Work-family enrichment: evidence from India on source attribution

Abstract

PurposeWork-family researchers examining work-family enrichment (WFE) have used a cross-domain model (Frone et al., 2003) to explain relationships between enrichment experienced and the satisfaction reported in the same domain. Recent research points out inconsistencies in this approach, arguing for a source attribution model in which increased satisfaction is reported in the domain where the source of enrichment resides. This study looks at bi-directional WFE and both forms of domain satisfaction, job and family, to explore relative strengths of these relationships in an Indian context, thereby extending theory on source vs cross-domain effects of enrichment.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a single-source cross-sectional study of 508 married individuals working in the services sector in India, each with at least one child in the family. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results support the source attribution perspective of enrichment where WFE shows stronger links to job satisfaction, and family-work enrichment (FEW) shows stronger links to family satisfaction. Our study revealed that dual-earners report higher satisfaction levels compared to those from single-earner households.Originality/valueIn addition to advancing theory on source attribution for WFE, this is the first study to focus exclusively on married individuals with children to further help accentuate inter-domain resource transfer. In addition, this is one of the few studies to test out the theory of enrichment through service sector knowledge workers in a developing economy like India, where the service sector contributes to 60% of the GDP.