Before The Management Practice created its approach to Work-Life Balance, we first needed to obtain an understanding of how households currently work. We therefore thoroughly researched this subject and published our findings in "Action Management for your Country".

To find this information for Australian Households, it was necessary for the partners to aggregate and analyse existing data currently available in the many statistical surveys that are available and to summarise this information in a meaningful way. Our research therefore provided a snapshot of some of the factors contributing to the management of the household and therefore an understanding of how households currently behave in relation to the balancing of work and life.

Rather than the parts of the household being the result of independent decisions, our research in the book shows how intimately the issues of employment, income, expenditure, taxation are linked. This is clearly revealed in the "household balance sheet for the nation". Individual households across Australia are locked into an amazingly consistent and common pattern of behaviour because of their limitations in wealth which would otherwise allow them to show a greater diversity of behaviour in relation to the Life-Work Balance. Work dominates the balance of the Australian culture.

Our research predicts the emergence of individualism, and individuals having freedom to make more independent decisions, as one of the 5 major factors shaping the future of Australian society. The other four factors are the economic triangle (households, the government and commerce fighting for the individual's cash), institutions, space and sustainability.

As individuals become more independent, there is a greater chance that the national statistics will show that society has significantly adopted a different approach to Work-Life Balance.