'Det er jo viktig for meg begge deler' - En kvalitativ studie av hvordan kvinner håndterer kombinasjonen av lønnsarbeid og omsorgsarbeid gjennom job crafting

Over the past thirty years the number of women in the workforce has increased considerably. Despite the development of multiple welfare benefits, the first years after becoming a parent is often described as demanding. Multiple studies have explored the experience of first-time mothers as they return to work or the consequences of combining work and motherhood on the individual’s health. This study contributes to the field by exploring what first-time mothers do in their efforts to handle the combination of work and motherhood. The study explores how women engage in job crafting after returning to work after maternity leave. The purpose of the study was to contribute to the knowledge about women’s efforts to combine work life and motherhood and make implications for how leaders and the organization can ease this transition and combination in a way that is beneficial for both the individual and the organization. The population of this study consists of five Norwegian women who had recently returned to work after their first maternity leave. Data was collected through in-dept interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall findings suggest that the women engage in multiple job crafting-strategies in their pursuit of balance between their working selves and motherhood. The women also demonstrate a high commitment to both areas and are dedicated to sustaining a high level of performance both at work and at home. This can explain their great efforts to combine motherhood with fulltime jobs despite feeling that time is a scarce recourse. Employers should recognize this motivation and effort and facilitate job crafting that is beneficial for both the individual and the organization. This study also makes a theoretical contribution and recommend the acknowledgement of cognitive job crafting as an essential strategy in work and organizational research