Dispositional variables and work–family conflict: A meta-analysis

Work-Nonwork boundaries in academia: A problematizing review

The interplay between work and non-work in academic settings has been the subject of extensive research, particularly in relation to work-life balance and work-nonwork conflict. However, much of this literature has tended to overlook the specific dynamics of work-nonwork boundaries. Moreover, while prior research has explored general patterns of conflict and balance, it has not sufficiently addressed the unique pressures that academics face, such as high autonomy, irregular working hours, and competing demands. This review critically examines how the specific nature of academic work shapes the boundaries between work and non-work, advancing the conversation beyond traditional approaches. The central research question guiding this review is: How do the aspects of academic work shape the blurring of work-nonwork boundaries? Through a problematizing approach, this review relies on 41 articles to broaden and enhance our understanding of the boundary challenges academics encounter. Findings reveal that blurred work-nonwork boundaries in academia are driven by work-life demand overload, work-family conflicts, and a lack of organizational support, compounded by digitalisation and neoliberal practices. Heightened managerialism, careerism, and precarity exacerbate the blurring of these boundaries, affecting academics' well-being and identity work. By addressing these gaps, this review offers a nuanced understanding of how academics construct, navigate, and negotiate boundaries within a complex environment shaped by these pressures. The review challenges the limitations of conventional approaches to work-nonwork interface advocating for a more context-sensitive, experiential perspective.

Neuroticism, loneliness, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A 17-year study of nearly 500,000 individuals

BACKGROUND

Neuroticism is related to mental and physical health. This study examined whether neuroticism and its underlying components were associated with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

METHODS

Community-dwelling adults (N = 491,323) in the UK Biobank completed a neuroticism scale between 2006 and 2010. Vital status was tracked up to December 2022 via linkage with the UK National Health Service.

RESULTS

Over 17 years of follow-up, 43,400 (8.8 %) participants died. Accounting for age, sex, and ethnicity, participants who scored 1 SD higher on neuroticism had a 10 % greater risk of dying (HR = 1.10, 95%CI = 1.09-1.11), an association that remained significant but was explained partly by socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and chronic conditions. Item-level analyses found that loneliness was the neuroticism item most predictive of mortality (HR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.43-1.49), especially in males. Neuroticism and loneliness were more predictive of mortality among relatively younger adults and those with lower education. Among the causes of death, neuroticism and loneliness had the strongest association with deaths due to intentional self-harm, respiratory and digestive system diseases.

LIMITATIONS

Loneliness was assessed with a single item. The associations could be due to increases in neuroticism and loneliness approaching death. However, contrary to expectations from reverse causality, the associations were similar when excluding deaths within the first five or ten years of follow-up. Future research should examine whether findings from this high-income country replicate in middle- and lower-income communities.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness was the component of neuroticism most strongly associated with premature mortality, including from intentional self-harm, respiratory, and digestive system causes of death.

Associations between Psychosocial Working Conditions and Work-Specific Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among Employees Receiving Psychotherapeutic Consultation at Work

PURPOSE

By considering work-related aspects during early intervention and treatment of employees with (subclinical) symptoms of common mental disorders, psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-W) aims to increase work-specific self-efficacy (SE) to finally reduce sickness absence and contribute to successful return to work. This study, thus, aims to investigate interrelations between working conditions and work-specific SE among employees before receiving PT-W.

METHODS

The study uses baseline data of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of PT-W in Germany (n = 535). Working conditions were assessed by six scales of the validated Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). SE was assessed by the validated general short occupational self-efficacy (OSE) scale and return-to-work self-efficacy (RTW-SE) scale, two specific forms of self-efficacy. Multiple linear regression models were calculated using working conditions as independent and self-efficacy as dependent variables. Interactions between working conditions and age, gender and current extent of work were added to those models.

RESULTS

Results suggest that quantitative job demands are negatively and development opportunities are positively related to OSE and RTW-SE. Age did not moderate those relationships. The association between development opportunities and OSE was stronger among employees indicating working less number of hours than specified in their contract compared to employees indicating working their full contract hours. Furthermore, interactions with gender were found with social support being only (positively) associated with OSE among male and decision authority being only (positively) associated with OSE among female employees.

CONCLUSIONS

The associations between working conditions and work-specific SE support the usefulness of addressing potential reciprocal relationships between those two variables during PT-W to improve mental health of employees.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS) at 01.03.2021-DRKS00023049.

