The name game: evolving terminology in work-family/work-life research

The year 2024 marked the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-family Research, which presented a good opportunity to consider the current state of our field. We conducted a Delphi study to pursue answers to the following questions: (a) What do scholars mean when they say that they are ‘work-family’ researchers? How do researchers envision ‘work-family’ research now and into the future? A total of 66 scholars participated in one or two rounds of data collection, revealing areas of strong agreement as well as substantial diversity of perspectives. Results are considered in light of the history of work-family research, perennial debates in the field, and evolution of our field toward a discipline. We end by suggesting that the field is at a tipping point requiring urgent action.