nothing that seems to distract people more from getting used to a
n ew job and becoming productive more quickly than being distracted by a lot

(of family problems." Her organization offered the program to help to avoid
ch ese distractions.

The representative ﬁ‘om Company E suggested that others "need to

research their organization to ﬁnd out what the needs are." He recommended
charting the corporate relocation pattern to assess who gets transferred?
When? salary grade, salary, locations, complaints, successes, practices of
Competitors. After gathering the necessary information, a pattern of

relocations will begin to appear which will help to identify the organizational

relocation needs and problems.

The representative from Company F recommended, "First of all, they
need to set a threshold of need." He believes that if an organization recruits
prOfessional employees requiring relocation, then it should have a dual-career
l31‘<>gram. He also recommended offering the program on a case-by-case basis
at the discretion of either the human resources department or the hiring
lZ‘latjager.

The Company H respondent suggested "another element that an

em ployer should include is to get feedback from the people (employees) who

77
have actually relocated." This feedback might include their perceptions of
relocation, the difﬁculties that they encountered, services or support that they

might regard as beneﬁcial, and suggestions they have.

The Company j representative recommended that other organizations

1 00k at their objectives, He stated, "you need to look at what you want to get

out of this program. Our objective was to make sure that we had satisﬁed

employees and spouses." He also saw having professional people handle the

d ual-career program as an important advantage.

Another systematic approach was suggested by the Company K
representative. He recommended researching dual-career programs within
other organizations to ﬁnd out what others are doing and then building your
own guidelines. He summarized the process as, "Do your research, know how
In uch it’s going to cost, what your guidelines are, and how you are going to
CO mmunicate it."

The representative from Company L reﬂected on his company’s
irf-l‘rcalvement by stating, "I think you have to have a long-term vision of where
you want to go with your employee relations program in general. It’s not a
(In ick ﬁx program, it does not resolve long-term problems, it is really more of
a. proactive approach to attracting and retaining (employees) and being

competitive in the job market."

Three interviewees emphasized the importance of careﬁIlly selecting a

s e I‘vice provider that would give personal contact, support and direction.

8 .
eVeral other recommendations were made by one or two respondents. These

78
included 1) pilot a dual-career program ﬁrst to test the waters, 2) establish
evaluation procedures, 3) look for a program that provides "ease of
administration", 4) look for a program that has a centralized system of control

with a local presence, 5) investigate what competitors are doing and 6) be sure

to have a commitment from top management.

W

Two factors surfaced as important factors in the implementation of a

d ual-career assistance program. The ﬁrst, with the most responses, was
cﬂ'ective and systematic communications. Participants made such

ad monishments as, "let the employees know that the program is there--
Communicate it to the employees” and "communications to employees and
transferees are the key." Other respondents emphasized the importance of
ind iVidually communicating a dual-career program to the employee during the

Interview and job offer.

The second important factor was securing management support for the

Program. One participant described the situation by saying, "First of all, they
have got to have top management commitment. It cannot be a human
I~t§s<>urces policy, it has to be a management policy." Another stated, "it was

Very helpful to get management to understand how beneﬁcial a product like
his can be."

79
SI'ES' ,

A majority of the interviewees recommended soliciting proposals and
presentations from prospective service providers to aid in the selection of a
dual-career program. They believed that this approach allowed them to
evaluate comparatively both the provider and the program. In addition,
participants listed the following factors to be taken into consideration during
the evaluation process:

0 location(s) of provider

0 case of administration

0 communication ﬂow

0 recommendations from other organizations using the program

0 rapport with the person managing the account

0 understanding of the corporate culture and the company’s attitude

toward its employees

0 track record of the service provider and

0 cost.

Based on his experience, one respondent described the necessary steps
in the evaluation process as 1) look at the programs that are currently
available, 2) evaluate each on its merits, 3) compare the programs to the
culture being developed organizationally and 4) decide which one matches up.
He believes that a dual-career program should be an extension of the
corporate culture and what the corporation is trying to project. This

e0 , , .
Il'lpany 5 corporate creed Includes a commitment not only to the customers

80

and shareholders but also to the employees. Part of the commitment to the

employees includes developing policies and practices that support the

employees’ families as well.