Woman's work: The moderating effects of gender role orientations between the relationships of work-family conflict with voluntary turnover and being valued by one's spouse

Gender role attitudes determine the importance of work-family domains to individuals and how they are influenced by work-family conflict (WFC). In this study, we draw on gender role and social role theories to hypothesize that working mothers' gender role perceptions moderate the relationships between WFC and two outcomes: voluntary turnover (work domain) and feeling valued by one's spouse (family domain). We tested our hypotheses with 14-month time-lagged survey data from 731 working mothers in Japan. The results of our regression analyses suggest that working mothers scoring high on WFC and egalitarian gender roles have a lower propensity to voluntary turnover and a higher propensity to feel valued by their spouses than working mothers low on WFC and egalitarian gender roles. Our study highlights the importance of considering within-gender differences in research on WFC and moderating effects of gender role attitudes between WFC and outcomes in work and family domains.

Crossover of the dimensions of work-family and family-work conflict in couples: Protocol for a qualitative study

Conflict between work and non-work is a bidirectional and a multidimensional construct that has garnered much attention from researchers and practitioners alike. Previously, studies with a dyadic design demonstrated that interrole conflict can cross over between partners in romantic relationships. The aim of the present study is to explore-from an individual and dyadic perspective-how partners perceive dimensions of interrole conflict (that is: time, strain, behaviour, and possibly others) and whether crossover between partners is dimension-dependent. This protocol outlines a qualitative interview study. Participants (N = 40) will be dual-earner couples that meet two inclusion criteria: both partners need to be professionally active, and the couples need to have lived together for at least a year. Interviews will be conducted separately with each partner. To analyse the data at the individual level we will use reflexive thematic analysis. To analyse the data at the dyadic level we will apply an adapted version of the framework method. We anticipate that findings of this study will have the potential to advance theoretical models depicting crossover processes and, more generally, the interface between work and family lives. Moreover, insights into how couples experience dimension-based interrole conflict will be important for the development of targeted interventions.

A question of time? Deployments, dwell time, and work-life balance for military personnel in Scandinavia

In recent years, interest in the different ways in which military employment affects individuals' work-life balance (WLB) has grown. At the same time, research on military organizations and personnel has increasingly included time-related factors such as deploy-to-dwell (D2D) ratios to help explain adverse health effects of overseas deployments. The aim of this article is to explore connections between organizational systems for regulating deployment frequency and dwell (or respite) time with a particular focus on potential consequences for work-life balance. We focus on personal and organizational factors that shape the nature and outcome of work-life balance, including stress, mental health problems, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. To explore these links, we first provide an overview of research on the impact of deploy-to-dwell ratios on mental health and social relations. We then turn to the regulation and organization of deployment and dwell time in Scandinavia. Here, the ambition is to identify potential sources of work-life conflict and associated effects for deployed personnel. The results provide a basis for further research into time-related effects of military deployments.

A New Gain Spiral at Work: Relationships between Virtuous Organizational Practices, Psychological Capital, and Well-Being of Workers

Identifying antecedents of well-being at work is an active field of research, focusing notably on organizational practices that promote employees' optimal health. To date, whereas studies have demonstrated that some organizational practices, considered in isolation, are positively associated with indicators of well-being, none tested the joint effect of a bundle of practices on these. Moreover, few studies have examined the psychological mechanisms underlying these relationships. The present study aimed to identify the relationships between virtuous organizational practices, a new psychological integrative construct, and three indicators of workers' hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being, namely job satisfaction, thriving at work, and work-life balance, and to test the mediational role of psychological capital in these relationships. The sample comprised 400 French employees working in non-profit, private, and public organizations. Structural equation modeling confirmed the direct effects of virtuous organizational practices on the three indicators of well-being, and a bootstrapping procedure demonstrated that psychological capital partially mediates these relationships. The results of this study have many practical applications because virtuous organizational practices can easily be implemented and optimized in work organizations to develop the individual resources of workers and, in detail, to promote their psychological well-being. Finally, the contributions of this study, avenues for future research, and limitations are discussed.

The Effects of Depression and Fear in Dual-Income Parents on Work-Family Conflict During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated depression and fear in dual-income parents during the COVID-19 pandemic as predictors of work-family conflict. Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited 214 dual-income parents aged 20 years or older with preschool and primary school children in Korea. Data were collected via an online survey. In the final model for hierarchical regression analysis, the strongest predictor of work-family conflict was depression (β = .43, p < .001), followed by fear (β = .23, p < .001), then weekly working hours (β = .12, p < .05). The final model was statistically significant (F = 29.80, p < .001), with an explanatory power of 35%. These findings highlight the need to provide dual-income parents with government-led disaster psychological support during COVID-19, such as counseling, education, and mental health management services involving the psychological predictors of work-family conflict. Diverse systematic intervention programs and policy support should also be provided to help them resolve work-family conflict.

