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Article
Taking Stock of Work-Family Initiatives: How Announcements of "Family'Friendly" Human Resource Decisions Affect Shareholder Value
Industrial & Labor Relations Review (2004)
  • M. M. Arthur
  • Alison Cook, Utah State University
Abstract
Sampling 231 work-family initiatives announced in the Wall Street Journal, this study examines the relationship between work-family human resource decisions and share price reaction. Consistent with past research, the results suggest that firm announcements of work-family initiatives positively affect shareholder return. In addition, we find that timing influences the relationship in three scenarios. First, pioneers of work-family initiatives generate larger share price reactions than later adopters of the same initiative. Second, the first work-family announcement a firm releases influences share price reaction more than successive work-family announcements by the same firm. Third, share price reactions to work-family human resource decisions following gender discrimination suits or lack thereof vary based on the time period examined. The results and implications of the research are discussed.
Keywords
  • Stock,
  • Work,
  • Family,
  • Initiatives,
  • Announcements,
  • Human Resource,
  • Decisions,
  • Shareholder,
  • Value
Disciplines
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Citation Information
Arthur, M.M. & Cook, A. (2004). Taking stock of work-family initiatives: How announcements of “family-friendly” human resource decisions affect shareholder value. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 57, 599-613.