2; . . 11 HE E E l
A majority of the interviewees agreed that it was critical to the
Program’s success to let employees know the program was available. To
facilitate a program of communication, a majority of the respondents reported
using some form of printed material such as a dual-career program brochure,
n ewsletter or house organ to disseminate information about the program.
I nformation about the policy was also included by many companies in their
relocation policy handbooks. Many respondents reported that at their
cOmpany an announcement of the availability of the program was made to all
employees. One interviewee stated, "In our case, we did an announcement to
a1 1 employees (by) a letter from our chairman of the board to 40,000
employees." Several of the respondents expressed the importance of ,
communicating the program to the employee in person during the
itltderviewing process, or by the relocation representative or by the manager
r"T—Slaonsible for the relocation of that employee. A few respondents reported
that their organizations had arranged a meeting with the service provider and

me relocating employees and their spouses to communicate the details of the

I)1‘<>gram.

81

W

A vast majority of the participants recommended that a dual-career
program be evaluated on an ongoing basis by obtaining feedback from the
employees, the spouses and the service provider. They also reported that
many of the programs included an evaluation questionnaire that was
completed by the spouse and shared with the company representatives. Three
respondents suggested that an evaluation be conducted once a year. Two
respondents thought an evaluation should be conducted after the program had
been in operation for two to three years.
E l' G . l l' 5

A majority of the participants suggested taking a systematic approach to
policy development. The panelists believed that effective, systematic
communication and management support were key to the successful
implementation of a dual-career program. To select a dual-career program
service provider, the panelists recommended soliciting and evaluating
proposals and presentations from prospective providers. The panel members
reported that they utilized a variety of printed materials to communicate a

dual-career program within their organizations.

W

V
What kinds of futures do participating respondents envision in the
development of programs for dual-career couples within their organization?

What do you see as possible future trends for relocation and the dual-career
couple within your organization?

82

In response to this question, over half of the respondents predicted an
increase in the number of dual-career couples in the future. As one
respondent stated, "The trend line is straight up." The respondents pointed
out numerous developmental implications for dual-career programs resulting
from the increase of dual-career couples. Several respondents discussed that
within their organization there had been an increase in the hiring of both
members of the dual-career couple. They viewed nepotism as a practice
limiting the options for the organization and the dual-career couples being
relocated. One respondent pointed out that organizations need to manage the
career development process of dualocareer couples who both work for the
same organization. A few participants pointed out that there will be
increasing numbers of female employees being relocated and this
phenomenon will create new challenges for corporate personnel.

One participant noted that there will be an increase in the number of
dual-career couples refusing to relocate. And another respondent noted that
dual-career assistance will be a must as the supply of qualiﬁed people
diminishes. An interviewee, whose company is currently offering their dual-
career program to transferrees only, saw a future developmental trend toward
offering the program to new hires as well. One respondent envisioned more
people working out of their homes on a special project basis using available
technology such as computers, vaxes, faxes, teleconferencing etc., and thus the
corporation could avoid the necessity of relocation for some of their

employees.

83
One interviewee reported that her organization was seriously evaluating
the necessity of all their company-initiated relocations. They are attempting
to remove the stigma attached to an employee saying, "I do not want to
transfer" or "I will not transfer." Her company is asking, "Is it absolutely
essential that people have to move to be promotable?" And as a result, they
are looking at other career development opportunities for the employee who

decides not to relocate.

WW

Panelists expected the number of dual-career couples to continue to

increase within their organizations.

W
V

To what extent do members of the panel agree and disagree on strategic
development and policy formulation for dual-career programs?

The panel members agreed on the majority of strategic development
and policy formulation issues. The areas of agreement are listed below.
W
0 Develop a formal, written dual-career program policy.

0 Study the organization including population and objectives for dual-career

relocations.

0 Offer a program to both new hires and transferees.

84
' Dual-career programs provide a valuable transfer enticement and recruiting
tool.
W
0 The best kind of program available included face-to-face career consultation
with direct, personal contact.
WW
0 "Spouse Satisfaction" is the most important criterion to judge the success of a
program.
0 "Employee Satisfaction" is the second most important criterion to judge the
success of a program.
0 The quality of the service rendered by the providers is a key component in
making a dual-career program a success.
guidelines and Recommendations;
0 Organizations should take a systematic approach to policy development.
0 The key to the successful implementation of a dual-career program is
effective, systematic communication and management support.
0 To select a program service provider, proposals and presentations should be
solicited from prospective providers.
0 A variety of printed materials is helpful in implementing a program of
communication to inform employees and their spouses of the organization’s
dual-career program.

