Work-to-family Conflict Research Articles

Control and the Health Effects of Work-Family Conflict: A Longitudinal Test of Generalized Versus Specific Stress Buffering.

The stress associated with work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC) is well documented. However, surprisingly little is known about the resources that moderate the effects of work-family conflict on health over time. Using four waves of panel data from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (2011-2017; n = 11,349 person-wave observations), we compare how a core psychosocial resource (personal mastery) and a salient organizationally based resource (schedule control) moderate the health effects of WFC and FWC. After establishing these health effects related to distress and physical symptoms, we discover that mastery has generalized stress-buffering functions whereby it alleviates the health effects of both WFC and FWC. In contrast, schedule control has asymmetrical moderating functions: It attenuates the health effects of WFC only. These findings elaborate and sharpen the scope of resources as moderators in the stress process model-and we integrate these ideas with other conceptual models like the job demands-resources model.

Parent Work‐to‐Family Conflict and Child Psychological Well‐Being: Moderating Role of Grandparent Coresidence

AbstractObjectiveThis study examines how grandparental coresidence influences the daily crossover of parent work‐to‐family conflict (WTFC) to child psychological well‐being.BackgroundA small but growing literature reports high levels of daily fluctuations in WTFC and its health implications for individuals, but little is known about the intergenerational crossover of WTFC in the context of multigenerational living.MethodUsing propensity score methods, we matched 129 three‐generation households with 133 two‐generation households in Zhengzhou, China based on multiple characteristics, including family member demographics, family socioeconomic status, migration status, and potential need for parenting assistance. Participants completed a daily questionnaire for 15 consecutive days. Fixed effects models estimate the association between parent WTFC and child next‐day negative affect on the two‐generation and three‐generation households, separately. Post‐estimation Wald tests for the predicted marginal effects across subgroups were performed to test whether the coefficients for parental WTFC were significantly different across groups.ResultsWe found substantial daily fluctuations in parent WTFC. After adjusting for parent daily mood, hostile parenting, parent/child physical symptoms, and parent/child previous night sleep deficiency, parent daily WTFC was positively associated with child next‐day negative affect, but only among two‐generation families.ConclusionCoresiding grandparent(s) could be an important source of social support that buffers the negative crossover of parent WTFC. Future studies are needed to identify mechanisms through which coresiding grandparent(s) help mitigate the intergenerational crossover of WTFC.

Effect of illegitimate tasks on work-to-family conflict through psychological detachment: Passive leadership as a moderator

Illegitimate tasks as a workplace stressor have been linked with various negative employee well-being and behavioral outcomes. However, whether and how its negative effects might spill over to employees' family domain has been less examined. The current study examined psychological detachment as a mediator in the relationship between illegitimate tasks and three types (time-based, strain-based, and behavior-based) of work-to-family conflict (WFC), and investigated the moderating effect of passive leadership. We collected data from 129 participants across three waves. Results showed that psychological detachment mediated the relationships of illegitimate tasks with time-based and strain-based WFC, but not with behavior-based WFC. Further, the negative effect of illegitimate tasks on psychological detachment as well as the indirect effect of illegitimate tasks on strain-based WFC via psychological detachment were stronger for individuals experiencing more passive leadership, suggesting that having a leader who does not provide functional leadership could exacerbate the effect of illegitimate tasks on psychological detachment and its indirect effect on strain-based WFC via detachment. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential negative effect of illegitimate tasks beyond the work domain through psychological detachment, and the exacerbating effect of passive leadership on stressor-strain relationships.

Work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts among employed single parents in Germany

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether and how employed single-parents differ from parents in two-parent families in their experience of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC). Looking at job-related as well as family-related demands and resources, this research investigated to what degree these demands and resources contribute to differences in WFC and FWC, how their relevance in predicting conflicts varies between single parents and other parents and the role of compositional differences in work and family demands and resources.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional linear regression analyses were applied to analyze a random sample of employees in large work organizations in Germany. The sample included 3,581 parents with children up to the age of 25, of whom 346 were single parents.FindingsThe results indicated that single parents face more FWC, but not more WFC, than other parents. For all parents, job demands such as overtime, supervising responsibilities and availability expectations were associated with higher levels of WFC, whereas job resources such as job autonomy, support from supervisors and flexible working hours were associated with lower levels of WFC. In predicting FWC, family demands and resources played only a minor role. However, results provide only scant evidence of differences between single parents and other parents in terms of the effects of job and family demands and resources.Originality/valueThis study offers interesting insights into the diversity of WFC and FWC experiences in Germany. It provides first evidence of the impact of job and family demands and resources on both directions of work–family conflicts among employed single parents as a specific social group.

