Sources of Conflict between Work and Family Roles and Its Coping Strategies: A Case Study of Employed Women in Tehran Municipality

This study aims at identifying the areas of work-family conflict as well as the ways to balance work and family plans. Its approach is qualitative, and its methodology is based on phenomenology. The sample involves 27 women with children under 12, who work in Tehran Municipality. They are selected through purposive sampling with maximum variety in terms of age, number of children, position, and type of contract, then to be determined based on the theoretical saturation level. The data collection method is in-depth interview and the analysis method is thematic analysis, extracted in three methods of open, axial, and selective coding. Based on this study’s findings, the areas of conflict are divided into 8 sub-themes and 3 main themes: "high job requirements", "unequal gender approach in the private and public spheres", and "abandonment and marginalization of policies for family and childbearing ". Working mothers also make great efforts to adapt and use a variety of strategies. These strategies, extracted from a total of 95 basic concepts and 18 sub-themes, are classified into two main themes, namely "bounded rationality" and "formation of non-traditional organizational arrangements". In general, while policy initiatives can be effective in helping women adapt to dual roles, many women still address these issues on an individual or personal level. Working women feel that the policies adopted by the organization are insufficient and have no executive guarantee; therefore, they do not affect their lives significantly.