0 Evaluate a dual-career program on an ongoing basis.

85
W
0 The number of dual-career couples is expected to increase within the
organizations studied.
The only area where there was no consistent response among the

panelists was for suggestions for dual-career program improvement.

The panelists agreed to a great extent on the strategic development and

policy formulation issues reﬂected in the research questions.

11 . . E l C E D
This study focused on why organizations have developed and instituted
dual-career policies and programs. To gain additional insight on the subject
of dual-career programs, representatives from six organizations without
programs were interviewed brieﬂy to ﬁnd out why they did not have a dual-
career program at this time. Each interviewee was asked if their organization
currently had a dual-career program. All of the participants reported that
their organization did not have a formal dual-career program at this time.
The second question asked was, "Have you made a decision at this point in
time not to have a dual-career program?" In response to this questions the
vast majority of the respondents reported that although they had informally
considered a program, they had not systematically or formally studied the

issues and decided not to have a program. A vast majority explained that the

86
typical problems associated with dual-career relocations had not surfaced
within their organizations to date and they did not perceive the necessity for a
dual-career program at this time. Many justiﬁed their positions based on their
own experiences and perceptions and also reported that dual-career employee
problems had not come to the attention of their associates and managers in
the ﬁeld. However, many respondents acknowledged that dual-career couples
were on the rise and the issues were not going away. Also, many stated that
their organization certainly would consider implementing a dual-career
program when "the need ﬁnally hits us." In fact, one respondent ﬁ'om an
organization with many locations and relocations of the sales and marketing
staff reported that his organization soon planned on studying the issues and
problems involved in the relocation of dual-career employees. Several of the
interviewees described aiding the spouse in job-search through networking
and internal assistance. One participant revealed that within her organization,
"manager's intervene and help employees and their spouses in the new area
informally and through networking." One respondent indicated that her
company did not have a policy or program because their company is
unstructured in nature and does not have written policies on most issues.
They do not have policy manuals but instead handle issues or problems on a

case-by-case basis.

87
W
The contrast group respondents reported that within their organizations
dualocareer programs had been informally considered but not systematically
studied. Also, they had not experienced major problems that surfaced as a

result of dual-career relocations.

Summau

A description of the data collected through personal interviews is
presented in this chapter. These data relate to perceptions and experiences
influencing the policy development of dual-career programs in organizations.
Also, a description of the data collected through brief telephone interviews
with members of the contrast group composed of organizations that currently
do not have a dual-career program is included.

Chapter V includes a summary of the study, a listing of the major
ﬁndings, a discussion of the study and its implications regarding dual-career

policy and program development issues, conclusions, and recommendations for

further research.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, IMPLICATIONS,
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter includes a summary of the purposes, objectives and design
of the study, a listing of the ﬁndings, a discussion of the ﬁndings and their
implications for dual-career policy and program development and

implementation, and recommendations for further research.

Summm
W313:

The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory study was to analyze
the range and nature of current dual-career policy and practice issues and to
identify critical components which have particular implications for the
development of organizational policies and company-sponsored dual-career

programs in corporations of the Central Great Lakes region.

88

89

Q! . 'v E l 5 l

The objectives of this study were 1) To identify the perceptions of a
panel of dual-career program administrators regarding the problems
stemming from the relocation of dual-career couples, 2) To analyze the
variables that might impact organizational policy development, and 3) To
determine current conventional wisdom among the panel regarding the
nature of policies and practices required for effective development and
management of dual-career relocation programs.
W

The data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews of
human resources specialists responsible for and involved in the administration

and implementation of dual-career programs.

E; . l. E l 5 1
The following are underlying ﬁndings of the study based upon the

greatest frequency of responses reported by the panel of specialists:
1. All of the organizations studied utilized a formal dual-career
assistance program. The panelists reported the following two
organizational approaches to dual-career program policy: 1) a formal,
written policy and 2) an informal practice used on a case-by-case basis.
2. The dual-career programs described by the panelists generally were
provided to both new hires and transferees.