Comparing the situation and person-based predictors of work–family conflict among married working professionals in India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to ascertain the situation (presence of young children, working hours, social and organizational support) and person-based factors (core self-evaluations) that influence work-family conflict (both work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC)) and to examine the relative power of situational factors vs person-based factors in predicting work-family conflict.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 367 married working professionals from eight organizations in the manufacturing and services sector in India. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. Usefulness analysis was performed to reveal the unique contribution of the dispositional variables over the situational variables in predicting the variance in work-family conflict.FindingsPersonality factors accounted for more variance in FWC than in WFC, and situational factors accounted for more variance in WFC than in FWC.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the limitations associated with a cross-sectional design, caution is needed concerning the inferences drawn. Only a few variables are considered to assess the characteristics of the context.Practical implicationsOrganizations should not view the resolution of work-family conflict as the sole responsibility of an individual because of the demonstrated influence of both dispositional and contextual factors on the presence or absence of such conflict. While individuals may strive to have better self-management skills and stay positive in adverse situations, employers may assist them in dealing with work-family demands by introducing need-based support.Originality/valueThe relative importance of situation-based and person-based variables in predicting work-family conflict has rarely been examined on a managerial sample in India. Research on personality-based antecedents of work-home interference is also in its infancy. A better understanding of the factors as they relate to both directions of work-family conflict may help to identify suitable approaches to managing conflict.

Longitudinal Analysis of Work-to-Family Conflict and Self-Reported General Health among Working Parents in Germany.

The combination of work and family roles can lead to work-to-family conflict (WTFC), which may have consequences for the parents’ health. We examined the association between WTFC and self-reported general health among working parents in Germany over time. Data were drawn from wave 6 (2013) and wave 8 (2015) of the German family and relationship panel. It included working persons living together with at least one child in the household (791 mothers and 723 fathers). Using logistic regressions, we estimated the longitudinal effects of WTFC in wave 6 and 8 on self-reported general health in wave 8. Moderating effects of education were also considered. The odds ratio for poor self-reported general health for mothers who developed WTFC in wave 8 compared to mothers who never reported conflicts was 2.4 (95% CI: 1.54–3.68). For fathers with newly emerged WTFC in wave 8, the odds ratio was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.03–3.04). Interactions of WTFC with low education showed no significant effects on self-reported general health, although tendencies show that fathers with lower education are more affected. It remains to be discussed how health-related consequences of WTFC can be reduced e.g., through workplace interventions and reconciliation policies.

Overnight work-travel, work-to-family conflict, and psychological distress

ABSTRACT Overnight work-related travel (OWT) is a job demand that is increasing among employees in the United States. Research suggests the impact of OWT is positively associated with work-to-family conflict (WFC) and mental health problems, such as psychological distress. By using data from a sample of 123 employed adults that travel overnight for work and live in dual-earner households in the United States, we examined the associations between the duration of OWT and (a) WFC and (b) psychological distress. We also examined if the associations between OWT and our outcomes were moderated by the gender of the respondent. Results indicated positive associations between the duration of OWT and both WFC and distress, but only among men, as compared to women. Our results signal a potential shift in the experience of work and family between men and women that may have differing consequences for their WFC and mental health. Our results highlight a need for further research in this area.

Work-to-Family Conflict and its Associations With Workers' Burnout, Poor Self-Rated Health, and Minor Mental Disorder: A Survey of General Employees in Taiwan.

