Fathers at Work A Ghost in the Organizational Machine.pdfVIP

bs_bs_banner Gender, Work and Organization. doi:10.1111/gwao.12000 Fathers at Work: A Ghost in the Organizational Machine Simon B. Burnett, Caroline J. Gatrell,* Cary. L. Cooper and Paul Sparrow This article first provides a review of fatherhood in the gender and organization literature on work and family, and the body and (in)visibility. It observes how organizational assumptions which frame fathers as breadwinners, ignoring their paternal role, remain extraordinarily persistent because policies (no matter how long established) do not necessarily change social attitudes and behaviours. The article then draws upon original qualitative data to demonstrate how while male workers may feel valued as employees, they often feel invisible at work in their paternal role. Fathers perceive that, while family-friendly policies might in theory be available to ‘parents’ these are in practice targeted at working mothers. The article considers why working men’s paternity is so often ignored, as though fathers are a ghost in the organizational machine. A recommendation for the establishment of a fatherhood and motherhood passport is made. Keywords: fatherhood, work, gender, family, invisible, machine Introduction Whilst motherhood has historically been seen as a central aspect of feminine identities, fatherhood has always competed with other elements in the constitution of masculinity, particularly with paid work. (Halford, 2006, p. 385) When I see ghosts they look perfectly real and solid — like a living human being. They are not misty; I can’t see through them; they don’t wear sheets or bloody mummy bandages. They just look like ordinary people ... and sometimes it is hard to tell who is a ghost. (Woodyard, 2010) n organizations, employed men are defined primarily through their paid work: as managers, Iworkers or team players (Kimmel, 1993; Özbilgin et al., 2011). Despite an increasing plethora of work–life bal