3. Organizations instituted dual-career programs for both pragmatic

90

and humanistic reasons.
Listed below are the pragmatic reasons reported with the greatest
frequency:

0 employee transfer enticement

0 recruiting tool to attract potential employees

0 employee retention
The following pragmatic reasons were listed with less frequency:

0 increasing employee productivity

' reducing employee stress
The humanistic reasons for instituting a dual-career program included:
1) concern for positive employee relations and 2) treating the employees
fairly during a relocation.
4. The panelists believed that the best dual-career programs available
included face-to-face career consultation with direct, personal contact
and the use of outside, professional guidance.
5. The panelists rated ”Spouse Satisfaction" as the highest criterion for
judging the success of a program and "Employee Satisfaction" as the
second highest criterion.
6. The panelists judged the quality of the service rendered by the
providers as a key component making a dual-career program a success.
7. The panelists reported that they utilize a variety of printed materials
to communicate information regarding their dual-career program to the

employees and their spouses.

91
8. The panelists recommended that a dual-career program be
evaluated on an ongoing basis by obtaining feedback from the
employees, the spouses and the service provider.
9. The panelists did not have any consistent responses to suggestions
for dual-career program improvement.
10. The panelists suggested taking a systematic approach to the policy
development process.
11. The panelists believed that effective and systematic communication
and management support were key to the successful implementation of
a dual-career program through such activities as assessing the overall
philosophy, researching the need and deﬁning objectives.
12. To select a dual-career service provider, the panelists
recommended soliciting and evaluating proposals and presentations
from prospective providers.
13. Panelists expected the number of dual-career couples to continue
to increase within their organization.
14. Panelists agreed to a great extent on the strategic development

issues reﬂected in the research questions.

E. l° E l C E
The following ﬁndings are based on the majority of responses reported

by the contrast group interviewees:

l. The contrast group respondents reported that within their

92

organizations dual-career programs had been informally considered but not
systematically studied.
2. Major problems within their organizations had not surfaced as a

result of dual-career relocations.

1].. ”1..

Today a majority of all couples are dual-career and as a result,
employer-initiated relocations have become much more complex. It is critical
to the well-being of an organization to get key people to the locations where
they are needed. Employers will go out of their way to offer services to ease
the transition and entice employees to relocate. Dual-career program policies
have been instituted by employers to convert relocations from a win/lose to a
win/win experience. Dual-career assistance programs are designed to enable
the partner of the relocating employee to obtain an equal or better job at the
new location than he or she had at the old location. These programs have
been instituted for both pragmatic and humanistic reasons. This type‘of
assistance is relatively new to corporate policy and this study sought to
examine the policy and program development issues and to identify important
guidelines for developing and implementing dual-career programs.

This study should be particularly useful to administrators in institutions
of higher education and organizations involved in the hiring and relocating of
dual-career couples. This research may beneﬁt organizations facing dual-

career relocation policy and program development issues by identifying the

93
range and nature of current dual-career policy and program issues and
expanding the existing available knowledge and conventional wisdom on these
issues.

In this study, two main trends for policy and program development
approaches were found. The ﬁrst approach was to have a formal written
policy. The organizations with a formal written policy seemed to share a
certain direction throughout their policy development stages. First, they
systematically studied their organizational needs related to dual-career
employees and relocation. They gathered data about their organization and
its relocating employees and made a rational decision to institute a dual-career
program on a company-wide basis. Second, they had speciﬁc objectives in
mind when instituting a dual-career program. Third, they tended to
communicate the program through printed materials, the company newsletter,
letters from the president etc., to the entire organization, not only to the dual-
career employee immediately affected by the relocation. They also
recommended that other organizations follow this type of systematic approach
including studying the need, the objectives, the organization and developing
communication strategies. Companies that had a formal written dual-career
program policy seemed to have a greater overall corporate commitment to the
program with communication strategies in place that broadcasted the program

throughout the organization.

94

These company specialists spoke of a concern to project a positive
image to their employees through the offering of a dual-career program. The
projection of a positive image extends beyond the employees directly involved
in the relocations. It seems that those watching the relocations of their fellow
employees are also making judgments about the company and how much
concern it has for its employees. These employees viewing the relocations of
others may also be deciding if in the future they would accept a transfer. The
success of their fellow employees’ relocations may impact on that decision.

The second approach was not to have a written policy but to implement
a dual-career program on a case-by-case basis. The companies that had an
informal approach seemed to use it quietly when deemed appropriate. These
organizations seemed to engage in an informal communication strategy
presenting program information to the affected duaLcareer employee on an
as-needed basis. These organizations did not have communication strategies
in place for announcing the program to all of the employees within the entire
organization. They believed it was best not to announce the program to all
employees. The enrollment into the program was at the discretion of the
hiring or human resources manager. These organizations did not seem to
have overall commitment and support from all levels of management.

