Work-to-family Conflict Research Articles

The relationship between Turkish women's self-efficacy for managing work-family conflict and depression, anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: Aweb-based cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed working women's workplace and family workload. The changing workplace-family workload may cause a decrease in work-family conflict management self-efficacy. The decrease in work-family conflict management self-efficacy in women may increase their depression, anxiety, and stress levels. This study aimed to examine the relationship between Turkish women's self-efficacy for managing work-family conflict and their depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 244 Turkish women via social media (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). The data were collected online through a questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and sub-scales of the Self-Efficacy for Managing Work-Family Conflict Scale (SE-WFC): Work-to-Family Conflict (WFC) and Family-to-Work Conflict (FWC). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 87.3% of working women experienced an increase in their family workload (100% increase in cooking and cleaning jobs). On the other hand, workplace workload of 83% of women increased. According to DASS-21, women experienced depression (55.7%), anxiety (49.6%) and stress (63.1%). A negative correlation was found between the mean scores of WFC/FWC and the mean scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. (p < 0.001). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkish women's self-efficacy for managing work-family and family-work conflict decreased, and their depression, anxiety, and stress levels increased.

Seeing the big picture during the COVID-19 pandemic: the spillover effects of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict.

While an expanding body of research has revealed the beneficial impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-related outcomes, little is known about its spillover effects on nonwork domains. Drawing upon work-home resources theory, we investigated the impacts of visionary leadership on employees' work-to-family conflict (WFC). Utilizing three-wave data from 268 employees, the results indicate that visionary leadership promotes follower relational energy, which in turn reduces WFC. Furthermore, perceived COVID-19 crisis disruption was found to strengthen the negative indirect link between visionary leadership and employees' WFC. Our research broadens our understanding of the potential positive spillover effects of visionary leadership in the nonwork domain through relational energy, and the accentuating effect of perceived crisis disruption on the work-family interface. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

A transactional stress theory of global work demands: A challenge, hindrance, or both?

We integrate research on global work demands (Shaffer et al., 2012) with transactional stress theory to examine both the harmful and beneficial effects of three global work demands-international travel, cognitive flexibility, and nonwork disruption-for employees engaged in global work. We propose that global work demands have indirect, and conditional, effects on burnout and work-to-family conflict (WFC), as well as thriving and work-family enrichment, through employees' appraisals that their global work is both hindering and challenging, respectively. We tested the hypotheses with a matched sample of 229 global employees and their spouses. We found that cognitive flexibility demands are related to harmful and beneficial outcomes: It increases WFC through hindrance appraisals of the global work, but also increases thriving through challenge appraisals. In comparison, international travel demands have only beneficial outcomes, such that it positively related to employee thriving through challenge appraisals, but only among employees working in jobs that have fewer nonwork disruption demands. Finally, nonwork disruption demands had only harmful effects in that it positively related to burnout and WFC through hindrance appraisals. Exploratory analyses also revealed that nonwork disruption demands negatively related to employee thriving, through challenge appraisals, when employees experienced lower levels of cognitive flexibility demands. These findings contribute to our understanding of how employees may react to their global work demands and to the transactional theory of stress by providing a more nuanced understanding of when and why job demands contribute to appraisals that work is hindering and/or challenging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The father's and the mother's intrinsic work motivation and their work‐to‐family conflict perceived by the adolescent: Dyadic and triadic analyses

AbstractIntegrating work–family conflict theory with family systems theory, we examine a potential dark side of parents' intrinsic work motivation by linking it to their work‐to‐family conflict (WFC) perceived by the adolescent at home. We hypothesize that the father's (mother's) intrinsic motivation may be positively related to his (her) WFC perceived by the adolescent. We additionally hypothesize that one spouse's WFC perceived by the adolescent is higher when his/her relative intrinsic motivation (to the other spouse) is higher. Finally, we examine gender egalitarianism (GE) as a moderator. Using data from 198 dual‐earning heterosexual couples and their adolescent child from the 500‐Family Project, we found strong support for the hypotheses pertaining to the father but no support for the hypotheses pertaining to the mother. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Explaining job satisfaction through the use of work–familybenefits and their impact on the employee’s family context