To examine the distribution of work-to-family conflict (W-FC) across socio-demographic groups and a wide spectrum of occupations, and its associations with workers' burnout, self-rated health, and mental health status by sex. A cross-sectional household survey of representative employees was conducted in 2013. A standardized questionnaire was administered to collect information. W-FC was high in employees aged 35 to 44 years old and in certain occupational groups. Long working hours, rotating work shift, high work demands, high job control, low workplace justice, and family care burden were risk factors for W-FC, and high W-FC score was significantly associated with burnout, poor self-rated health, and minor mental disorder. To improve workers' health, it is essential to identify high risk groups and adopt measures to reduce conflicts between work and family life.

Work–life satisfaction in academia: myth or reality?

In India, there is an increasingly demanding work culture in engineering colleges. Teachers perform multiple roles which may expand and intrude into their personal lives and cause work–life imbalance. Initially, this work has compared WLS conditions among different groups of engineering and non-engineering faculty and recognized that problems at work were on the rise, upsetting personal lives of engineering faculty. There are clues of extended work schedules, relatively more workload and subsequent pressure making them tired and miss quality time to spend with their loved ones. In general, engineering faculty perceive both WFC and FWC. In particular, engineering professors perceive relatively less support and more WFC as they see more responsibilities in their careers. But, engineering assistant professors and PhDs perceive relatively more FWC as they see more responsibilities in their family lives. Predictive analyses show that SWLS and WFC are predictors of both engineering and non-engineering faculty WLS, having significant positive and negative impact, respectively. Recent study substantiates that job and family satisfaction of academicians in higher education decreases and increases due to work–family conflict and work–family facilitation, respectively (Murugan and Jayanth in Curr Psychol 36:193–202, 2017a. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9400-4; Curr Psychol 36:812–822, 2017b. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9470-y). Data were collected through personally administered questionnaire forms comprised of four constructs, viz. support for work–life satisfaction (SWLS), work-to-family conflict (WFC), family-to-work conflict (FWC) and work–life satisfaction (WLS). This study performed comparative and predictive analyses of the opinions supplied by a random sample of 931 faculty members working in engineering colleges in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. Implications were discussed at the end, which may help reduce work–family conflicts and enhance faculty functioning.

How family-supportive supervisor affect Chinese construction workers’ work-family conflict and turnover intention: investigating the moderating role of work and family identity salience

Work-family conflict and high turnover intention of construction workers have been and will continue to be significant concerns in the construction industry. To explore antecedents of work-family conflict and identify which workers are more likely to exit their organisations when they experience work-family conflict, this study examines how family-supportive supervisor (FSS) affects construction workers’ work-family conflict and turnover intention, and how identity salience moderates the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention. Data were collected from a sample of 271 construction workers. The results revealed that family-supportive supervisor reduced work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), which in turn predicted turnover intention. The results further suggested that construction workers with low work identity salience or high family identity salience were more likely to exit their organisation when they experienced WFC. Moreover, workers with high work identity salience reported a greater level of turnover intention when they experienced FWC. Findings will help managers in construction organisations deepen their understanding of work-family conflict.

Commuting Distance and Work-to-Family Conflict: The Moderating Role of Residential Attributes

Commuting is a boundary-spanning demand that can limit employees’ availability to fulfill family-related roles and routines, leading to work-to-family conflict (WFC). We argue that in cities with challenging housing markets, implications of commuting for WFC may vary by residential attributes, and that the moderating effects of residential attributes may vary by gender due to differences in the work-family interface. Analyses of survey data from individuals in the Greater Toronto Area suggest that (1) the positive association between commuting and WFC is stronger among those who are dissatisfied with their place of residence and live in more disordered neighborhoods, irrespective of gender; (2) homeownership protects against the negative impact of commuting distance on WFC—but only among men; and (3) alternatively, the positive association between commuting and WFC becomes stronger as neighborhood quality increases—but only among women. Our study underscores the importance of “compensation” by positive residential qualities in the relationship between commuting and WFC.

Work Hours and Difficulty in Leaving Work on Time in Relation to Work-to-Family Conflict and Burnout Among Female Workers in Taiwan.