In deciding on program policies, each organization decided to
implement a formal, face-to-face dual-career program with professional career
consultation instead of other currently available alternatives. On this program

policy issue, the specialists believed that face-to-face career consultation with

95

direct, personal contact was the best type of program available.

The panelists reported a high degree of satisfaction with their dual-
career programs. They viewed the high quality of the service rendered by the
providers as a key component to the success of their programs. They seemed
not to get too deeply involved in the mechanics of the programs; they leﬁ the
control of those aspects up to the service providers. But they almost
unanimously agreed that the spouses’ satisfaction was the most important
criterion for judging the success of the program. This was an interesting
result. It was expected that other factors would be judged as having a higher
degree of importance: such as successful placement, length of time until
placement, salary level in the new location, and ongoing support until
employment was found. Their number one concern, however, was the
spouse’s satisfaction with the dual-career program.

Partly because the specialists interviewed represented large corporations
with multiple locations, they considered having a service provider able to offer
the following features as contributing to the success of their program: 1) a
national program with multiple locations, 2) a network of contacts and 3)
program evaluation completed by the spouse. These features help the
corporations to ensure that they can offer the same quality of service
throughout the United States and monitor the progress of the service. To an
organization with one location such as a university or local company, a

national program with multiple locations may not be an important criterion.

 

96

A number of issues with interesting implications relating to employees
and relocation surfaced during the interviews. The study conﬁrmed the long-
standing idea that career development and upward mobility are tied directly to
the employee’s willingness to relocate. In many organizations, promotions are
contingent upon accepting relocations and refusing a relocation could possibly
result in not being offered future promotions and relocations. One
interviewee stated that her organization was exploring alternatives for career
advancement other than those involving relocations. She admitted that this
was a radical and emerging trend within her organization. Other company
respondents revealed that their organizations were relaxing their anti-
nepotism policies to facilitate the career needs of the spouse. One company
reported giving the spouse of an employee preferential treatment for available
jobs over other candidates being interviewed ﬁ‘om outside the organization.
Another respondent suggested that organizations need to look at other options
to relocation; for example, working from home.

The panelists projected an increase in dual-career couples within their
organizations in the future. This trend has several implications. First, they
project that more employees will refuse transfers. Also, there will be an
increasing number of female employees being relocated and this will create
new challenges for corporate personnel. Dual-career relocations will become
more difﬁcult as the supply of qualiﬁed people diminishes. To help meet
these challenges, the panelists viewed dual-career programs as a necessary

part of an organization’s relocation efforts.

97

92mm
Based on the ﬁndings of the research, the following conclusions were
drawn:
0 Dual-career couples are very much a part of the work force today
and duaLcareer relocation policies need to be developed that are
favorable to both the organization and the individuals involved.
0 Corporate personnel should systematically study the issues
surrounding dual-career relocations within their organizations.
0 The purposes and objectives that the organization wishes to attain
with regard to its dual-career employees should be identiﬁed.
0 An effective dual-career program involves an organizational
commitment and overall management support.
0 It should be decided who is eligible for the program; for example,
new hires and/or transferees.
0 Effective communication strategies should be developed to inform
managers and employees about available dual-career programs.
0 The cost burden that a dual-career program would place on the
organization should be considered. Also, the cost of not adopting a
dual-career program should be a determinant.
0 A dual-career program should include face-to-face, professional
career consultation.
0 Dual-career program evaluation should be conducted on an ongoing

basis.

98
0 Managers communicating a program to the relocating employee
should have a thorough understanding of the program.
0 "Spouse Satisfaction” needs to be carefully deﬁned to ensure meeting
success standards.
0 The organizations in the contrast group, without a dual-career policy
and program at this time, did not seem to have systematically decided
not to have a program. They seemed to be receptive to the possibility
that in the future as the issues associated with dual-career relocations
grow within their organization the need for the implementation of a

program may become apparent.

co ' e

The review of the literature, ﬁndings, conclusions, and practical
implications generated by this study have prompted suggestions for further
research. Some of the areas that appear to warrant further consideration are
listed below.

1. This research was limited in scope to corporations from the Central

Great Lakes region. Further research could include parallel studies to

this one to see if the ﬁndings are similar in different geographic areas

of the country.

2. The ﬁndings from this study could be used as the foundation to

generate a survey that could be administered to a large number of

organizations throughout the United States to determine the

99
generalizability of these ﬁndings.

