The role of positive experience at work in the process of work–family enrichment

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the possible indirect effect of subjective career success on the relationship between work–family enrichment and job satisfaction and work–family enrichment and work engagement. Method: A cross‐sectional, quantitative research design approach was followed using a convenience sample (N = 334). Results: Results revealed that work–family enrichment was not only positively related to subjective career success, job satisfaction and work engagement, but also predictive of the mentioned constructs. Furthermore, subjective career success was found to indirectly effect the relationship between work–family enrichment and job satisfaction and work engagement. Conclusion: Using the resource‐gain‐development framework, new insights are provided into the processes and mechanisms relating to work–family enrichment. Our findings suggest that resources are creating positive affect in not only the work and career domains of employees, but also leading to more engaged and satisfied employees. (i.e., the indirect effect of subjective career success). Organisations can benefit when they enhance work environments (e.g., by providing relevant resources) to promote work–family enrichment and, by implication, subjective career success and positive work outcomes such as job satisfaction and work engagement.

Many employees think about their work during off-job time. Scholars have suggested that whether work-related thoughts during off-job time have detrimental or beneficial effects on employees’ well-being and performance depends on the nature of these thoughts. In this study with dual-earner couples we examined whether employees’ positive and negative work reflection during off-job time are associated with their own and with their partners’ work engagement and exhaustion. Furthermore, we investigated whether (a) living with children and (b) being work-linked (i.e. working in the same organisation and/or working in the same profession) moderated these relations. Both partners of 130 German heterosexual dual-earner couples responded to online questionnaires. We estimated multilevel analyses using the actor–partner interdependence model to analyse our dyadic data. We found positive associations between employees’ positive work reflection and both their own and their partners’ work engagement. Employees’ positive work reflection was also associated with their decreased exhaustion. Employees’ negative work reflection was negatively associated with their own work engagement and positively associated with their own exhaustion but unrelated to their partners’ outcomes. Moderator analyses revealed that living with children weakened the link between employees’ positive work reflection and their own work engagement and strengthened the link between their negative work reflection and exhaustion. The presence of couples’ work-linkage did not moderate any of these relations. This study builds on previous research by showing that employees’ positive work-related thinking is not only beneficial to themselves but also to their partners. Furthermore, the results suggest that living with children constitutes an additional demand that reduces the motivational effects of positive work reflection and amplifies the detrimental effects of employees’ negative work reflection.

Women often face conflicts when deciding to continue working after having children. Despite making a significant contribution to the economy, many choose to quit their jobs due to role conflicts. This study aims to expand the literature on work-family relationships experienced by working mothers, focusing on the mediating role of work-family enrichment and work engagement, as well as job crafting as an antecedent. The research method uses a survey with questionnaires that include job crafting, work engagement, and work-family enrichment. This study uses data from 169 working mothers using a sampling technique in the form of convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression analysis to test the relationship between job crafting, work engagement, and work-family enrichment. Furthermore, a simple mediation analysis was used to test the role of mediation in work engagement and work-family enrichment. The results show the importance of job crafting in increasing work engagement and work-family enrichment. This study also explores the role of mediation in work-family enrichment and work engagement in relation to job crafting. These findings can help develop strategies and programs that support women in maintaining work engagement while considering their family roles. Perempuan sering menghadapi konflik saat memutuskan untuk terus bekerja setelah memiliki anak. Meskipun memberikan kontribusi signifikan terhadap ekonomi, banyak yang memilih berhenti kerja karena konflik peran. Penelitian ini bertujuan memperluas literatur mengenai hubungan pekerjaan dan keluarga yang dialami ibu bekerja, dengan fokus pada peran mediasi work-family enrichment dan work engagement, serta job crafting sebagai antesedennya. Metode penelitian menggunakan survei dengan kuesioner yang mencakup job crafting, work engagement, dan work-family enrichment. Penelitian ini menggunakan data dari 169 ibu bekerja dengan menggunakan teknik sampling berupa convenience sampling. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan analisis regresi linear sederhana untuk menguji hubungan antara job crafting, work engagement, dan work-family enrichment. Selanjutnya, analisis mediasi sederhana digunakan untuk menguji peran mediasi pada work engagement dan work-family enrichment. Hasil menunjukkan pentingnya job crafting dalam meningkatkan work engagement dan work-family enrichment. Penelitian ini juga mengeksplorasi adanya peran mediasi pada work-family enrichment dan work engagement dalam hubungannya dengan job crafting. Temuan ini dapat membantu mengembangkan strategi dan program yang mendukung perempuan dalam menjaga keterlibatan kerja sambil mempertimbangkan peran keluarga mereka.