PurposeThis study analyses the relationship between the use of work–family benefits and job satisfaction (JS). Furthermore, it proposes that work-to-family conflict (WFC) and work-to-family enrichment (WFE) play a mediating role in this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachData are gathered from 1,051 employees of Colombian organisations. Partial least squares path modelling is used.FindingsThe results show that the perception of WFE to a greater extent and the WFC perception, to a lesser extent, are significant mediators in the relationship between the use of benefits and JS.Practical implicationsThis study justifies investments and initiatives on the adoption and promotion of work–family benefits. Moreover, it provides practical clues on how to boost JS: WFC and WFE are variables to be considered.Originality/valueThis study proposes a multiple mediation model to analyse the relationship between the actual use of work–family benefits and JS from a family perspective. It contributes to the literature in examining antecedents of JS, highlighting the role of WFE.

Can patient gratitude compensate for depletion from family-to-work conflict in nurses? An experience sampling study

PurposeNurses' work engagement is critical for the service quality of the hospital. Thus, investigation on the influencing factors of nurses' work engagement has become an important issue. This study addresses this issue by exploring the effect of daily family-to-work conflict (FWC) on next-day work engagement among Chinese nurses.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical model was tested using 555 experience sampling data from 61 nurses collected for 10 workdays in China.FindingsNurses' daily FWC is associated with their next-day ego depletion. Moreover, increased ego depletion ultimately reduces their next-day work engagement. In addition, a between-individual factor of frequency of perceived patient gratitude mitigates the effect of FWC on ego depletion and the indirect effect on work engagement via ego depletion.Originality/valueThis study is important to the management of health-care organizations as it carries significant implications for theory and practice toward understanding the influence of FWC among nurses. On the one hand, the authors apply the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as the overarching theoretical framework, which contributes to the authors’ understanding of how FWC impairs work engagement. On the other hand, the authors extend extant theoretical models of FWC by identifying the frequency of perceived patient gratitude as an important contextual factor that counteracts the negative effects of FWC among nurses. Moreover, organizations could encourage patients to express their gratitude to nurses by providing more channels, such as thank-you notes, to offer nurses some support for overcoming the destructive effect of FWC.

A comparative study of the work-family conflicts prevalence, their sociodemographic, family, and work attributes, and their relation to the self-reported health status in Japanese and Egyptian civil workers

BackgroundCross-cultural studies studying work-family conflicts (W_F_Cs) are scarce. We compared the prevalence of W_F_Cs, factors correlated with them, and their association with self-rated health between Japan and Egypt.MethodsAmong 4862 Japanese and 3111 Egyptian civil workers recruited by a convenience sample in 2018/2019 and reported self-rated health status, we assessed the W_F_Cs by the Midlife Development in the US (MIDUS) and attributed them to sociodemographic, family, and work variables. We also evaluated the W_F_Cs’ gender- and country-specific associations with self-rated health by logistic regression analyses.ResultsW_F_Cs were more prevalent in Egyptian than in Japanese women (23.7% vs. 18.2%) and men (19.1% vs. 10.5%), while poor self-rated health was more prevalent in Japanese than Egyptians (19.3% and 17.3% vs. 16.9% and 5.5%). Longer working hours, shift work, and overtime work were positively associated with stronger work-to-family conflict (WFC). Whereas being single was inversely associated with stronger family-to-work conflict (FWC). Living with children, fathers, or alone in Japan while education in Egypt was associated with these conflicts. The OR (95% CI) for poor self-reported health among those with the strong, in reference to weak total W_F_Cs, was 4.28 (2.91–6.30) and 6.01 (4.50–8.01) in Japanese women and men and was 2.46 (1.75–3.47) and 3.11 (1.67–5.80) in Egyptian women and men.ConclusionsJapanese and Egyptian civil workers have different prevalence and correlated factors of W_F_Cs and self-rated health. W_F_Cs were associated in a dose–response pattern with poor-self-rated health of civil workers in both countries.