"Ideal employees" and "good wives and mothers": Influence mechanism of bi-directional work-family conflict on job satisfaction of female university teachers in China

Work and family are two important areas in people's life, and the relationship between them will have an important impact on the attitudes and behaviors of employees in an organization. In the context of Chinese culture, the organization hopes to have an ideal employee, and the family hopes to have a good wife and mother. Based on the resource conservation theory, this paper examines the relationship between bi-directional work-family conflict and job burnout, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction by using latent variable path analysis method with 527 Chinese female university teachers as subjects. The results showed that: (1) Work-family conflict, family-work conflict and job burnout could negatively predict job satisfaction, while perceived organizational support could positively predict job satisfaction, (2) Job burnout played a partial mediating role in the process of work-family conflict and family-work conflict affecting job satisfaction, and the effect values were - 0.220 and - 0.168, and (3) Perceived organizational support played a moderating role in the first half of the mediating effect of "work-family conflict → job burnout → job satisfaction" and "family-work conflict → job burnout → job satisfaction," and the moderating mediating index was 0.015 and 0.010. The study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships among bi-directional work-family conflict, job burnout, perceived organizational support, and job satisfaction among female university teachers. Our findings highlight potential avenues for interventions by university administrators in the context of Chinese culture aimed at balancing work and family and improving job satisfaction among female university teachers.

But I have no time to read this article! A meta-analytic review of the consequences of employee time management behaviors

Time management is a beneficial tool for both individuals and their organizations. In this study, we conduct a meta-analytic review of the consequences of employee time management behaviors. Our results suggest that time management is associated with a variety of beneficial employee outcomes such as increased job satisfaction, job performance, and lower levels of stress and burnout. In addition, we found that the relationship between time management and employee outcomes is partially mediated by work-family conflict. Finally, relative weight analyses results indicated that perceived control over time exhibits incremental validity in predicting job satisfaction, job performance, and stress vis a vis conscientiousness. Directions for future research and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

A Multilevel Investigation of the Effects of Daily Work-Family Interaction on Daily Affect During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research aimed to examine the effects of daily work-family conflict and work-family enrichment on daily positive and negative affect levels of employees during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. The multilevel structure of the research design makes this study original. 730 day-level data were collected from 146 respondents during five consecutive workdays. One week later, a larger survey was delivered for assessing the person-level variables. The results indicated that both forms of work-family conflict significantly decreased positive affect and increased negative affect. Both types of work-family enrichment significantly increased positive affect; but only daily work to family enrichment significantly decreased daily negative affect. Findings also revealed that positive affect levels of respondents increase while negative affect levels decrease with time. On the days employees worked from distance, lower levels of positive and negative affect were experienced.

Under contract and in good health: a multigroup cross-lagged panel model of time use and health-related quality of life in working-age men and women

Background

Self-reported time-use in relation to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been widely studied, yet less is known about the directionality of the association and how it compares across genders when controlling for sociodemographic confounders.

Methods

This study focused on the working population of the most recent waves (2013–2018) of the Core-Study of the German Socio-Economic Panel (N = 30,518, 46.70% female, M = 39.24 years). It examined the relationship between three time-use categories (contracted, committed, & leisure time) and HRQoL (self-rated health & life satisfaction) in men and women via multigroup fixed effects cross-lagged panel models. The models controlled for sociodemographic background (age, household income, number of children living in household, employment status, education, & marital status), which was associated with time-use and psychosocial health in previous research.

Results

Contracted time showed consistent positive relationships with HRQoL across genders while associations with the other types of time use differed significantly between men and women and across indicators of HRQoL.

Conclusions

The way we spend our time directly predicts our health perceptions, but in the same vein our health also predicts how we can spend our time. Contracted time in particular was associated with positive HRQoL, across genders, and beyond sociodemographic predictors, highlighting the important role of employment in health, for men and women alike. The impact of commitments beyond contracted time-use—like household chores and childcare—however, continues to affect mainly women, which ultimately reflects in poorer health outcomes.

