Commitment to life roles and work-family conflict among managers in a post-socialist country

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to work-family literature by examining antecedents and outcomes of work-family and family-work conflict (FWC) in an under-researched post-socialist country. Building on the conservation of resources theory and identity theory, the conceptual model tests relationships among occupational and marital commitment, two types of work-family conflict (WFC) and FWC, and domain satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected using a self-report survey filled out by married top and middle managers from Slovenia, a Central and Eastern European country. Hypotheses were tested with structural equation modelling.Findings– While occupational commitment was positively related to perceived time- and strain-based WFC, no support was found for the path between marital commitment and the two types of FWC. The results further reveal that although time- and strain-based FWC were related to career satisfaction, only time-based WFC was associated with marital satisfaction.Research limitations/implications– A cross-sectional research design and the validation of the model using a managerial sample limit generalizability. The study points to the relevance of the institutional and cultural context regarding interpretation of links between established concepts.Originality/value– The study advances knowledge concerning WFC and FWC in a country that has undergone a process of transition from a socialist regime to a free-market economy. It adopts an integrative perspective and encompasses managers’ professional, as well as personal domains. The study tests how theories developed with samples from traditional capitalist countries apply to post-socialist countries, characterized by disparate values, norms, and societal expectations.