PurposeDrawing on the conservation of resources theory and social exchange theory, this study aims to examine the underlying relationships linking work-to-family enrichment (WFE) and family-to-work enrichment (FWE) to perceived supervisor support and ultimately, job satisfaction among social workers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from members of a social work professional body (n = 439) through an internet-based questionnaire and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.FindingsPerceived supervisor support mediated the relationships between work–family enrichment (specifically, WFE-Development, WFE-Affect and FWE-Efficiency) and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsSocial workers who worked in a positive work environment that uplifts their moods and attitudes (WFE-Affect), have access to intellectual and personal development (WFE-Development) and felt supported by their supervisors reported higher levels of job satisfaction. Those who possessed enrichment resources were found to be more efficient (FWE-Efficiency) also perceived their supervisors to be supportive and experienced higher job satisfaction. Future studies should consider other professional groups and incorporate a longitudinal design.Practical implicationsPromoting work–family enrichment among social workers can contribute to positive work outcomes such as perceived supervisor support and job satisfaction. HR practitioners, supervisors and organisations can promote work–family enrichment among social workers through introduction of family-friendly policies (e.g. flexitime, compressed workweek schedules) and providing a supportive work–family friendly environment for social workers.Originality/valueAlthough several work–family studies have linked work–family enrichment to job satisfaction, the present study shows how each dimension of WFE and FWE affects social workers' job satisfaction.

The aim of this study is to systematically summarize and analyze the relationship between work engagement and work-family enrichment. The study focuses on two aspects: the empirical direction of the relationship and the examination of mediators and moderators. A systematic literature review procedure was applied to search and review articles in four databases. Forty–six studies were included. The systematic literature review revealed that work engagement is more often considered as a predictor of work-family enrichment, rather than vice versa. However, only a few studies analyzed and found evidence of a bidirectional relationship. Additionally, only 11 studies examined the constructs that mediate or moderate the relationship. To provide a summary of the results, a random effects model was employed for meta-analytical investigation. The meta-analytic results revealed a moderate positive relationship between work engagement and work-family enrichment, as well as between work engagement and family-work enrichment. Furthermore, the results indicated that age, gender, and the region where the study was conducted did not moderate these relationships. These findings suggest that human resource specialists should consider investing more in promoting work-family enrichment, which in turn could increase employees’ work engagement and vice versa, given the reciprocal nature of the relationship. It is important to note that the main limitation of this review is the use of only general scores of work engagement and work-family enrichment.

Role resources and work–family enrichment: The role of work engagement

Objective: To determine the spillover effects of work familyconflict,work family enrichment and its effect onwork family balance from one partner to another.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at Department of Psychology of the National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad from September 2017 to July 2018.Materials and Methods: The sample comprises of dual earner couples (age range- 25 to 60). Inclusion criteriaconstitute of couples having a married life of a year with at least an active service of one year. Both the partnerswere assessed on work family enrichment scale (work to family enrichment and family to work enrichment),work family conflict scale (work to family conflict and family to work conflict) and work family balance scalerespectively.Results: The psychometric properties of all the scales depict normality of curve. Similarly the results coincidewith the proposed hypothesis suggesting spillover of energies from one domain to another and similarly fromone partner to another. Correlational analysis indicates significant relationship with demographic variablessuch as working hours, years of service, monthly income and number of children.Conclusion: The increased female labor force in our society has led to the peripheral penetration of energiesfrom one domain to another across borders. This study was carried out to investigate the positive and negativeconsequences of crossing the domains and ultimately the effect on overall harmony or balance. Thus, resultsyielded that negative transmission of energies across borders negatively affected both psychological health ofindividuals as well as their occupational spheres and vice versa respectively.How to cite this: Arzu M, Hanif R, Shah M, Fiyaz A. Interception of Energies: Spillover Effects of Work Family Conflict and Enrichment affecting Work Life Balance across Dual Earner Couples. Life and Science. 2022; 3(3): 110-114.doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.215