The present study explores the relations between work hours and the difficulty in leaving work on time to both work-to-family conflict (WFC) and burnout among female workers in Taiwan. A cross-sectional research design and questionnaire were employed to obtain the research data. In total, 738 full-time female workers took part in the study. The results of regression analyses showed that when age, marital status, economic status, occupation, parental status, and housework responsibilities were controlled, more work hours were positively associated with WFC and burnout. When the difficulty in leaving work on time was also considered in the analysis, long working hours were still significantly associated with burnout; however, the significant relation with WFC disappeared. It is surmised that if female employees work overtime voluntarily, the perception of WFC diminishes; nevertheless, the adverse effect of long working hours on health remains unabated. This study concludes that female employees who work overtime on a voluntary basis are at risk of health problems, which should be a focus of concern.

Help or harm? The effects of ICTs usage on work–life balance

PurposeLeveraging boundary theory and person–environment fit theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose a model that illustrates the process by which nonwork-related information and communication technologies (ICTs) usage during office hours affects family-to-work conflict (FWC) and work–family balance satisfaction (WFBS), and the moderating effect of family–work segmentation preference (FWSP) in that process.Design/methodology/approachAnalyses using PROCESS were conducted to analyze the proposed relationships on survey-collected data.FindingsAugmented ICTs usage led to greater perceptions of FWC, though the strength of this association was contingent on FWSP in that integration preference buffered ICTs usage’s detrimental effects. Moreover, ICTs usage was shown to exert an effect on WFBS through FWC. The results indicated a mediated moderation pattern such that the moderating role of ICTs usage and FWSP on WFBS was mediated by FWC.Originality/valueBy focusing on ICTs usage for family reasons at work, the study filled a formerly acknowledged gap in the research field regarding how nonwork-related ICTs usage at work affected work–life balance.

The Work-Family Spillover Effects of Customer Mistreatment for Service Employees: The Moderating Roles of Psychological Detachment and Leader-Member Exchange.

Past literature in the area of employee–customer interactions suggests that being mistreated by customers is deemed one of the most important work-related stressors for service employees. However, little is known about the effects of customer mistreatment on the family domain. In a representative sample of 221 front-line employees in the East China hairdressing industry using three separate surveys administered 1 month apart respectively, the current study explores the mediation effects of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and the moderation effects of psychological detachment (PD) and leader–member exchange (LMX) on the relationship between customer mistreatment and family satisfaction (FS). The research revealed that the employees confronted with intensive customer mistreatment tended to experience high levels of WFC, and WFC mediated the effects of customer mistreatment on FS. In addition, both PD and LMX attenuated customer mistreatment’s direct effects on WFC and indirect effects on FS (via WFC). This study contributes to the managerial psychology literature related to the customer mistreatment construct and a better understanding of how PD and LMX act as a work-family spillover effect moderator of customer mistreatment on individuals.

Intrinsic Motivation and Observed Work-to-Family Conflict: Individual- and Couple-Level Analyses

Integrating resource allocation theory with family systems theory, we examine the potential negative side of employees’ intrinsic motivation by linking it to observed work-to-family conflict (WFC)....

Stress Proliferation? Precarity and Work–Family Conflict at the Intersection of Gender and Household Income

We theorize a stress proliferation process whereby the stress of job precarity translates into the stress of work-to-family conflict (WFC). We test whether this process differs by gender and household income. Using four cross-sectional waves of the General Social Survey ( N = 2,340), we find a positive association between job insecurity and WFC for women but not men. Examined by household income levels, the association is found only for respondents in the lowest income tercile. Furthermore, gender intersects with household income to shape the stress proliferation process. While the insecurity–WFC relationship holds for women across all household income levels, for men this relationship shifts from positive for men in the lowest income tercile to negative for men in the highest income tercile. Our findings suggest that entrenched gendered expectations around work and family may lead women (regardless of household income) and lower-class men to be most vulnerable to stress proliferation.

Well-Being: Its Relationship with Work-to-Family Conflict and Burnout among Males and Females.

