Work‐family research: A review and next steps

Abstract

AbstractOur review highlights key contributions to the work‐family literature, including research published in Personnel Psychology. We review foundational key constructs (e.g., work‐family conflict), theories (e.g., boundary management), and methodology and measurement issues (e.g., episodic versus levels approaches) at the intersection of work and family. We then review select topics that move from the more micro (e.g., individual emotions and health) to the more macro (e.g., cross‐cultural) in scope. In addition, taking stock of the work‐family field's trajectory, we mapped future research directions that have been posed by researchers over the past two decades in previous narrative reviews and examine the extent that they have been heeded within the Personnel Psychology work‐family literature. We use insights from the past and from contemporary research, as well as from societal trends, to provide a set of “next generation” future research directions. Finally, we provide practical implications from the research to date.