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Subscribe to RSSMost men and women who appear to be successfully climbing the corporate ladder say they can “have it all” — but maybe not all at the same the time.
A new, international survey of managers and executives at big companies finds that about 7 in 10 of the men and women surveyed believe they can have a successful career and family life.
But there is a catch. Half of the executives surveyed on behalf of consulting firm Accenture conceded that although you could have both professional success and a family life, you cannot have it all at the same time.
The online survey of 4,100 executives in 33 countries was conducted in November of 2012. The respondents included professionals such as managers, vice presidents and owners or partners at medium to large organizations. It had a two percentage point margin of error.
The Accenture survey did offer evidence that many are at least striving for a successful work/life balance. When the professionals were asked what they define as career success, the most popular answer was “work/life balance,” with about 56 percent of the vote.
That beat out even “money,” which got 46 percent of the vote. The respondents were allowed to give more than one answer.
In addition, about half said they had turned down or not pursued a job because of concerns about work/life balance.
The survey comes amid a heated debate over whether ambitious, career-minded men and women can balance success at work with success at home.
Former State Department official Anne-Marie Slaughter sparked a huge debate last year when she argued in The Atlantic that women still can’t have it all, at least in the United States.
More recently, Yahoo Chief Executive — and new mom — Marissa Mayer also created a stir when her company ordered telecommuting workers to start coming into the office. Many argued that such a directive is a major blow to parents who are trying to balance work, family and long commutes.
The debate isn’t just confined to women. These days, many dads also are struggling to "have it all."
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Really? I see debates over the budget, debates over guns, debates over the Middle East. There are debates on abortions and on the economy and on homosexuality, on the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of justice. There are debates over the First, Second, Fourth, Sixth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments, over the role of government, churches, and unions, over elections and schools and Wall Street.
I guess, with all this time spent on trivial issues like whether or not our government is solvent, I missed when the debate got "heated" over such a world-shaking question as whether or not an executive can "have it all".
Yes you can have it all - and you can fly out the window too. Give it a try.
of course the execs believed it so.... they also believed and trained to make you believe that he could do the job when in fact he drove the company to the sh1thole. how many execs will admit the truth when in fact it's their capacity of untruthfulness is what got them there.
I do accounting. We had an exec who made himself fabulously wealthy here while telling employees no pay raises, no employer contribution to 401k because of "the budget". Course they accepted that because budget woes are all over TV and radio. They figured we had a problem too. We had money and generated money, but it was going to the one guy. The new exec gets paid very well and has a lifestyle most people would think is very fine just not as lavish as the other one. 401k contributions are back on, pay raises are happening again. Don't listen to these idiots who say the boss deserves all the riches they can grab because they earned it. Sometimes they take just because they can. And believing they earned it , doesn't make it so.
ask workerbees the same questions, about themselves and the execs, see what kind of answers you get then.
@!$%#. I'm over 50, been married twice, and I'm still not an executive. Who cares.
Lots of people thought they had it all during the housing boom. Over night they were broke and homeless.
It's hard to sterotype rich or poor people. I know some great people on both sides and I know creeps on both sides.
It's like a evil disease to some executives. All their working lives they are told to never associate with a person below you. Wine and dine the one's above you and kiss their butts. When they reach near the top, they have no knowledge of the working class needs. A good example is Romney and his commits of the 47% of the Americans. Of course we have many in Congress this way as we have CEO's like this.
I don't want "it All" whatever that means. I want to do a great job, add value to whatever endeavor I am working on, and be the best dad EVER! All the other stuff means very little to me. I won't work 60 hrs a week every week, but I will if I need to do it for the short term. I will miss a family event here or there because sometimes you just have to miss things that are important. Life is tough. We do the best we can, and usually things just work out. Just don't tell me what to believe or tell me how to live my life and we are good : )
the ones who believe they can have it all, are the ones taking it from everybody else,,,,
What is "it all." Are we talking about happiness? If so we should look at Denmark and Norway who lead the world in happiness. Of course they also are among the world leaders in total taxes. Is "all" a bigger house, a fancier car, more vacations, more time to read, seeing our children as athletic stars in youth leagues, having more time together as a couple? Economists seem to believe that $150,000 should take care of all our financial needs== how much do you really want?
I believe "it all" in the article refers to having a career and family without either dragging down the other. Seems there are a lot of jealous people on this thread that think this story is about executive taking all the money from the workers. Reading comprehension really needs to be taught all through school. If it is still being taught, then there are some teachers that really did a piss poor job.
Dear Bob. Thank you for some perspective. People in the U.S. have come to believe money is the most important thing. They lose touch with what is really important.
Pfft -- those economists must not live in San Francisco. You would be scraping by with a family on that income -- not a chance you could buy a home.
I just want a raise. After 3 years of being told the company I work for is seeing its biggest profits in history, and told execs are getting big bonuses, then being told I can't get a raise so we can cut costs, it's really beginning to suck around here.
Once you become a top exec, like a ceo, you really can have it all! To the tune of millions in bonus monies, even if you fail to peform.
Oh they can and do have it.ALL ALL the time...
Our Nation makes sure they have it all our Government makes sure they have it all..The people who make the products the EXEC sells makes sure the EXEC has it all....
It's called Corporate greed GREED....It's ingrained in there Corporate minds in BUSINESS SCHOOL...Just look at the Wall Street Meltdown back in 2006 and 2007...That is very good example of CORPORATE GREED at it best..Not only did they really shaft all there investors......They shafted the U.S. Government and the Little guy on MAIN STREET... and on top of that...They get bonus for doing all this...It's shear unadulterated GREED...What more..it's encouraged within Wall Street...they don't care.if it's legal..That's beside the point...They care if it's Profitable..That's it... they don't care if there INVESTORS make money..They care the HOUSE makes money,,the Business...the Top movers and shakers..The Greed the total lack of morals ..The utter disregard for others....
THIS IS WHY WE NEED SERIOUS REGULATION OF WALL STREET AND INVESTMENT BANKING......
These morons who did it to us the last time are not done ..They want to do it ALL OVER AGAIN..Why....Because notta a one of em was held accountable...They pulled off the biggest PONZI SCHEME of all time...and the U.S government picked up the TAB and patted em all on the back...and told em to Play nice...and then BAILED EM OUT....of there own mess...Then they all got BONUS checks....
GREED..yes they can have it all because Americans do Nothing to stop them from there relentless greed...They are after the wealth of the middle class..They got part of it the last time now there after the rest........
REAL REGULATION........SERIOUS OVERSIGHT.....A STRONG AND JUST S.E.C.........that can counter the unrelenting Corporate Greed...THE HAVE IT ALL ATTITUDE.....
I'm sure they do think they can have it all. They make great money, go home have a nice meal and whatever else they desire. The average middle class person makes OK money, but it is never enough, especially lately, as all raises have been frozen, no 401(k) match, etc, etc, and ends up fighting with the spouse because of all of the stress. So, yes, they have much home/work balance, while the rest of us have no home/work balance with working 4+ jobs per family just to make ends meet.
If all you aspire to in life is wealth and family, especially wealth, you'll never have it all. The reason: People begin to worship money, therefore lose touch with God. "It is easier for a poor man to enter the kingdom of heaven, than for a fat man to be threaded through the eye of a needle." The problem, is greedy people can never have enough. How many millions to people need to, "Have it all."
I think you can have both, but that it requires a very close balance. You have to be very disciplined.