Research Perspectives on Work and the Transition to Motherhood

This book examines the intricate challenges faced by women and families during the transition to motherhood. It presents unique theoretical and methodological approaches to studying women’s transition from being employees to working mothers. Its focus is on the impact of work on the transition to motherhood, and the impact of motherhood on women’s working arrangements, work attitudes, work experiences and perspectives. Special attention is given to intervention research that can enhance the health and well-being of mothers and employers as they reconcile demands of the family-work interface.

Integrating theoretical framework development and methodological considerations, this book provides an in-depth introduction to the topic. It brings together researchers and experts on the work-family interface, on workplace discrimination during pregnancy and early motherhood, and well-being.

Christiane Spitzmüller, Ph.D. is currently an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Houston and a visiting scholar at Lagos Business School in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany. Through a Fulbright scholarship, she then conducted research and completed her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Bowling Green State University in the USA.   Her research interests are in three major areas: organizational survey research methodology, the work-family interface and employee health and safety. Through her research, she aims to understand how employees’ work experiences shape family health and well-being outcomes. Dr. Spitzmüller’s research work has been published in the top journals in Human Resource Management, including Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Organizational Behavior. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Organizational Research Methods. In addition to conducting research, Dr. Spitzmüller has also consulted with organizations, including ExxonMobil and British Petroleum as well as the World Health Organization.  Dr. Spitzmüller teaches Occupational Health Psychology, Survey Research Methods and Introduction to Statistics as well as MBA courses at the University of Houston and at Lagos Business School.

Dr. Russell A. Matthews is an Assistant Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Bowling Green State University.  Dr. Matthews earned his Ph.D. in I/O psychology, with graduate certificates in occupational health psychology and quantitative research methods, from the University of Connecticut. His research focuses primarily on the examination of the work-family interface with particular emphasis on the development and application of boundary theory. In tandem, he conducts research on “non-traditional”populations (e.g., older workers, individuals with excessive family demands). He also conducts a significant amount of research on the broader issues of worker health, safety, and well-being with an interest in specific occupations (i.e., educators, first responders).  He has a keen interest in methodologically based research questions across these lines of research.  To date, Dr. Matthews has published over 45 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, and been involved in over 80 national and international conference presentations. His research has been funded by such agencies as the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Interior and published in such journals as the Journal for Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Work & Stress, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Accident Analysis & Prevention.