How Work-Family Guilt, Involvement with Children and Spouse's Support Influence Parents' Life Satisfaction in a Context of Work-Family Conflict

Work-family guilt (WFG) is sometimes perceived as an adaptive characteristic, since it has been found to encourage working parents to engage in more activities with their children in off-work time (Cho & Allen, 2012). However, while it may be an adaptive characteristic for the parent-child relationship, the same may not be true for parents' psychological health. Using insights from the work-home resources model (W-HR), this study aims to determine WFG's influence on parents' life satisfaction. This study also investigates if parents' belief regarding the investment of their spouse in recreational activities with their children is a resource that could foster their life satisfaction. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 289 working parents with at least one child aged between 5 and 10. A path analysis shows a significant moderated mediation model. Parent-child activities were found to partially mediate the relationship between strain-based work interference with family and parents' life satisfaction. Furthermore, WFG moderated this mediation. Specifically, it worsened the detrimental effect of doing fewer parent-child activities on parents' life satisfaction. Results also show that a spouse's investment in activity with their child is a resource that motivates parents to invest more in their children and directly contributes to parents' life satisfaction.

The role of resilience in the work-life interface: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: In an increasingly competitive marketplace, workers struggle to find a good balance between work and personal life. Difficulties in fulfilling the demands arising from these different domains may undermine employees’ well-being and job-related outcomes, thereby, impairing organizational productivity. OBJECTIVE: Does resilience play a relevant role in relation to work-life interface? And, if so, how is resilience related to its three facets (i.e., work-life conflict, enrichment, and balance)? To answer these questions, the current paper systematically reviews studies analysing the role of resilience in the work-life interface. METHODS: A key terms literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases (i.e., Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed) without setting any publication date limitation. The review process followed the international PRISMA statement guidelines. A quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: A total of 26 eligible papers published between 2009 and 2020 were included. Among these, 6 employed a qualitative design, while 20 studies adopted a quantitative design mostly examining resilience as antecedent. Data were predominantly collected in the healthcare sector. Resilience was mainly analysed in relation to work-life conflict. The most commonly used theoretical framework was Conservation of Resources theory. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, resilience was negatively associated with work-life conflict and positively related to both work-life balance and enrichment. A positive work-life balance can promote resilience, but resilience can also help workers to balance work and life. Additionally, resilience can protect from the negative effects of both work-life imbalance and work-life conflict on workers’ health and job-related outcomes.

Mindfulness buffers the deleterious effects of workaholism for work-family conflict

RATIONALE

Workaholism logically corresponds to the experience of work-family conflict (WFC) which is associated with a wide variety of negative employee outcomes. Finding ways to mitigate the occurrence of workaholism and/or lessen its deleterious effects on the work-family interface is practically important. Mindfulness research may hold some promise in this regard.

OBJECTIVE

We explore the potential that mindfulness - through its association with accuracy and salience of present moment experience and disengagement from automatic thoughts and debilitating behavior - may buffer the effects of workaholic tendencies on the experience of WFC.

METHODS

We use a two-study design (total n = 1022) to examine the role of dispositional mindfulness and mindfulness practice on the workaholism-WFC relationship.

RESULTS

Results suggest that (1) trait mindfulness buffers the workaholism-WFC relationship (Study 1; n = 307), and that (2) mindfulness practice and mindfulness training similarly buffer this relationship (Study 2; n = 715).

CONCLUSION

Mindfulness effectively serves as a buffer in the relationship between workaholism and WFC.

Effects of Psychological Capital and Person-Job Fit on Hospitality Employees' Work-Family Conflict, Family-Work Conflict and Job Performance: The Moderating Role of Marital Status

Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory and congruence theory, this study aims to investigate the influence of psychological capital (PsyCap) and person-job fit (PJ fit) on work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC) and job performance (JP), especially the moderating effect of marital status on hypothesized relationships between two directions of conflicts in the work-family interface and JP. Utilizing a two-stage design, this study surveyed 312 flight attendants employed by two international airline companies in Malaysia and used the structural equation modeling technique to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings showed that PsyCap could significantly alleviate two directions of WFC simultaneously and promote employees' JP. PJ fit was also identified to be an effective mitigator of WFC and FWC; however, a significant association between PJ fit and JP has not been found in this study. The findings further suggested that both WFC and FWC could mediate the association between PsyCap and JP. In addition, the fact that marital status resulted in disparity in the formation of JP was also evidenced. Airline companies should pay more attention to the positive impact of individual psychological determinants, such as PsyCap and PJ fit, which can effectively alleviate various issues in the work-family interface, thereby improving employees' JP.