Work and family are the most important aspects in everyday life that interact with each other simultaneously. The interaction between work and family may cause both negative and positive outcomes that is why scientists and practitioners are seeking to understand how to control them. The purpose of this article was to review existing literature on work-family conflict and enrichment interventions. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the evidence-based practises that dealt with reduction of work-family conflict and increase in work-family enrichment. After the screening, 12 articles from 699 unique studies were selected for the in-depth analysis. 11 out of 12 represented interventions confirmed significant positive results about the reduction of work-family conflict or increase in work-family enrichment. It is not surprising that organizations quite often choose training/workshop as the most suitable intervention. Similarly, only one scientific article presented the intervention that used real organizational change to reduce work-family conflict. Additionally, only one intervention was oriented towards the positive side of work family interaction – increase in work-family enrichment. Finally, practical implications and future research directions are proposed in the discussion.

This longitudinal study investigates mediating variables in the enrichment process between work (work engagement) and non-work experiences (work-to-life enrichment). It is hypothesized that besides positive affect, positive work reflection during leisure time is an additional, more cognitive, pathway in the enrichment process. In total, 256 full-time employees in Germany, recruited via an online survey, answered a two-wave survey with a time lag of three months. Participants were 50% male and 50% female, and were chosen regardless of whether they had a partner or children. Analysis showed that positive affect and positive work reflection mediated the relationship between work engagement and work-to-life enrichment. These findings contribute to research on the work/non-work interface by expanding the work-family enrichment model developed by Greenhaus and Powell (2006). Our results offer practical implications for employees and organizations. Specifically, the findings show how employees and organizations can foster work-to-life enrichment by promoting work engagement, positive affect and positive work reflection. This in turn should have positive implications for both the employee and the organization.

Social workers often experience stress from competing work and family demands, which negatively affects their job well-being and subsequently their job satisfaction. Yet, social workers can experience enrichment from participating in both work and family roles, which positively influences their job well-being and job satisfaction. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of job well-being on the relationship between work-family enrichment and job satisfaction, and the moderating role of family support on the relationship between work-family enrichment and job well-being, and subsequently on job satisfaction for social workers. Data were collected from professional social workers employed in various governmental and non-governmental agencies across fifteen states and territories (n = 428) in India using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We found that social workers who experienced work-family enrichment also experienced job well-being and subsequently job satisfaction, particularly at higher levels of family support. These findings highlight the importance of the synergistic combination of work and family resources such as family support, work-family enrichment and job well-being to enhance the job satisfaction of social workers. We discuss the implications of these findings for social service organisations and recommend ways in which work-family enrichment can be enhanced.