Gender and the Impact of the Transition to Work from Home

We examine the distinctiveness of female and male employees’ work-family conflict experiences as they transition to working from home (WFH) and how different experiences affect stress and job satisfaction divergently by surveying 264 employees who worked on-site before COVID-19 and were forced to transition to WFH due to the pandemic. Integrating boundary management theory, the COR theory and the job satisfaction literature, we tested gender differences in both WFC (work to family conflict) and FWC (family to work conflict) and the resulting effects on job satisfaction and stress after working from home. We find that both WFC and FWC decrease when employee worked from home, with WFC decreasing more. Besides, the surveyed employees report lower stress and higher job satisfaction when working from home. Female employees experience greater reduction in both WFC and FWC and more improvements in stress and job satisfaction than male employees. The changes in WFC and FWC after working from home have mediation effects on the relationship between gender and the changes in stress and job satisfaction. Our study provides a better understanding and prediction of the impact of working from home by focusing on exogenous transitions to WFH due to the pandemic, moving beyond self-selected samples in previous studies. Besides, our study contributes to the literatures on work-family interface and remote work by addressing the gender gap in the earlier research. Furthermore, our study has implications for organizational policies that alleviate the burden on employees, especially female employees.

Bottom-line pursuits invade your family: the spillover effect of supervisor bottom-line mentality on employee work-to-family conflict

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between supervisor bottom-line mentality (BLM) and employee work-to-family conflict (WFC) through employee psychological detachment, and the moderating role of employee trait optimism.Design/methodology/approachThe research model was empirically tested using a sample of 225 two-wave data gathered from five Chinese companies.FindingsThe results revealed that employee psychological detachment mediated the impact of supervisor BLM on employee WFC. Moreover, employee trait optimism buffered the negative relationship between supervisor BLM and employee psychological detachment and the indirect effect of supervisor BLM on employee WFC through employee psychological detachment.Practical implicationsSupervisors should pay more attention to the spillover effect of supervisor BLM on employees’ family life and take some training measures to help employees effectively psychological detach from supervisor BLM.Originality/valueThe findings, therefore, provide a more comprehensive understanding of the adverse effects of supervisor BLM beyond the work domain and the buffering role of employee trait optimism on work–family intervention.

The relationship between family cohesion, family-work conflict, enrichment and psychological health of Indian police

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test the influence of family cohesion on family-to-work conflict (FWC), family-to-work enrichment (FWE) and psychological health. The study also aims to investigate the impact of FWC and FEW on psychological health. The study uses conservation of resources theory as a theoretical base.Design/methodology/approachData came from frontline officers of Rajasthan police in India using a purposive sampling technique. The study utilizes Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling to test the proposed research model.FindingsThe findings reveal that family cohesion is a critical family resource that diminishes FWC and boosts FWE. The findings further demonstrate that FWE improves psychological health. Lastly, the study displays that FWE fully mediates the link between family cohesion and psychological health.Research limitations/implicationsThe male-dominated sample prevents evaluating gender differences in the proposed relationships. Generalizations to other cultures and contexts are limited. The findings of the study suggest that police administrators need to understand the family characteristics of officers and plan interventions to facilitate a cohesive family environment in the police.Originality/valueLittle is known about the family direction relationships (FWC and FWE) in work-family research. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to test a model of family cohesion, FWC, FWE and psychological health.