3. This study looked at dual-career program policy development issues
from a corporate personnel point of view. Another perspective in
studying dual-career issues needs to be from the dual-career couples’
point of view.

4. Another needed perspective for future study is to research the
perceptions of the service providers regarding underlying dual-career
program issues.

5. A cost/beneﬁt analysis needs to be conducted to answer such
questions as:

What does it cost an organization per year to provide a dual-career
program? What beneﬁts are realized for the costs involved? What
percentage of employees and transferees within an organization are
dual-career? What percentage of dual-career transferees utilize a
program?

6. Another related issue for further study is how an organization
manages dual-career couples within its own organization. Does an
organization have a better chance to manage its employees’ careers if
both members of the couple are employees?

‘7. Using this dissertation study as a point of departure, further study
should be conducted on the feasibility of dual-career programs within
the framework of higher education recruiting and hiring practices.

8. A multilevel evaluation of the overall effectiveness of dual-career

100
programs needs to be conducted. This study might use different
methods of evaluation to identify critical variables involved in program

SUCCCSS.

APPENDIX A
CONFIRMATION LETTER
(SENT TO PARTICIPANTS)

101

Date

Participant
Title
Company
Address

Dear Participant:

I am writing to you as a follow-up to our telephone conversation. Your
willingness to participate in my study investigating spouse career assistance
programs and policy development issues is very much appreciated.

I look forward to our time together during the interview process, which has
been scheduled for (time) on (date). The interview will take approximately
one-half hour.

The following topics will be discussed in the interview:

"' Policy development issues related to the offering of spouse career

ass1stance,

“ Components of a successful program,

* Recommendations for other organizations developing a policy and

program, and

" Future trends for relocation and the dual-career couple.
The interview will be treated in a professional and conﬁdential manner. The
interview will be tape recorded, with your permission, to ensure that all of the
data made available to me are captured for reference to be used in my
dissertation. Of course your participation is strictly voluntary and you may
choose not to answer any of the questions asked of you.

If a problem should arise with our scheduled appointment, please contact me
at your earliest convenience (work: 313-767-2880; home 517-596-2090).

Again, thank you for your participation and I look forward to our meeting.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Henderson

APPENDIX B
CONSENT FORM

102

I hereby consent to being interviewed by Linda A. Henderson for her doctoral
dissertation research conducted at Michigan State University. I understand
that data obtained in the interview will be treated conﬁdentially and although
the participating companies will be listed, they will not be individually
identiﬁed or associated with the data. Participating companies will be referred

to as Company A, B, C, etc.

 

Corporate Participant

 

Date

APPENDIX C
CORPORATE PARTICIPANTS

103

Panelists from Participating Companies
with Dual-Career Assistance Programs

Mr. Don Barnett

Director of Human Resources

Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research Division
2800 Plymouth Road

Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2430

Mr. Jon Williams

Manager, Employee Relations
Allied-Signal Inc.

Automotive Sector World Headquarters
20650 Civic Center Drive

PO. Box 5029

Southﬁeld, MI 48086

Ms. Arlene Spencer

Manager of Employee Relations
Allied-Signal Inc.

Bendix Safety Restraints Division (BSRD)
2107 Crooks Road

Troy, MI 48984

Mr. Armando Diaz

Management Compensation Specialist
Chrysler Corporation

1200 Chrysler Drive

Highland Park, MI 48288

Mr. Robert Tate

Manager, Placement Resources
Personnel Resources

Dow Chemical U.S.A

2020 Willard H. Dow Center
Midland, MI 48674

Mr. Ron Butler

Supervisor, Personnel Policies
Amoco Corporation

200 East Randolph Drive
Chicago, IL 60601

104

Mr. Ken Faber

Central Placement Manager
Employee Relations Staff
Ford Motor Company

The American Road

P.O. Box 1899

Dearbom, MI 48121-1899

Mr. Dick Gudin

Manager, Staffing and Development
Allen-Bradley

747 Alpha Drive

Highland Heights, Ohio 44143

Ms. Gretchen Soutear

Director, Salaried Personnel

General Motors Corporation

B-O-C Group, Flint Automotive Division
902 East Hamilton Avenue

Flint, MI 48550

Ms. joAnne Fennicks

Salaried Personnel Administration
Detroit Diesel Corporation

13400 Outer Drive

Detroit, MI 48239

Mr. Dan Van Buren

Former Human Resources Manager
Allen-Bradley

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Ms. Elizabeth Waidelich
Manager, Human Resources
Walbro Corporation

Cass City, MI 48726-0096

In reporting the data, these panelists have been randomly assigned the
designation of Company A, Company B, Company C, etc. and this assignment
in no way matches the ordering of the above list.

