American study shows knock-on effects of putting family first (PFF) strategy on spouses and co-workers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose The authors say they invented a new construct of putting family first (PFF). They define PFF as “the voluntary behavior of intentionally putting one’s family ahead of work in a way that violates organisational norms”. They said it helped to understand how workers break rules to manage boundary conflicts. They wanted to test the impact on co-workers and spouses. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried out two studies. The first one established a scale to measure PFF. The second one tested for links between PFF and both co-workers frustration and spousal dissatisfaction. To test their theories, the authors looked for US workers with spouses and co-workers. Findings Results showed PFF correlated significantly with the co-workers’ feelings of overload, frustration with work and work-family conflict. It also correlated significantly with the spouses’ stress transmission and relationship tensions. The results provided further validity of the scale developed in Study 1, as well as demonstrating the wider repercussions of PFF. Originality/value Results showed PFF correlated significantly with the co-workers’ feelings of overload, frustration with work and work-family conflict. It also correlated significantly with the spouses’ stress transmission and relationship tensions. The results provided further validity of the scale developed in Study 1, as well as demonstrating the wider repercussions of PFF.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merideth Thompson ◽  
Dawn S. Carlson ◽  
K. Michele Kacmar

PurposeThe authors examine a boundary management tactic for managing the work–family interface: putting family first (PFF). PFF is a boundary management tactic defined as the voluntary behavior of intentionally putting family obligations ahead of work obligations in a way that violates organizational normsDesign/methodology/approachIn Study 1, The authors develop a theoretically derived measure of PFF and distinguish it theoretically and empirically from similar existing constructs, examining convergent and discriminate validity to demonstrate its uniqueness. In Study 2, the authors demonstrate PFF's predictive validity beyond the job incumbent using a three-way matched sample of 226 individuals, including the job incumbent's coworker and spouse.FindingsThe authors established and validated a measure of PFF, developing and replicating the nomological network. PFF crossed over to positively relate to coworker role overload, job frustration and work–family conflict and to spousal stress transmission and relationship tension. Similarly, PFF related negatively to spousal family satisfaction and organizational commitment.Originality/valueThe authors extend the work–family and boundary management literatures by proposing a new form of boundary management, PFF, which is a tactic for managing the work–family interface, and explore how its use influences not only the job incumbent but also the coworker and the spouse.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 21-23

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on uncovering how the impact of pursuing workplace stretch goals can spill over into an employee’s family life. The results reveal that, due to the higher level of personal resources they demand, stretch goals do generate perceived resource scarcity that in turn causes work-family conflict (WFC). The study’s key takeaway is that employees who already have or are trained to adopt a high paradox mindset can best manage the resource demands involved in pursuing stretch goals, which limits WFC since these individuals see managing the experience as a positive source of personal challenge. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


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):  
Neuza Ribeiro ◽  
Daniel Gomes ◽  
Ana Rita Oliveira ◽  
Ana Suzete Dias Semedo

Purpose The incompatibility between the sphere of work and the family is a reality that plagues many workers today. The difficult articulation of these two domains leads to the experience of the phenomenon called work–family conflict (WFC). This paper aims to assess the impact that WFC may have on employee engagement and performance, as well as on their turnover intention. It is also intended to test the mediating effect of engagement on the relationship between WFC and performance, and between WFC and the turnover intention. Design/methodology/approach One hundred and sixty-seven employees from various Portuguese organizations were surveyed. Respondents reported their perceptions of own WFC, engagement, performance and turnover intention. Findings The results revealed that employees who feel a higher WFC have lower levels of engagement and greater intention to leave the organization. The WFC showed no relation to performance. Engagement takes on the mediating role in the relationship between WFC and the turnover intention. Practical implications The relevance of this study is related to the implications that it may bring to companies in the context of implementing work–family balance strategies to reduce the referred conflict. Originality/value This study contributes to WFC literature by attempting to integrate in the same model four concepts in a single study to provide a model that depicts the chain of effects between WFC, engagement, individual performance and turnover intention, which has never been done in the Portuguese context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajeet Pradhan ◽  
Prashant Gupta

Purpose The study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effect of subordinate’s perceived abusive supervision (AS) on his/her work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC). Although prior studies have empirically explored the direct effect, but the role of mediators like compulsory citizenship behavior, burnout and stress transfer explaining the indirect effect has seldom been reported. Design/methodology/approach The study draws cross-sectional dyadic data from multiple sources (both job incumbent and the spouse). A final sample of 188 was used to test the hypotheses using SmartPLS. Findings The result reports positive relationship between AS and inter-role conflict (WFC and FWC). The findings also reported compulsory citizenship behavior (CCB) partially mediating the positive relationship between AS and WFC and AS and FWC. Also, the positive relationship between AS and WFC is partially (serial) mediated by CCB and burnout, and similarly, the association between AS and FWC is partially (serial) mediated by CCB and stress transmission. Originality/value The study makes several valuable contributions to the extant literature; first, it is the only study to explore the direct and indirect effect of AS on inter-role conflict (WFC and FWC) in Indian organizations. Second, the mediational role of CCB (as explained by the conservation of resources theory) and burnout and stress transmission (as explained by the spillover and crossover theory) offers rare insight about the process that explains the relationship between the focal constructs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 726-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tri Wulida Afrianty ◽  
John Burgess ◽  
Theodora Issa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of family-friendly programs at the workplace in the Indonesian higher education sector. The focus is the impact that these programs have on employees’ work family conflict. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of academic and non-academic staff from 30 higher education institutions across Indonesia participated in the research. A total of 159 completed questionnaires from 109 academic and 50 from non-academic staff are reported and statistically analysed using SPSS. Findings – Work and family experiences in Indonesia do not positively align with the findings reported in most academic literature pertaining to western societies where the use of family-friendly programs (i.e. flexible work options, specialized leave options and dependent care support) leads to a reduction in employees’ work family conflict. In fact, some of the programs were found to have the opposite effect in the Indonesian context. Research limitations/implications – The design of family-friendly support has to take into account the context in which the policies will operates; these policies are not transferable across countries in terms of their effectiveness. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies that has examined the operation and effectiveness of family-friendly support programs in an Indonesian context.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 883-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhash C. Kundu ◽  
Rina S. Phogat ◽  
Saroj Kumar Datta ◽  
Neha Gahlawat

