Entitlement: friend or foe of work-family conflict?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Dana Laird ◽  
James J. Zboja ◽  
Paul Harvey ◽  
Lisa M. Victoravich ◽  
Anupama Narayan

PurposeGuided 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/approachUsing a sample of 119 accountants from the Midwestern United States, we tested our hypotheses with hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsResults indicate a strong, negative relationship between WFC and job satisfaction for employees low in psychological entitlement, but an insignificant relationship for entitled employees.Practical implicationsThe 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/valueThis 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.

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 659-674
Author(s):  
Soo Jeoung Han ◽  
Gary N. McLean

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of family-supportive supervisor behaviors and organizational climate on employees’ work–family conflict, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach To examine the causal relationship, the longitudinal panel data of the work, family and health study were used, using the data of 664 respondents who participated in surveys from all four time-points at two Fortune 500 information technology (IT) companies. Findings The results of the data analysis suggested that family-supportive supervisor behaviors have a minimal, but statistically significant, impact on work-to-family conflict and organizational work-family climate. Moreover, work-to-family conflict minimally mediated the relationship between family-supportive supervisor behaviors and employees’ turnover intentions. An organizational work-family climate had a small, but statistically significant, mediating effect between family-supportive supervisor behaviors and job satisfaction/turnover intentions. Practical implications This study has practical implications by noting that relying on only individual managers’ roles or training managers to be family-supportive may not be enough to improve family-oriented organizational culture, work–life balance and job-related outcomes. Originality/value Using a longitudinal mediation model, the authors examined the effects of family-supportive supervisor behaviors and how those behaviors impact other variables over time. Despite the expectation of such an impact, the authors found minimal effects among variables. This study is valuable because it can stimulate future research to advance the theoretical and practical understanding of family-supportive supervisor behaviors to help determine why the study found that it had very little impact on both work–family conflict and a family-friendly organizational climate to increase employees’ satisfaction to continue to work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-390
Author(s):  
Pavithra Sampath ◽  
Rupashree Baral ◽  
Mansi Rastogi

PurposeThis study investigated the crossover of work–family conflict (WFC) from supervisors to subordinates employed in conventional work settings. The authors hypothesized that the supervisor’s WFC would impact the subordinate’s level of WFC, and the level of crossover would vary with relationship quality or LMX.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed a matched set of 150 supervisors and 193 subordinates from several services organizations who were recruited using a snowballing technique. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression analyses and moderation testing.FindingsResults confirmed a significant direct crossover path. Further, the crossover was found to be lowered in the event of higher LMX quality.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings provide significant insights into the conditions under which transmission of WFC takes place by broadening crossover research in the work–family area. Future studies must explore the crossover of work–family enrichment and the role of leadership styles, empathy and perspective taking of subordinates in the crossover.Practical implicationsSupervisors must endeavour to reduce the level of WFC of subordinates by trying to build high-quality LMX by regularly interacting with them and by providing them a supportive climate. Employees in turn must support supervisors in various means, which will help them gaining manager’s trust and support.Originality/valueExamination of the potential mitigating effect of high-quality LMX in the crossover of WFC in supervisor–subordinate dyads has rarely been investigated in the past.


Author(s):  
Okechukwu Ethelbert Amah

Organisations in Africa face constant challenges on account of internal operational issues, and the economic and political situation on the continent. Hence, organisations in Africa and indeed all over the world are expected to be continuously efficient and effective in the use of scarce resources in order to survive. Accordingly, studies conducted all over the world, including in Africa, have established that high employee engagement is beneficial to organisations, because engaged employees exhibit discretionary behaviour that achieves superior business results. However, some studies suggest that organisations are also faced with the undesirable situation in which highly engaged employees experience high levels of work-family conflict. This relationship has implications for both productivity and ethical aspects, and past empirical studies have been unable to suggest a way out. This study proposes that, on the basis of the conservation of resources model and job demand and resources model, organisational and personal resources could play a major role in resolving the dilemma. Hierarchical regression analysis confirmed that organisational resources, servant leadership and personal resources were able to provide a solution, so that individuals with high values of these resources experienced less work-family conflict. The study also discussed the practical implications of the results for HRM and sustainability HRM.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Maria Ferri ◽  
Matteo Pedrini ◽  
Egidio Riva

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how the actual use of supports available from the state, organisations and families helps workers reduce perceived work–family conflict (WFC), explored from both works interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW) perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a survey of 2,029 employees at six large Italian firms. To test hypotheses, a hierarchical regression analysis was performed. Findings WFC should be explored considering its bi-directionality, as supports have different impacts on WIF and FIW. Workplace instrumental support elicits mixed effects on WFC, whereas workplace emotional support and familiar support reduce both FIW and WIF. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the Italian national context, and data were collected in a single moment of time, which did not allow for observing changes in employees’ lives. Practical implications Human resource managers, as well as policy makers, will find this study’s results useful in designing effective work–life balance policies and supports, in which attention is devoted mainly to promoting workplace emotional supports and facilitating familiar support. Social implications The study highlights that by reducing pressures from work and family responsibilities that generate WFC conditions, organisational and familiar supports elicit different effects, which should be considered carefully when defining policies and interventions. Originality/value This study is one of the few that compare the role of supports provided by actors in different sectors on FIW and WIF, thereby allowing for an understanding of whether the bi-directionality of the conflicts is a relevant perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Smart Egwu Otu ◽  
Ivan Sun ◽  
Charles Ikechukwu Akor ◽  
Macpherson Uchenna Nnam ◽  
Yuning Wu ◽  
...  

