Now more than ever industry surveys have become a familiar and important tool for mobility managers. Designed to assist with benchmarking and policy improvements, and to provide a concise and objective snapshot on a range of issues and challenges, Yvonne McNulty reviews nine of the best industry surveys of 2005 in this first of a 3-part series.

On this page:

    * International Survey of Work-Life Balance Policies
      ORC Worldwide
    * Talent Management Value Imperatives: Strategies for Execution
      The Conference Board
    * Moving Matters: A Study of How to Help International Transferees Relocate
      The Interchange Institute for Graebel Movers International

International Survey of Work-Life Balance Policies
ORC Worldwide

One of the more interesting and emerging hot topics of 2005 is work-life balance for international assignees. To address this need, ORC has released findings of a 3-month study of work-life balance policies in conjunction with the Association for Human Resources Management in International Organisations (AHRMIO) and Industrial Relations Counsellors (IRC).

The timing of the survey could not be better, with an abundance of academic and practitioner literature already available on the subject. For example, author and speaker Robin Pascoe is due to release her new book Raising Global Nomads: Parenting Abroad in an On-Demand World, in October 2006, which is targeted at work-life balance for spouses and parents of third-culture kids (TCK).

Similarly, in 2004 the International Centre of Work and Family (ICWF) was founded as a research centre of the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. In July 2005 the ICWF held its Founding Conference to create a forum for creating vision and building theory for the field. Central themes of the conference included international work-life policies and practices, and work-family conflict and enhancement in expatriates and their families.

Stepping into the field is ORC with its seminal survey of work-life balance policies. "Work-life balance is an area of great concern to many organisations, including AHRMIO," says Siobhan Cummins, Managing Director of ORC, "which is why we agreed to do a joint survey with them."

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