Workers’ motivations and the work–family relationship are two subjects that have been capturing the attention of researchers and practitioners. However, to date, little is known about the link between the two subjects. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the relationships among each type of motivation conceptualized in self-determination theory and work–family conflict, work–family enrichment, and work–family balance. In addition, the current study intended to investigate the relationships among work–family conflict, work–family enrichment, and Work–family balance. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. To test the hypotheses, the PROCESS macro was used. The results suggested that intrinsic motivation is negatively associated with work–family conflict and positively associated with work–family enrichment and work–family balance. Additionally, identified regulations seem to be positively associated with work–family enrichment and work–family balance. However, contrary to expectations, this study revealed a positive relationship between introjected regulation and work–family enrichment and work–family balance. Concerning external regulation (material and social) and amotivation, globally, the findings were consistent with the hypotheses, i.e., the higher the external regulation and amotivation, the higher work–family conflict and the lower the work–family enrichment and work–family balance. Moreover, the higher the work–family conflict, the lower the work–family balance, and the higher the work–family enrichment, the higher the work–family balance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Job satisfaction is a crucial problem for working mothers because they must be able to manage two roles well so that it does not impact their work. Role accumulation theory explains how the dual role of a woman in managing their role so that the work they carry out can improve the quality of family life. This study aims to determine the effect of work-family enrichment on work engagement and job satisfaction of working mothers at private universities in Bali. The population is all working mothers who work as lecturers at universities in Bali, totaling 153 people with predetermined population criteria. The sample in this study is the same as the population, but only 145 questionnaires can be used. The analysis tool uses SEM-AMOS. The results showed that (1) work-family enrichment has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction, (2) work-family enrichment has a positive and significant effect on work engagement (3) work engagement has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. The implication of this research is to increase job satisfaction of working mothers, a high work-family enrichment is needed to encourage an increase in employee work engagement.

Purpose In the context of workforce aging, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of occupational future time perspective (OFTP) in the relationship between work–family enrichment (WF-E) and two well-being outcomes (i.e. work engagement and emotional exhaustion). In addition, the moderating role of age on the relationship between WF-E and OFTP, and consequently, on the indirect effects of WF-E on work engagement and emotional exhaustion through OFTP, will be examined. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional survey research (n=263) was conducted in a public sector company in Belgium. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap analyses were performed to investigate the hypothesized relationships. Findings The dimension “remaining opportunities” of OFTP mediated the positive relationship between WFE and work engagement, and the negative relationship between WFE and emotional exhaustion. Chronological age moderated the positive relationship between WFE and the dimension “remaining time” of OFTP, with stronger effects among older workers. Research limitations/implications This research has confirmed that OFTP is influenced by WFE and that WFE matters, especially for older workers. Future research should continue to study the effects of the work–family interface on older workers. Practical implications Age management practices should take WFE into consideration when managing an aging workforce. In particular, older workers may benefit from WFE to increase their perception of remaining opportunities at work, which, in turn, increase well-being. Originality/value This study contributes evidence for the role of personal resources (i.e. remaining opportunities) in the relationship between WF-E and well-being at work.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of personality and individual differences as an antecedent to work-family enrichment (WFE) and consequently with job satisfaction. This study address gaps in WFE literature by looking at proactivity, work-family self-efficacy (WFSE) and family permeability as antecedent variables that have received scant attention from researchers. By addressing these gaps, the study seeks to advance theory on WFE and its relation to job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe authors do this through the exploration of pathways through WFE and studying 508 married individuals, with at least one child, working in the IT/ITES sector in India. The authors use structural equation modeling to analyze different pathways from personality based antecedents and WFE as mediator.FindingsThe results demonstrate the mediating role of WFE in the relationship between antecedents (WFSE, family permeability and proactive personality) and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to existing research on WFE and personality by showing that WFE is a significant pathway toward job satisfaction and how personality variables influence satisfaction.Originality/valueIt is also the first study to use proactivity and WFSE as antecedents to test out the influence of WFE on job satisfaction. This is also the first study to look at only married individuals with children in a WFE study forced on the services sector. Consequently, these findings have significant implications in the way organizations deal with work-life situations, especially in the 30+ age bracket in India.

Although researchers have confirmed the relationship between positive leadership styles and work-family enrichment, benevolent leadership has received little attention. Drawing from the concept of mood contagion, this study explores the underlying mechanism between benevolent leadership and work-family enrichment. Using a survey of 459 employees, across 36 supervisors and their work groups, and multilevel structural equation modelling, this study revealed that benevolent leadership is positively associated with work-family enrichment via cross-level paths. The results indicated that benevolent leadership is associated with positive group affective tone, which further predicts subordinates' work-family enrichment. Moreover, work engagement mediates the relationship between positive group affective tone and work-family enrichment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.