Birth Rate 'Plummets'... Why Did a US Professor Advocate Work-Family Balance 10 Years Ago? [K Population Strategy]

Professor Stuart Friedman of University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
10th Anniversary of Low Birthrate Warning Book 'Baby Burst' Publication
Reissue Commemoration Wharton School Podcast Interview
"We Must Break the Mindset That Work and Life Are in Conflict"

Over a decade ago, in October 2013, a renowned American organizational psychologist warned that low birth rates would rapidly worsen. This was because survey results from 1992 and 2012 among students at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business (MBA) showed that the percentage of respondents who planned to have children had halved from 80% to the 40% range.

Professor Stuart Friedman, who conducted the research, pointed out that men and women were making new choices in work and family life, likening the situation to a "canary in the coal mine," an early warning sign of disaster or risk. The title of the book he published containing the research was "Baby Bust," referring to the sharp decline in birth rates.

Professor Stuart Friedman of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School (Photo by Wharton School website)

This book was re-released this January to mark its 10th anniversary. It came at a time when concerns about low birth rates were growing worldwide, including in South Korea, East Asia, the United States, and Europe. In a recent interview commemorating the re-release on the Wharton School Business Journal podcast, Professor Friedman said, "This trend has continued since the book's publication," and assessed, "Birth rates keep falling, and the future looks frightening."

Having taught at Wharton since 1984, Professor Friedman is a popular figure who runs the "Wharton Leadership Program" and the "Wharton Work and Life Integration Project." During a leave of absence from Wharton, he worked at Ford Motor Company, leading organizational culture innovation that improved productivity, and has served as an advisor to the White House, the United Nations (UN), and the U.S. Department of Labor. He was also named one of the world's top 50 management thinkers by the management site Thinkers50.

Why Did Plans for Having Children Halve... What Happened in 20 Years?

In his book "Baby Bust," Professor Friedman analyzed why plans for having children dropped sharply between the so-called "Generation X" of 1992 and the "Millennial Generation" of 2012. First, he argued that having children and becoming parents did not become less important for men and women of the two generations. Becoming a parent remained important in life, but planning pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing personally became a different issue. His judgment was that perceptions had changed over the 20 years.

Comparing the two generations, Professor Friedman explained in the podcast interview that men’s desire to participate more in family life had grown stronger over the 20 years. However, they had significant concerns about not being able to properly engage in family life. For example, men with student loans hesitated to have children due to fears about affording child-rearing costs, or worried that sacrificing family life for career success could cause conflicts with their partners (wives or girlfriends). This is interpreted as a context similar to South Koreans in their 20s and 30s avoiding having children for economic reasons.

Professor Friedman said, "Men showed a somewhat more equal attitude in balancing work and family life," adding, "They became more active at home and tried to share household chores equally."

During the same period, Millennial women were analyzed to have reduced their willingness to have children after observing the senior women of Generation X. Professor Friedman said, "It was hard to expect equality in relationships at home, and they judged that more sacrifices were needed than 20 years ago." Although social pressure on women to have children had relatively eased, seeing working mothers of the previous generation made them perceive that it was not easy to divide time and attention enough to work and simultaneously raise children. Through this process, he evaluated that the perception gap between men and women regarding work-family balance had actually narrowed.

Looking back over the 10 years since the book's publication, Professor Friedman analyzed, "The pandemic drastically changed people's views on the relationship between work and the rest of life, making them more aware of life beyond work." He also said people recognized the need for support to build boundaries not only around work but also other aspects of life. During this process, the digital revolution made it difficult to create an environment where one can focus on only one thing at a time, and young people became socially isolated. He expressed concern that this made it even harder for young people to decide to become parents.

"We Must Break Free from the Idea That Work and Life Are in Conflict"

Professor Friedman is a figure who emphasizes the need to break free from the conflict implied in the phrase "Work and Life Balance." He believes that sacrificing family happiness and personal values to succeed at work has limits in improving employee satisfaction and happiness, and that performance is actually higher when work and life harmoniously blend. His lectures on this topic were compiled into the book "Total Leadership," which was also published in South Korea in 2013.

Professor Friedman sees some policy improvements in the U.S. over the past decade regarding childcare and family care leave. Although the pace of change is slow, local governments such as state governments have created tangible changes. However, he criticized that the federal government has made virtually no efforts for work-family balance. He predicted that the direction of such efforts would be decided by the presidential election this November. Professor Friedman emphasized, "It will depend on what happens in this year's election," and stressed that political activity is essential to advocate for the world we want.

In the private sector, he explained that workers are seeking more flexibility and control over their lives, and companies are responding to these demands. He mentioned the rapid spread of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of flexible working hours. He said, "We are seeing how flexible work environments actually operate at this point, and resistance to these changes still remains," but added, "However, since young people including Generation Z are demanding change, these changes will continue."

About Professor Friedman

- Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School (1984~)

- Founder of the Wharton Leadership Program and Work-Life Integration Project

- Former Global Head of Leadership Development at Ford Motor Company

- Named one of the World's Top 50 Management Thinkers by Thinkers50 and one of the Most Influential Thinkers by HR Magazine

- Published book in Korea: Total Leadership (2013)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.