Abstract
This study explores the clusters of work–family balance (WFB) among Japanese middle-aged and older adults and clarifies the characteristics of the derived clusters. Data on working adults (N = 1,351; age range = 40–85 years) were drawn from a pool of participants in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences—Longitudinal Study of Aging. The WFB scale consists of subscales assessing work–family conflict (WFC) and work–family facilitation (WFF). First, a cluster analysis was performed using the WFB scale, and four clusters were extracted. Second, we examined associations between the four clusters and related variables such as demographic characteristics, work, family, and lifestyle factors, social support, and mental health. Our findings showed that the clusters included high-WFC/high-WFF, high-WFC/low-WFF, low-WFC/high-WFF, and low-WFC/low-WFF. Differences were found in related variables among the clusters. Specifically, those in the Low-WFC/High-WFF cluster had a good lifestyle, received the highest levels of social support, and had the fewest mental health issues. Our findings have implications for maintaining sufficient WFB and promoting positive mental health among workers.
Highlights
Japan, with an aging rate of 28.1% reported in 2018, is a super-aged society where one in every four people is 65 years old or older (Japanese Cabinet Office, 2019)
This study identified the typology of work–family balance (WFB) using cohort data collected from middle-aged and older Japanese adults and described the four typologies in terms of their associations with demographic variables, work factors, family factors, lifestyle factors, social support, and mental health
Cluster 1 participants experienced both positive and negative aspects in balancing their home and work life, but the negative aspects might have had a more substantial impact on their mental health. These results suggest that WFB can be classified into four types in terms of low vs. high levels of work–family conflict (WFC) and work–family facilitation (WFF), each characterized by demographic characteristics, family, work, and lifestyle factors
Summary
With an aging rate of 28.1% reported in 2018, is a super-aged society where one in every four people is 65 years old or older (Japanese Cabinet Office, 2019). The proportion of older people in Japan’s labor force has continued to increase (from 4.9% in 1980 to 12.8% in 2018), with older people being highly motivated to work (Japanese Cabinet Office, 2019). WFB is defined as “an overall appraisal of the extent to which individuals’ effectiveness and satisfaction in work and family roles, are consistent with their life values at a given point in time” (Greenhaus and Allen, 2011, p.174). The lack of work–family conflict (WFC) has been widely investigated within the context of WFB. WFC is defined as “a form of inter-role conflict in which role pressures from work and family
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