Chapter 4 - Reflections and Future Directions on Measurement in Work-Family Research

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to clarify the different conceptualizations and overview measurement of constructs reflecting the negative, positive, and integrative perspectives of the work–family interface. It provides an overview of the conceptual distinctions among several constructs in the work–family literature, and next it examines the variety of measures being used for several of these constructs, measurement issues associated with the conceptualizations, and implications for practice. Finally, it makes recommendations for areas of future research and development. Given that several reviews are already done on work–family conflict. It focuses on measures intended to capture concepts reflecting the positive and integrative perspectives of the work–family interface. The goal of this chapter is to reduce conceptual confusion and guide researchers in the choice of constructs most relevant to their research and applied interests. It explores that the dominant view of the work–family interface is negative. Deeply entrenched beliefs that individuals have a finite amount of time and energy and that work and family compete for these finite resources have contributed to a nearly exclusive focus on work–family conflict. The distinction between work–family conflict and work–family interface has important implications for measurement and work–family research. All of the existing instruments purporting to measure work–family conflict actually measure work–family interference. Distinguishing these concepts is more than semantic because instruments assessing work–family interface confound episodes or experiences, where work and family exerted mutually incompatible pressures and differences in how individuals respond to the incompatible pressures.