PurposeThis study aims to assess the direct relationships between internal support and job satisfaction and voluntary assistance and their indirect connections through work–family conflict among Nigerian police officers.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from police officers in a midsized state police command in Ebonyi state in Nigeria. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the connections between supervisor support, peer support, work–family conflict, job satisfaction and voluntary assistance.FindingsPolice officers with stronger supervisor and co-worker support are more inclined to express higher job satisfaction, whereas such support is not linked to officers' willingness to help fellow officers. Work–family conflict mediates the relationship between co-worker support and voluntary assistance. Stronger peer support is accompanied by higher work–family conflict, which then is linked to greater helping behavior.Originality/valueDespite many studies on police job satisfaction, research on correlates of job satisfaction in an African context remains severely under-investigated. This study represents one of the first attempts to assess police proactive helping behavior and job satisfaction in Nigeria.


Author(s):  
Ji An ◽  
Yun Liu ◽  
Yujie Sun ◽  
Chen Liu

A lack of research has been undertaken to explore work–family conflict and its impact on the shipping industry. The objective of the present study was to empirically examine the effects of work–family conflict, job stress, and job satisfaction on seafarer performance. Data were collected from merchant ship seafarers in the Yangshan Port, Shanghai, China (n = 337). A data analysis was performed using hierarchical regression analysis. The research results revealed that work–family conflict and job stress negatively affects seafarer self-reported performance, while job satisfaction positively influences seafarer job performance. Findings also show that job satisfaction plays a moderating role in the relationships between work–family conflict, job stress and seafarer performance. Our findings demonstrate that work–family conflict, job stress and job satisfaction manifested are significant predictors for seafarer performance. Important applications and implications are provided for managers and researchers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 372-385
Author(s):  
Marijana Matijaš ◽  
Marina Merkaš ◽  
Barbara Brdovčak

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct effects of job autonomy and co-worker support on job satisfaction, and the mediational role of work–family conflict (WFC) in the relationship between these job resources and job satisfaction in men and women. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design was used. Participants (n=653) completed the WFC scale (Netemeyer et al., 1996), the job autonomy scale (Costigan et al., 2003), a scale of co-worker support (Sloan, 2012) and a new short multidimensional scale of job satisfaction. Findings Higher job autonomy and co-worker support contribute positively to job satisfaction in women and men. Co-worker support has an indirect effect on job satisfaction via WFC in women, but not in men. The WFC did not mediate the relationship between job autonomy and satisfaction in men and women. Originality/value This paper contributes to the research on the effects of job resources on WFC and job satisfaction, and on gender differences in the relationship between work and family.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-440
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Yu ◽  
Xiaotong Meng ◽  
Gang Cao ◽  
Yingya Jia

Purpose Conflict between work and family is a significant issue for entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of entrepreneurial failure on both family–work conflict (FWC) and work–family conflict (WFC) and the moderating role of perceived control of time and organizational slack based on conservation of resources (COR) theory. Design/methodology/approach This study used a questionnaire to explore the relationship between entrepreneurial failure, FWC/WFC, perceived control of time and organizational slack. Data were collected from the Chinese context in 2018 and as a result received 318 valid questionnaires, obtaining a response rate of 63.6 per cent. Findings The study finds that entrepreneurial failure has a significant relationship with FWC but a nonsignificant relationship with WFC and that perceived control of time and organizational slack moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial failure and FWC/WFC. Originality/value This study aligns the field of family–work (work–family) conflict and entrepreneurial failure. It addresses a research gap in the conflict literature by introducing one form of resource loss: entrepreneurial failure as a source of conflict between work and family based on COR theory and the work–home resources model. The study also enriches the literature on the social cost of entrepreneurial failure by exploring the crossover effect of entrepreneurial failure on conflicts in the family domain. Furthermore, the study advances the understanding of managing conflict between work and family after entrepreneurial failure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Freire ◽  
Claudia Bettencourt

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of the work–family conflict in the relation between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was answered by 234 nursing professionals working in Portuguese public health institutions.FindingsRegression analyses indicate that there is a positive relationship between ethical leadership and satisfaction and a negative relationship between ethical leadership and the nurse's work–family conflict. Furthermore, it was revealed that the work–family conflict mediated (partially) the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsEthical leadership was measured by assessing the nurses' perceptions of their leaders' character. The cross-sectional data limited the possibility of establishing the causality of the study variables, where the generalization of results was not possible due to the fact that data were obtained in public health institutions alone.Practical implicationsConsidering that ethics precede good relations between the manager and collaborator, it is recommended that organizations develop ethical training for their leaders, more specifically in the case of head nurses.Originality/valueThe added value of this empirical study lies in the mediated role of the work–family conflict in the analysis of the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 737-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Chen ◽  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Ming Jia

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.


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