Reproducing gender roles through virtual work: The case of senior management

The demand for long and inflexible working hours in leading positions in the economy is often seen as one of the primary hindrances for women entering leadership positions. The aim of the article is to analyse how virtual work affects the reconciliation of work and family life among senior managers in Iceland. The study is based on qualitative one-on-one interviews with managers in Icelandic companies. Our findings show that the work life of women and men in leadership positions intrudes into their domestic sphere in distinct ways. Virtual work in general improves work–life balance, as it enables managers to bring work home from the office and vice versa. Women are more likely than men to experience hurriedness when they integrate housework, caregiving and paid work with the help of information and communication technologies. Men, who seem to have more power over their own time than women, establish sharper boundaries between work, caregiving and the household. They take less responsibility for daily family care and other domestic work and are better able to relax and unwind while at home. Women are left with fewer options than men for where and when to work.