Occupational Demands on Administrators and Spouses' Satisfaction and Well-Being

Abstract

This field study investigated the relationship of work demands experienced by 41 male senior administrators of probation/parole/aftercare services and the well-being of their spouses. Data were collected by questionnaires completed independently by the husbands and their wives. Analysis indicated that wives whose husbands reported greater occupational demands reported greater life demands, less self-worth, and less life satisfaction. Some work demands were associated with greater spouses' satisfaction, however, suggesting that complex frameworks must be developed to understand occupational stress and the work-family interface. Work demands had an influence beyond the workplace and into the lives of spouses.