Job crafting and employee life satisfaction: A resource-gain-development perspective

Job crafting has been shown to be associated with multiple positive work-related outcomes. However, whether and how it affects nonwork-related outcomes has been less examined. Grounded on the resource-gain-development perspective and conservation of resources theory, the present study investigated the effects of job crafting on employee life satisfaction via work-nonwork facilitation and work-nonwork conflict. Further, the present study examined the moderating roles of workload on these relationships. We collected two waves of data with a 1-month lag from 481 fulltime Chinese employees. The results of regression analyses revealed that job crafting was positively related to employee life satisfaction through higher work-nonwork facilitation and lower work-nonwork conflict. In addition, these indirect effects were stronger for employees with higher workload than those with lower workload. The results extend job crafting research by examining the effects of job crafting on employee life satisfaction and have clear applied value for employers who have high workload.

Work-family conflict and depressive symptoms among dual-earner couples in Germany: A dyadic and longitudinal analysis

This study contributes to the existing literature by testing the longitudinal effects of both types of work-family conflict (i.e., work-to-family conflict [WTFC] and family-to-work conflict [FTWC]) on depressive symptoms, using data from three waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam) survey collected over a four-year period. Using responses from 631 married or cohabiting heterosexual couples, the analyses are estimated using dyadic data analysis and auto-regressive and cross-lagged panel models. This analytical approach tests direct causation, reverse causation, and reciprocal relationships among WTFC, FTWC and depressive symptoms. The results suggest a reciprocal relationship with significant cross-lagged actor effects between WTFC (and FTWC) and depressive symptoms. However, there were no gender differences in the cross-lagged actor effects between men and women, and no significant partner effects. These results highlight the bidirectional nature of the relationship between work-family conflict and depressive symptoms, which has several implications for research and practice.

COVID-19 and mandatory teleworking from home in Japan: taking stock to improve satisfaction and job performance

Purpose

This exploratory paper aims to examine attitudes and practices with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of mandatory teleworking from home in the wake of the first state of emergency orders in Japan in 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of married employees retrospectively assessed changes in work style, subjective well-being, work–family conflict and job performance before and during forced teleworking from home in Tokyo and three of the surrounding prefectures.

Findings

Regular employees reported high levels of anxiety and to have thoroughly implemented government-recommended hygiene and safety practices. A majority of respondents were satisfied with mandatory telework from home and desired to continue partial telework after the end of the pandemic. The strongest predictor of satisfaction with mandatory telework from home turned out to be adequate workspace at home for both men and women. However, the antecedents of the desire to continue working from home differed by gender.

Practical implications

These findings can help individuals, firms and governments better understand the effects of mandatory teleworking from home and devise countermeasures to maximize employee well-being and job performance. This is all the more crucial, as Japan has had successive waves of the virus and has declared numerous states of emergency since the beginning of the pandemic, forcing office workers to continue social distancing and remote working for the time being.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first to provide insights on how imposed teleworking from home in the context of COVID-19 in Japan affected regular employees’ personal and professional lives and to identify predictors of satisfaction with teleworking and the desire to continue doing so.

Is work-life interference a risk factor for sickness absence? A longitudinal study of the Swedish working population

Background

While there is increasing literature on the health effects of work–life interference, few studies have investigated the relationship between a direct measure of work–life interference and objective sickness absence measures. The aim of this study is to investigate whether work–life interference is a risk factor for subsequent long-term sickness absence (LTSA).

Methods

Data were derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Data were linked to register data on LTSA (having at least one continuous period of medically certified sick leave exceeding 14 days) the following 2 years after each data collection wave. We applied generalized estimating equations, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The sample included 15 244 individuals (43.1% men and 56.9% women). Nearly a fifth of the sample (18.7%, n = 1110) started at least one period of LTSA at any point between 2010 and 2018.

Results

Work–life interference was found to be a risk factor for subsequent LTSA (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.44–1.67) even when adjusting for relevant factors including general health (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.29–1.51). We found no significant moderating effect of gender.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that work–life interference is a risk factor for subsequent LTSA for working men and women in Sweden.

Agreeableness and Its Consequences: A Quantitative Review of Meta-Analytic Findings

Agreeableness impacts people and real-world outcomes. In the most comprehensive quantitative review to date, we summarize results from 142 meta-analyses reporting effects for 275 variables, which represent N > 1.9 million participants from k > 3,900 studies. Arranging variables by their content and type, we use an organizational framework of 16 conceptual categories that presents a detailed account of Agreeableness’ external relations. Overall, the trait has effects in a desirable direction for 93% of variables (grand mean [Formula: see text]). We also review lower order trait evidence for 42 variables from 20 meta-analyses. Using these empirical findings, in tandem with existing theory, we synthesize eight general themes that describe Agreeableness’ characteristic functioning across variables: self-transcendence, contentment, relational investment, teamworking, work investment, lower results emphasis, social norm orientation, and social integration. We conclude by discussing potential boundary conditions of findings, contributions and limitations of our review, and future research directions.

Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict: A mega-meta path analysis

This study examines the mediating role of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict between the Big Five personality traits and mental health thereby enhancing theoretical development based upon empirical evidence. Integrating Conservation of Resources theory with the self-medication hypothesis, we conducted a mega-meta analytic path analysis examining the relationships among employees’ Big Five traits, work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict, anxiety and depression, and substance use. We produced a ten-by-ten synthetic correlation matrix from existing meta-analytic bivariate relationships to test our sequential mediation model. Results from our path analysis model showed that agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted substance use via mediated paths through both work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict and sequentially through depression as well as through family-to-work conflict followed by anxiety. Extroversion and openness-to-experience had relatively weaker influences on substance use through work-to-family conflict, anxiety, and depression. Neuroticism was the strongest driver of the two forms of conflict, the two mental health conditions, and substance use. From this model it can be inferred that work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict may be generative mechanisms by which the impact of personality is transmitted to mental health outcomes and then to substance use when analyzed via a Conservation of Resources theory lens.

Personality meta–traits and time-based work–family conflict: the mediating role of work–home boundaries

Purpose

This study aims to examine the complex relationship between the personality meta-traits of stability and plasticity and time-based work–family conflict (WFC). Stability and plasticity are hypothesized to influence WFC directly and indirectly, via boundary strength at work (BSW) and boundary strength at home (BSH) domains. WFC has two dimensions – conflict due to family interfering in work (FIW) and conflict due to work interfering in family (WIF).

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 419 full-time employees in multiple US companies. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Stability was associated with lower levels of WFC and stronger boundaries around the work and home domains. BSW mediated the relationship between stability and FIW; BSH mediated the relationship between stability and WIF. plasticity was associated with weaker boundaries around the work and home domains. BSW and BSH had a negative relationship with FIW and WIF, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The study is cross-sectional and limited to time-based work–family conflict. The results support the adoption of a more agentic view of personality in the boundary setting and WFC literatures.

Practical implications

Employers need to design flexible work programs that offer employees control over work–home boundary strength.

Originality/value

The study links stability and plasticity to WFC. It expands the nomological network of work–home boundaries.

Group-Treatment for Dealing with the Work-Family Conflict for Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals' exposure to work-family conflict negatively affects the health and well-being of the whole family and organizational outcomes. Specified workplace interventions are lacking. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of a two-day group-treatment specifically designed for the needs of healthcare professionals with family responsibilities concerning participation, satisfaction with the intervention and family- and individual-related outcome variables. 24 mostly female (85.7%) participants of a community hospital in southern Germany attended the treatment. Data were collected at baseline (T0), directly after the treatment (T1) and two months later (T2). A two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures showed a statistically significant time x group effect for self-efficacy (F = 5.29, p = 0.011). Contrasts displayed substantial pre-post (T1-T0, T2-T0) increases of self-efficacy in the intervention group as compared with the control group. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney-U tests are in line with these findings. The results indicate that the group-treatment adapted to the needs of healthcare professionals has the potential to boost self-efficacy among healthcare professionals and that participants were predominantly satisfied. Perspectives for future research and practical implications are discussed in the light of the manifest lack of healthcare professionals.

Harmonious personality and work-family conflicts: The multiple mediating roles of social support and self-control

This study aimed to examine the multiple mediating roles of social support and self-control in the relationship between harmonious personality and work-family conflict. A total of 143 Chinese adults (137 male, 95.8%; aged 30.25 ± 7.85 years) participated in this longitudinal study. Data were collected at three time points, at intervals of 1 month. Self-report questionnaires measuring social demographics and harmonious personality (Time 1), self-control and social support (Time 2), and work-family conflict (Time 3) were administered. Self-control and work-family conflict were negatively correlated. The relationship between harmony and work-family conflict was mediated by self-control and social support. Possible paths were self-control and multiple mediation by social support and self-control. Our results confirmed the multiple mediating roles of social support and self-control in the relationship between harmonious personality and work-family conflict. To achieve a better work-family balance, it is important not only to establish a harmonious interpersonal perspective and to enhance the social support from employers, colleagues, and family but also to ensure adequate self-control resources.