Work-to-family conflict, family satisfaction and engagement nexus: insights from millennial managers

PurposeMillennials’ perception of work, personal and family life is different from other generations. Building on studies on workforce generations, this paper aims to uncover not only the effect of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family satisfaction (FS) on millennial managers engagement but also the moderating effect of (gender and marital status) in predicting engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a survey to collect data from managers of selected companies in Nigeria. In total, 127 questionnaires were analysed using the partial least square structural equation modelling method.FindingsResults reveal that the relationship between WFC, FS and millennial managers’ engagement is direct and significant. Besides, the effect of WFC on engagement is stronger in men and for married. The effect of FS on engagement is greater for women than men and for married.Practical implicationsThis study informs the research community as well as practitioners and affirms the importance of supportive work-to-family life and FS in fostering millennial managers’ engagement with their organisations.Originality/valueThis study is among the initial attempts to evaluate the impact of WFC and FS on engagement among millennial managers, especially in Africa, Nigeria in particular. The results identify millennial managers’ unique perspectives towards engagement and how gender and marital status may enhance engagement. With millennials fast attaining leadership roles, such knowledge is important.

The Effect of Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours on Employee Psychological Distress: The Role of Leader Workaholism and Work-to-Family Conflict.

BackgroundThe work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) has become increasingly intense among Chinese employees in recent years, especially in the rapidly developed internet industry. This has made the after-hours work connectivity behavior, a popular topic in the organizational psychology field. Based on boundary theory, we explored the mechanism of after-hour work connectivity behavior on employees' psychological distress and identified the work-to-family conflict (WFC) as mediator. Besides, leader characteristics are essential environmental variables and always play as moderators, among which leader workaholism is prevalent in the internet industry. However, the impact of leader workaholism on employees' behavior is still inconsistent and even contradictory. Thus, this study further examines the moderating effect of leader workaholism between the after-hour work connectivity behavior and employees' psychological distress.MethodsWe conducted a multitime, multisource questionnaire survey in Internet companies in China. Before collecting the data, all participants were assured that their responses would be confidential and used only for academic research. At time 1, the team leader rated his or her workaholism, and team members rated WCBA. At time 2 (3 weeks later), team members were asked to complete the questionnaire containing scales of WFC, psychological distress. The two rounds of data collection resulted in 211 matched team leader–team member responses. We performed a path analysis using Mplus 7.4.ResultsBoth the duration and frequency of WCBA can positively predict employees' psychological distress through WFC (the mediating effect = 0.628, 95% CI = [0.593, 0.663]). Specifically, WCBA can increase the level of WFC, which leads to the employees' psychological distress further. Leader workaholism can negatively moderate the relationship between WCBA and WFC, further moderating the mediating effect of WFC.ConclusionsWork-to-family conflict played as a mediator in the relationship between WCBA and employees' psychological distress. These results may be helpful to recognize the negative effect of WCBA and the role of leader workaholism in the relationship.

The role conflict-burnout-depression link among Chinese female health care and social service providers: the moderating effect of marriage and motherhood

BackgroundWomen with depression disorder outnumber men, and health care and social service providers are mostly female. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the association between role conflicts and depression among health care and social service providers, and further investigate the mediating effect of burnout, as well as the moderating effect of marital status and motherhood.MethodsThe data come from the baseline of the ‘China Social Work Longitudinal Study’ conducted in 2019, which contains 1,219 female social workers who reported work-family conflict. The five items of the scale in our model were extracted from the existing literature to ensure the construct validity of potential variables, and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were also conducted to ensure the validity and reliability of the scale. Descriptive analyses and correlation analyses were performed with SPSS 24, while the path analysis was conducted using Amos 24. The moderating effects of marital status and motherhood were further tested using multiple-group analyses.ResultsFemale health care and social service providers experienced a high level of depression. Work-to-family conflict (WFC), family-to-work conflict (FWC), and organizational role conflict (ORC) were significantly and positively associated with female social workers’ depression. Exhaustion and cynicism fully mediated the effects of ORC on depression and partially mediated the effects of WFC on depression. In addition, FWC had only a direct effect on depression. A multiple-group analysis further indicated that both marital status and motherhood status may have played a moderating role in the conflict-burnout-depression link and that being unmarried and having no child were risk factors for depression in female health care and social service providers.ConclusionsMarriage and motherhood have both negative and positive effects on the depression of female health care and social service providers. This suggests that marriage and motherhood may act as a form of “family clientelism” for female health care and social service providers who marry and have children.

