Operationalizing Office Housework: Definition, Examples, and Antecedents

Abstract

This study operationally defined Office Housework as non-role-specific work that a) benefits the organization, b) does not directly benefit the worker in their work capacity, and c) is underappreciated and generally goes unrecognized. Using this definition, the present study determined which tasks were considered to be Office Housework and evaluated task allocation, visibility, value, and enjoyment. Findings indicated that there were four groups of Office Housework tasks: janitorial, administrative, food-/event-related, and emotional support tasks. Overall, women were more likely to complete Office Housework tasks. Those who completed Office Housework were more likely to volunteer to complete it regularly than be assigned or volunteer once. Office Housework tasks were rated higher for peer visibility than for supervisor visibility. Task value varied based on the task and less than half of the Office Housework tasks were rated as enjoyable. This study lays the groundwork for future research in this developing topic.