Towards an understanding of how stress and resources affect the nonmedical use of prescription drugs for performance enhancement among employees

Based on assumptions of the Job Demands-Resources model, we investigated employees’ willingness to use prescription drugs such as methylphenidate and modafinil for nonmedical purposes to enhance their cognitive functioning as a response to strain (i.e., perceived stress) that is induced by job demands (e.g., overtime, emotional demands, shift work, leadership responsibility). We also examined the direct and moderating effects of resources (e.g., emotional stability, social and instrumental social support) in this process. We utilized data from a representative survey of employees in Germany (N = 6454) encompassing various job demands and resources, levels of perceived stress, and willingness to use nonmedical drugs for performance enhancement purposes. By using Structural Equation Models, we found that job demands (such as overtime and emotional demands) and a scarcity of resources (such as emotional stability) increased strain, consequently directly and indirectly increasing the willingness to use prescription drugs for cognitive enhancement. Moreover, emotional stability reduced the effect of certain demands on strain. These results delivered new insights into mechanisms behind nonmedical prescription drug use that can be used to prevent such behaviour and potential negative health consequences.

Entitlement: friend or foe of work-family conflict?

Purpose

Guided by Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resources theory, we examined how psychological entitlement moderates the negative relationship between work-family conflict (WFC) and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 119 accountants from the Midwestern United States, we tested our hypotheses with hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

Results indicate a strong, negative relationship between WFC and job satisfaction for employees low in psychological entitlement, but an insignificant relationship for entitled employees.

Practical implications

The results suggest that some entitlement may be beneficial to employees when coping with WFC. However, organizations should limit WFC in order to foster their least entitled employees’ job satisfaction.

Originality/value

This is the first study that investigates how psychological entitlement affects employees' reactions to WFC. Not only does it contribute to the growing body of research that examines how this individual difference affects workplace functioning, but it suggests there may be some benefits to entitlement, which largely has been disparaged.

For better or for worse family-related well-being: A meta-analysis of crossover effects in dyadic studies

The present preregistered meta-analysis aimed to assess the evidence regarding the work-family interactions, as dyadic studies report them. The introduction differentiated between spillover (or intra-individual) effects and crossover (or inter-individual) effects by using dyadic studies. Following an online and reference list search, out of the initial 339 studies, 36 eligible articles reported correlations between one partner's variables and the other partner's variables. Analyses included 1504 effect sizes and used meta-analytical calculations and structural equation modeling. Both partners' well-being measures had small proportions of shared variance (i.e. shared variance up to 13.69%). The following analyses focused on the potential effects that could explain the shared variance of family-related well-being. There was little evidence of a crossover effect from one's work-related variables toward the partners' family-related well-being. Furthermore, analyses using structural equation modeling did not yield any results to support a crossover effect from one's work-family interaction toward their partner's well-being. These findings suggest that the literature needs new research studies regarding how family-related demands and resources are related to well-being and personal resources in the crossover processes.

The moderating effect of core self-evaluations between the relationships of work-family conflict and voluntary turnover, job promotions and physical health

Despite strong evidence that individuals process stressor-strain relationships differently, little attention in work-family conflict research has been given to moderating effects of core self-evaluations (CSE). Integrating conservation of resources theory with work-family conflict and CSE research, we predicted that CSE has moderating effects between the relationships of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and voluntary turnover, job promotions, and physical health. We tested our predictions at two time points over a 14-month period with a sample of 731 working mothers in Japan. Results confirmed that CSE moderated the relationships between WFC and voluntary turnover, job promotions, and physical health, such that respondents with higher CSE had lower degrees of voluntary turnover, higher degrees of job promotions, and lower degrees of health problems. This study helps clarify the inconsistent effects of WFC on voluntary turnover in previous research, expands on the limited research examining WFC and job promotion, and provides consistent evidence that CSE act as a moderator between WFC and outcomes.

Balancing the Scales: A Configurational Approach to Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a topic eliciting much attention and scholarship. Yet what scholars mean by work-life balance is wide-ranging. This review focuses on work-life balance scholarship published primarily between 2000 and 2020. To understand what constitutes balance, we integrate this research with work on enrichment and depletion, two constructs that contribute to work-life balance. We identify four configurations of enrichment and depletion that undergird different levels of work-life balance: ( a) low enrichment and high depletion (no balance), ( b) low enrichment and low depletion (minimal balance), ( c) high depletion and high enrichment (balance), and ( d) low depletion and high enrichment (balance/flourishing). We examine how other factors, such as cognitive and behavioral factors, other individual differences, and organizational factors, relate to enrichment, depletion, and work-life balance. We conclude with future research directions and practical implications, urging scholars and practitioners to consider novel work-life concerns from the lenses of enrichment and depletion.

