Two professors at Wharton report the findings of their survey on the impact of the change in marriage and divorce patterns on the workplace (Read I Do’s and Don’ts: How Changes in Marriage, Divorce and Childbirth Are Redefining the Workplace).
I was suprised to read that marriage and divorce rates are at an all-time low (though thinking about this some more, that is probably a big “duh.”) The other duh is that women are staying in the workplace longer — and not at home with babies.
In the past, the theory of marriage was a sort of specialization paradigm: You nurture and I’ll bring home the bacon. But now “marriages are now built more around ‘leisure and consumption complementarities,’ which increasingly pairs men and women with similar incomes and interests,” says the article. If we like to buy and do the same stuff, we’re made for each other?
But what’s the impact on the business? From here it’s a bit of a leap, so bear with me: if women are staying in the workplace longer….there’s more opportunity for men and women to meet in a romantic way at work(!). Sorry, but I’ve suddenly gone from duh to huh. And then this nugget:
There is enormous pressure for the workplace to combine this melting of home and work. Firms add lounges and kitchens that are comfortable and well designed: They look like a living room where you can enjoy your coffee. If you have couples without children in the same workplace, there may not be much of a divide between home and work.
Yipes! I don’t know about you, but I have never confused the comfort of my home with the cube at work.