A meta‐analytic investigation of the personal and work‐related antecedents of work–family balance

SummaryWe conducted a meta‐analysis examining antecedents of work–family balance, including personal characteristics, work demands, and work resources, as well as bidirectional conflict and enrichment. Bivariate results across 130 independent samples (N = 223 055) revealed that personal characteristics linked to more negative affect (i.e., neuroticism) and work demands (i.e., work hours, work overload, and job insecurity) were negatively associated with balance, whereas personal characteristics linked to more positive affect (i.e., extraversion and psychological capital) and work resources (i.e., job autonomy, schedule control, and workplace support) were positively related to balance. Family‐to‐work enrichment (FWE) was more strongly related to balance than was family‐to‐work conflict (FWC), and work‐to‐family conflict (WFC) was more strongly related to balance than was FWC. Finally, integrating tenets of job demands‐resources (JD‐R) theory, we examine two pathways (i.e., strain and motivation) through which antecedents relate to balance using meta‐analytic structural equations modeling (MASEM). In the strain pathway, neuroticism and job overload were negatively related to balance indirectly through higher WFC. In the motivation pathway, extraversion and job autonomy were positively related to balance indirectly through higher WFE. Work social support related positively to balance through higher WFE as well as lower WFC. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.

Do Family Affairs Matter? Work–Family Conflict and Safety Behavior of Construction Workers

Despite the extensive literature on workplace safety, the effect of work–family conflict on safety behavior has received little attention. This study aims to examine why and how bidirectional work–family conflict—work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC)—influences the safety behavior of construction workers. We propose hypotheses on the relationship between work–family conflict and safety behavior, the mediating effect of work engagement, and the moderating effect of family supportive supervisor behavior (FSSB). Data collected from 172 Chinese construction workers were analyzed using structural equation modeling. It was found that WFC had negative effects on safety compliance and safety participation, while FWC was only negatively related to safety participation. Meanwhile, work engagement was found to mediate the relationships between WFC and safety participation and between FWC and safety behavior. Finally, FSSB buffered the negative relationship between WFC and safety participation via work engagement. This study extends understandings of the influence mechanism and governance path of work–family conflict on safety behavior in the construction context and provides implications for improving safety behavior from the perspective of work–family balance.

Relationships Between Work-to-Family Conflict and the Food Domain for Dual-Earner Parents With Adolescent Children.

The impact of work-to-family conflict (WtoFC) can extend beyond family and work, and to other domains that contribute to well-being, such as the food domain. This study examined associations between WtoFC, perception of atmosphere of family meals (AFM), and satisfaction with food-related life (SWFoL) in dual-earner parents with adolescent children, and tested the mediating role of AFM between WtoFC and SWFoL. Questionnaires were administered to 473 different-sex dual-earner parents and one of their adolescent children (mean age 12.5 years, 51.4% male) in Temuco, Chile. Parents responded to a measure of work-to-family conflict; the three family members answered the Project-EAT Atmosphere of family meals scale, and the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling. Results showed a negative association from WtoFC to SWFoL in both parents, while a more positive perception of atmosphere of family meals was linked to higher SWFoL in the three family members. Moreover, WtoFC was negatively linked to SWFoL in parents, while only mothers' WtoFC had a negative association with their adolescent children's SWFoL. Policymakers and organizations can contribute to workers' and their families' food-related well-being by fostering policies and measures to reduce WtoFC.

Mothers’ return-to-work reasons and work–family conflict: does a partner involved in childcare make a difference?

