How supervisor, co-worker, and spousal social support influences the experience of workload and work-family conflict: results from a survey of construction workers in Québec

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of three different sources of social support (supervisor, co-workers, and spouse) on experienced workload and on work-family conflict (WFC) among a population of on-site construction workers in Québec, Canada. The findings of this study contribute to current knowledge by providing evidence of the means by which social support most influences WFC experienced by on-site construction workers (e.g. through workload modulation). More precisely, the study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that social support at work—despite its being limited by so-called masculine culture at the workplace—is instrumental to reduce the adverse effects of workload on WFC. In total, 811 workers in the Québec construction industry took part in this cross-sectional study. Results of mediation analysis show that all sources of social support reduce WFC by diminishing the perception of workload. However, even though workers report less social support from their supervisors than from their spouses, indirect effect analysis shows that supervisor social support is the source that most reduces the perception of workload and, in turn, WFC. Results of the ratio comparison indicate that supervisor and co-worker social support have more important direct impacts on WFC, whereas spousal social support has a more important indirect impact on WFC through a reduction in workload, suggesting that organizations need to foster social support at work (e.g. by promoting a culture of support) in order to ensure that work-family balance is valued at the workplace.