APPENDIX D
PARTICIPANT THANK YOU LETTER

105

Date

Participant
Title
Company
Address

Dear Participant:

I would like to thank you for your participation in my dissertation research
study. Your insights, perceptions and experiences added greatly to the
information gathered. It was enjoyable to interview you and learn from your
valuable experiences.

I am continuing to interview others and collect data which will be analyzed
and interpreted in March and April. I plan to send you a copy of the
summary of the ﬁndings as a small way to thank you for your time and
participation.

Thank you again very much.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Henderson

APPENDIX E
CONTRAST GROUP PARTICIPATING CORPORATIONS

106

Contrast Group from
Participating Companies
without Dual-Career Assistance Programs

jacobson’s Stores Inc.
jackson, Michigan

Sears, Roebuck 8: Company
Chicago, Illinois

NBD Bancorp, Inc.
Detroit, Michigan

Masco Corporation
Taylor, Michigan

Steelcase Inc.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Rockwell International Corporation
Troy, Michigan

APPENDIX F
CONTRAST GROUP THANK YOU LETTER

107
Date

Panelist

Position

Company

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Panelist:

I would like to thank you for your participation in my dissertation research
study. Your insights, perceptions and experiences added greatly to the
information gathered. It was enjoyable to interview you and learn ﬁ‘om your
valuable experiences.

I am continuing to interview others and collect data which will be analyzed
and interpreted in March and April. I plan to send you a copy of the
summary of the ﬁndings as a small way to thank you for your time and
participation.

Thank you again very much.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Henderson

APPENDIX G
TABLES

108
TABLE I

N-12

 

£9119! me.

Written Policy 9
Informal policy case-by-case basis 3

 

Bmmm

Formal, dual-career assistance program
with face-to-face consultation . 12

 

 

Maximum

Both new hires 8: transferees 8
Only transferees 4

 

 

TABLE 2
W

W
Transfer Enticement
Recruiting Tool

Em loyee Retention
1R uce Stress
Employee Producn'vity
Minority/Female

 

#0000050)”

 

II . .
Positive Employee Relations 4

 

TABLE 3
W

 

Face-to-face career consultation with
direct personal contact 10

Outside expert assistance with
professional guidance 9

 

109
TABLE 4

W

E S Q"

 

Spouse Satisfaction
Employee Satisfaction
Spouse Achieves Goals
Months to Placement
Lack of ER Problems

unuuS

 

WWW

 

Quality of Service Provider

Face-to-Face consultation

Program Evaluation

Network/Contacts

National Program w/Multiple Locations
Quick Response to Problems

Resouce Materials

Support Provided until Employment Found
Spouses Found Employment

Tracking System

HHMMMWMWU‘Q

 

Imnmxrnrms

 

None

Additional In-house Support Services
National Program/Consistent Service
Communications

Gear Program to Non-Professionals
Offer to New Hires

~ﬂﬂ-*

 

TABLE 5
EEEEJHEME

 

Increase in Dual-Career Couples

Employ Both Members of Dual-Career Couple
Increase in Female Transferees

Unwillingness to Relocate

Offer to New Hires

Alternatives to Relocation

Reevaluate Necessity of Relocation

Remove Stigma of Refusing Transfer

Mana e Dual-Career Coup es within Organization
Dimis 'ng Supply of Professionals

uwuumunmuq

 

110
TABLE 6

W

5.”. IE I'

 

Systematic Approach

Personal Contact, Supportand Direction

Pilot Program

Establish Evaluation Procedures

Ease of Administration

Centralized System of Control with Local Presence
Investigate Competitor’s

Top Management Commitment

mm—w—u-uos

 

Wm

 

Communication of Program
Management Support

 

Sl' ”.2.“

 

Proposals and Presentations

Track Record

Location

Cost

National Program

Ease of Administration and Communication Flow
Rapport with Account Executive

Facilities

Corporate Culture and Attitude

Network

HMMMMMMbM‘I

 

E Q ..n

 

Dual-Career Program Brochure
Company-Wide Announcement
Interviewing/Hiring Process
Face-To-Face Meeting

Group Introductory Session
Company Paid

”newsman

 

Wm

Ongoing
Yearly

After 8 years
Every 2-3 years