The Double-Edged Sword of Managing the Boundary between Work and Family

Abstract

This research examines the impact of role boundary management on the work-family interface, as well as on organizational (job embeddedness) and family (relationship tension) outcomes. First, we integrate conservation of resources theory with crossover theory, to build a theoretical model of work-family boundary management. Second, we extend prior work by exploring positive and negative paths through which boundary management affects work and family outcomes. Third, we incorporate spouse perceptions in creating a dynamic, systems-perspective of the work-family interface. Using a matched sample of 639 job incumbents and their spouses, we found that family-to-work boundary transitions increased the job incumbents’ work-to-family-conflict, work-to- family-enrichment, and job embeddedness as well as the spouses’ boundary management strain. We also found that the spouses’ boundary management strain mediated the relationship between family-to-work boundary transitions and both work-to-family-conflict and work-to-family-enrichment. Finally, we found significant indirect effects between family-to- work boundary transitions and job embeddedness and relationship tension through both the spouses’ boundary management strain and work-family-conflict and work- family-enrichment. We discuss the study’s implications for theory, research, and practice while suggesting new research directions.