The present study aims to apply gender-specific analyses to examine how work-to-family conflict (WFC) and burnout are related to well-being among the workers in Taiwan. A cross-sectional research design was adopted. A questionnaire was distributed to obtain information pertaining to demographic characteristics, WFC, burnout, and well-being. In total, 4259 full-time workers in the manufacturing industry were recruited. Gender-specific statistical analyses were used. The results showed that no significant gender difference occurred on WFC; however, females had higher scores on burnout compared to males. In the correlation analyses, WFC as well as burnout were negatively associated with well-being in both genders. In the regression analyses when demographic factors were controlled, burnout explained larger variances of well-being in both genders compared with WFC. WFC made a smaller contribution to the models predicting well-being in males in contrast to females. Moreover, the significant association between WFC and well-being for males disappeared when burnout was taken into account. The conclusion reached was that to improve workers’ well-being, organizations should develop relevant policies to decrease the extent of burnout for different genders. The policies that the organization adopted should consider females’ needs beyond work-related burden. Moreover, merely decreasing the extent of WFC is insufficient to enhance males’ well-being.

Work environment and work-to-family conflict: examining the mediating role of heavy work investment

AbstractThis research examined the relationships between work environment (i.e., workload and development opportunities), heavy work investment (i.e., work engagement and workaholism) and work-to-family conflict (WFC) over time. A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 464 employees from a Belgian public administration. Workload and opportunities for development at Time 1 were found to be respectively negatively and positively associated with work engagement at Time 2, which in turn was negatively associated with WFC at Time 3. Only workload at Time 1 was positively associated with workaholism at Time 2 which, in turn, was positively associated with WFC at Time 3. In the interests of both organizational effectiveness and employees’ well-being, it is important to identify the work-related variables that influence perceptions of WFC. Moreover, in order to manage human resources effectively in companies, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which the work environment influences WFC.

Relationship between Social Support and Work-Family Conflict: A Case Study of Women Employees in a Malaysian Higher Education Institution

Work-family conflict (WFC) is a relatively less studied construct in the Eastern world and even sparser in the academic literature regarding working women in Malaysia. This paper is one of the few studies to examine social support mechanism used to alleviate such conflicts. The study examined the relationship between social support from work domain (supervisor support) and family domain (family support) addressing both directions of the conflict, work-to-family (W-to-FC) and family-to-work conflict (F-to-WC). A total of 278 women employees (146 academics and 132 non-academics) at a Malaysian Technical University participated in the study. The well-established instrument in work family literature was used to collect data via a survey. The results indicated a moderate level but relatively high mean value of W-to-FC than F-to-WC reported by women. Contradictory to a large body of work-family literature, the Pearson correlation analysis showed that work-family specific supervisor support is not related to either directions of work-family conflict (WFC) for Malaysian women. Social support provided by family however, was found to be statistically and negatively related to both directions of conflict. Findings from this study contribute to the understanding of the role of informal workplace social support by supervisor and family support with WFC in Malaysian educational institutions specifically in TVET. The results showed that women employees do experience WFC and supervisor work-family support is not enough to mitigate these conflicts. Hence, to produce women role models and retain them in the workplace, TVET higher learning institutions such as universities need to look into other workplace social support (like, family friendly policies, maternal leave, onsite childcare) to reduce the conflict for women employees.

Mental Health Disorders and Their Relationship with Work-Family Conflict in Upper Egypt

Data for mental health disorders and its relation to work and family issues in Egypt are scarce. We conducted this cross-sectional study among 1021 participants aged 18–59 years from Minia, Upper Egypt to measure the prevalence of mental health disorders and their associations with work-family conflict. Mental disorders were assessed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI-Plus) diagnostic interview and work-family conflict was assessed by the National Study of Midlife Development in the US. Work-to-family conflict (WFC) was associated with a 5.2% increase in the probability of mental health disorders; the multivariable-adjusted OR (95% CI) in subjects with high versus low WFC was 2.26 (1.18–4.34). On the other hand, there was a 2.0% increase in the probability of mental health disorders with high family-to-work conflict (FWC); OR (95% CI) was 1.37 (0.78–2.41). One point increment in the total score of work-family conflict was associated with a 3.4% increased probability for having a mental health disorder. The highest probabilities for having mental disorders were found among participants whose jobs require a lot of travel away from home (3.4%) or take much energy (3.5%) and among those whose family activities stop them from getting the amount of sleep needed to do their jobs (3.4%).