Psychological distress inequality between employed men and women: A gendered exposure model

This study examines an exposure model in which the work and family stressors and the access to resources are gendered and contribute to explaining the psychological distress inequality between sex categories, both directly and indirectly through work-family conflict. A multilevel path analysis conducted on a random cross-sectional sample of 2026 Canadians workers from 63 establishments was performed. Our exposure model fully explains the higher level of psychological distress among working women compared to working men. Women are more exposed to work-to-family conflict, have less decision authority, are more likely to be a single parent and have less self-esteem, factors that are directly associated with a higher level of psychological distress. On the other hand, women work fewer hours, have less irregular or evening schedules and have more social resources outside of work, which contribute to lower their level of psychological distress through less work-to-family conflict. By identifying which of the differences in exposure to work and family stressors and resources explain the greater psychological distress of working women compared to working men, and by examining the mediating role of work-family conflict in this process, this study identified specific paths to reduce psychological distress inequality between women and men in the workplace.

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Women report more psychological distress than men.

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Differential exposure to stressors and access to resources are associated with psychological distress inequality.

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Gendered stressors and resources contributing to this inequality are very specific.

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Some gendered stressors and resources reduce this inequality.

Chronic Regulatory Focus and Work-Family Conflict among Chinese Workers

Survey data from 226 service employees were used to test the hypothesized moderating role of chronic self-regulatory focus on the relationships between work–family conflict (WFC) and challenge/hindrance strain. A follow-up scenario-based experiment (N = 93 executives) confirmed the results of the hypothesized model. Results from the two studies together demonstrated the moderating role of self-regulatory processes: chronic promotion-focused individuals perceived WFC as a challenge-type strain, while chronic prevention-focused individuals viewed WFC as a hindrance-type strain. Individuals use self-regulation strategically: in work domains, they regulate themselves so that family does not interfere with work. Individuals’ stress perceptions differ depending on the two dimensions of WFC as they regard interferences from (WIF) as a personal challenge, perhaps affording them an opportunity to balance work and life and to refine their abilities, but interferences from family to work (FIW) act as a barrier preventing them from achieving career success. When two-way interactions between WIF/FIW and chronic promotion/prevention foci were taken into consideration, the WIF/FIW main effects on challenge/hindrance stress became insignificant, suggesting that chronic self-regulation fully moderated the relationship. The results extend the current work–family research by incorporating self-regulatory processes as an important moderating variable, suggesting new research directions. The findings can help human resource management establish policies and benefit programs that take individual differences into account.

Effect of stretch goals on work–family conflict

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the destructive effects of stretch goals on employees’ work–family conflict (WFC). Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study examines the mediating role of resource scarcity. By integrating the paradox theory with the COR theory, this study explores the moderating role of employees’ paradox mind-set.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-wave data were collected from a sample of MBA students in Northwestern China (N = 294). PROCESS was used to assess a moderated mediation model.

Findings

This study found a positive relationship between stretch goals and WFC, and resource scarcity mediated this relationship. For employees with a high paradox mind-set, the relationship between resource scarcity and WFC was weak; and the indirect effect of stretch goals on WFC via resource scarcity was weak.

Practical implications

Organizations should provide enough resources to employees when using stretch goals. Human resource managers could recruit candidates with high paradox mind-set and foster employees’ paradox mind-set through training.

Originality/value

This study makes contributions to the literature on stretch goals by examining the negative spillover effect of stretch goals on the family domain and exploring the mediating mechanism. This study also extends the paradox theory by using it at micro level to address questions on WFC.

Work, family, work-family conflict and psychological distress: A revisited look at the gendered vulnerability pathways

This paper revisited the vulnerability hypothesis to explain the greater level of psychological distress among working women compared to working men. A comprehensive vulnerability model was tested in which work and family stressors and psychosocial resources are directly related to psychological distress and indirectly through work-to-family (WFC) and family-to-work (FWC) conflicts. Data came from a random sample of 989 women and 1,037 men working in 63 Canadian establishments. Multilevel path analyses were performed separately for men and for women. The results show that many work/family stressors and resources are linked to men's or women's psychological distress directly and indirectly through WFC and FWC. However, the z-test used to assess whether the relationships differed significantly between women and men indicated that only two relationships differ significantly between the two groups: experimenting problems with children and a low self-esteem are associated positively to psychological distress through FWC only for women. In addition to showing the specific involvement of work-family conflict in the psychological distress inequality, this study contributes to revealing that testing the differences in the magnitude of the relation offer a more suitable appraisal of the vulnerability mechanism involved in the psychological distress inequality between men and women.