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of various workplace characteristics on work-family conflict among dual-career couples in India. Design/methodology/approach Primary data based on 393 employees belonging to dual-career couples were analyzed. Using multiple regression analysis, the study has attempted to find out the effects of workplace characteristics on work-family conflict in dual-career couples. Findings The findings indicate that not all workplace characteristics effect work-family conflict in dual-career couples. Out of 13 characteristics, 8 workplace characteristics, namely, development and flexibility, co-worker support, supervisory support, job competence, self-employee control, practicing overtime, flexibility and discrimination, are found to have significant effects on work-family conflict in dual-career couples. Research limitations/implications As this study is limited to the dual-career couples employed mainly in organizations operating in India, these results may not be generalized to other areas such as traditional career couples, self-employed member of couples and in other national contexts. Practical implications It would be beneficial for organizations to understand and implicate that adoption of certain workplace characteristics provide appropriate choices, freedom and environment for dual-career employees, which further encourage them to build effective amalgamation of work and family roles suiting their individual circumstances. Originality/value This study is an important and almost first study on dual-career couples in India on such issues. As a very scant number of researches have examined the impact of workplace characteristics on work-family conflict on such extensive basis, it definitely contributes to HR literature.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Sahadev ◽  
Sudarshan Seshanna ◽  
Keyoor Purani

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of a competitive psychological climate on the levels of role conflict and work-family conflict in call center employees and their further impact on customer orientation. Design/methodology/approach – The conceptual model is developed through a review of literature and is then validated in the context of call center employees in India. A total of 281 responses were considered. The model is validated using a multi-group analysis in order to consider a possible influence of gender. Findings – The model is found to have a very good fit and four of the five hypothesized relationships are found to be significant. The study thus establishes the impact of a competitive psychological climate on the role conflict and work-life conflict in the case of service employees. Research limitations/implications – The study uses a self-reported measure of customer orientation as well as the sampling methodology is not random. These two aspects could limit the generalizability of the results. Practical implications – The paper gives empirical support against adoption of competition-based practices in service organizations. This is an important implication for practitioners. Originality/value – The study looks at the impact of competitive psychological climate in call centers, a construct hitherto not much analyzed. The analysis of the relationship between competitive psychological climate, role conflict and work-family conflict have also not been looked into in the previous literature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grishma Shah ◽  
Ujvala Rajadhyaksha

Purpose The authors observe the impact of certain aspects of globalization on the work-family interface in India. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of life in Tier 1 (more globalized) vs Tier 2 (less globalized) cities, family/work collectivism and gender on work-family conflict (WFC) – both work interfering with family (WIF) conflict as well as family interfering with work (FIW) conflict. Design/methodology/approach The study surveyed 628 young employees on cultural values of collectivism and WFC. Findings Results suggest a main effect of tier in which Tier 1 city individuals experience more of both forms of WFC than Tier 2 city individuals. However, two- and three-way interactions between family/work collectivism and tier greatly moderate the main effect. Interactions indicate that family collectivism decreased WIF more for Tier 1 as compared to Tier 2 cities and work collectivism decreased FIW more for Tier 2 as compared to Tier 1 cities. The results suggest that high family collectivism creates high conflict for those who are low on work collectivism and high family collectivism creates low conflict for those who are high on work collectivism. Research limitations/implications The paper provides great insight into globalization and WFC within the context of cultural values. The paper calls for further studies on globalization, work life enrichment and cultural values. Practical implications The results build a case for more paid and organizationally supported interventions for work-life balance in India. Originality/value Large scale institutional changes, such as globalization, call for a reexamination of cultural dynamics. This study heeds the call and examines WFC in the context of rapid economic and social transformation occurring in India by bridging globalization, cultural change and WIF/FIW.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Daskin ◽  
Ozlem Altunoz Surucu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of polychronicity and intrinsic motivation on frontline employees (FLEs)’ work-family conflict, and service recovery performance (SRP) in a service setting. Design/methodology/approach – In this survey, a total number of 312 usable questionnaires were personally retrieved from FLEs in the research location. The hypothesized relationships were tested using hierarchical regression analysis. This paper presented an integrative model to test the aforementioned effects and relationships. Findings – Polychronicity and intrinsic motivation had negative impact on work-family conflict and positive impact on SRP. Significantly, while gender was found to be positively related to work-family conflict, on the other hand, job tenure was found to be negatively related to work-family conflict. Practical implications – This paper provides implications for managers in terms of minimizing the negative effects of work-family conflict and maximizing the FLEs’ SRP. Also, this study provides useful guidelines to implement effective management practices and improve organizational outcomes within the service setting of Peninsular Malaysia. Originality/value – Theoretically, the current study by examining the untried effects and relationships such as the effect of intrinsic motivation on work-family conflict, the effect of polychronicity on FLEs’ work-family conflict and SRP lends further contribution to the related literature.


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