ABSTRACT Facilitating mothers’ work–family reconciliation upon their return to work can be considered a viable means of enhancing women’s overall employment participation. This study examined return-to-work reasons among mothers with a one-year-old child, how these reasons are related to mothers’ background characteristics, work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC) and whether having a partner home caring for the child protects against such conflicts. Results based on survey data collected from Finnish working mothers (N = 573) in 2016 showed four dimensions of return-to-work reasons: personal importance of work, work- and career-related worries, dissatisfaction with stay-at-home mothering and convenient work/childcare conditions. Higher personal importance of work was associated with lower levels of WFC and FWC, whereas higher work- and career-related worries were related to higher WFC and FWC. Higher dissatisfaction with stay-at-home mothering was associated with higher WFC and higher convenient work/childcare conditions with lower WFC. Having a partner on care-related leave did not protect against the conflict.

Do Gender and Gender Role Orientation Make a Difference in the Link between Role Demands and Family Interference with Work for Taiwanese Workers?

Based on the gender role orientation perspective, this study extends the resource depletion mechanism that links role demands to family interference with work by testing the moderating effects of gender and gender role orientation (egalitarian vs. traditional) on the relationships. Analysis of the data from 251 employees in Taiwan revealed two significant three-way interactive effects. Specifically, for men, the positive relationship between work demands and family-to-work conflict (FWC) was stronger for egalitarian than traditional individuals. For women, the positive relationship between family demands and FWC was stronger for egalitarian than traditional individuals. We also found a significant two-way interactive effect; that is, within the egalitarian group, the positive relationship between work demands and FWC was stronger for women than men. Our findings, thus, suggest both within-gender and between-gender variations in the links between work-to-family demands and conflict, jointly affected by the individual’s gender and gender role orientation. Contextualized within the cultural traditions of a Chinese society, we highlight the precarious position that egalitarian men and women (especially women) find for themselves in fulfilling work duties and family roles. The theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.

Understanding the impact of family-to-work conflict and enrichment on the performance of entrepreneurial firms: A conservation of resources perspective

Entrepreneurs are critical human resources that have a significant impact on the performance of entrepreneurial firms. Yet, the nature of many entrepreneurial resources means that they are in demand by both their work (firms) and their families. Little is known about the impact that such dual demands might have on an entrepreneur’s ability to manage their own resources for their firm’s performance. Drawing upon conservation of resources (COR) theory and family-work literature, this paper develops a model to examine how family-to-work conflict (FWC) and family-to-work enrichment (FWE) shape the performance of entrepreneurial firms, directly and indirectly, through the mediation of entrepreneurial commitments. The model also explores the potential role of entrepreneurs’ key personal resources as a unique type of human resource that utilizes entrepreneurs’ internal dispositions to moderate the relationship between FWC/FWE and entrepreneurial commitments (and, hence, business performance). Empirical results from a study of 261 entrepreneurial firms in China provide support for our conceptual model. The paper has important implications for both HRM and entrepreneurship research and practices.

Is it ok to be connected outside the office? The impact on well-being at work and the mediating role of the work and family relationship

PurposeTo analyze the relationship between technology-assisted supplemental work (TASW) and well-being in the workplace – burnout and engagement. Furthermore, this study aims to test the relationship between TASW and burnout, mediated by work-to-family conflict (WFC) and the relationship between TASW and engagement mediated by work-to-family enrichment (WFE).Design/methodology/approachThe data was collected from a service company operating in Portugal. A total of 338 responses from a services company in Portugal were analyzed. Two statistical programs were used for the data analysis: IBM statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS 25.0) and SPSS analysis of moment structures (AMOS 25.0).FindingsThe results highlight the positive relationship between TASW and engagement and the relationship between TASW and burnout, which only exists when WFC is present. Moreover, the relationship between TASW and engagement is stronger through WFE.Originality/valueUsing the conservation of resources theory as a framework, the results contribute to the literature by shedding further light upon the positive effects of TASW on employees’ well-being and the work and family relationship.