Work–Family Intervention Research

Author(s):  
Leslie B. Hammer ◽  
Caitlin A. Demsky ◽  
Ellen Ernst Kossek ◽  
Jeremy W. Bray

This chapter reviews the literature on work–family interventions focusing on linkages to evidence-based employee health and well-being outcomes and on return on investment (ROI) in organizations. Work–family interventions include, but are not limited to, alternative work arrangements, family supportive supervisor behavior training, work redesign to increase schedule control, and the provision of dependent care supports. Work–family interventions have the goal of reducing work–family conflict and in turn increasing the health and well-being of employees and the organizations in which they work (Kossek, Hammer, Kelly, and Moen, 2014). Sixteen studies were identified that meet our criteria. The chapter provides a discussion of establishing the work–family intervention value proposition with a focus on ROI, concluding with a discussion of approaches and guidelines for future work–family intervention research and practice.

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Brook ◽  
Melanie Freeman ◽  
Graeme Ditchburn

Concerns about the increased risk to mental health in fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers in the construction and resources industries led to increased public and government scrutiny, resulting in Western Australia’s adoption of a code of practice. In general, research has found that a higher incidence of psychological distress in FIFO workers has resulted from high compression rosters and work–family conflict, as well as feelings of isolation. Risk controls, such as perceived levels of support, have been found to be significantly related to improved mental health and organisational outcomes. Organisations need to address the non-financial needs of their workers and look to develop their perceived support, job satisfaction and adjustment to the FIFO lifestyle. This paper outlines practical risk controls and interventions organisations can take to improve psychological and organisational outcomes.


Author(s):  
Jianghua Liu ◽  
Zhongliang Zhou

The introduction of the two-child family planning policy in China calls for a study of the response of mothers’ subjective well-being after the birth of a second child. Generally focusing on Western countries, previous studies suggested that a series of factors could influence the response, but insufficient attention has been paid to the relative importance of these factors so far. Based on survey data from mothers of two children in the Xi’an metropolitan area, Shaanxi Province, China, our study indicates that the important factors associated with mothers’ life satisfaction after having a second child were, in general, common to Western countries and China. There were also two factors somewhat unique to China: positive adjustment (i.e., becoming happier) by firstborn children (average age, 6 years old) following a sibling’s birth, predicted enhanced life satisfaction for mothers; additionally, mothers who had both a son and a daughter reported the highest increase in life satisfaction, while mothers who had two sons reported the lowest increase. Socioenvironmental constraints (i.e., parenting pressure and work–family conflict) had a larger association with mothers’ life satisfaction than individual ideational factors (e.g., family orientation and fertility desire). These findings suggest that fertility-friendly policies and convenient family intervention institutions are needed to alleviate potential undesirable consequences and improve maternal life quality following a second childbirth so that the two-child policy can be a success.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deniz Yucel ◽  
Wen Fan

This study examines dual-earner couples to determine whether changes in work–family conflict predict changes in one’s own (i.e., actor effects) or partner’s (i.e., partner effects) health and well-being as well as gender differences in these relationships. Using data from 1,001 dual-earner couples in Wave 6 and Wave 8 of the German Family Panel survey (Pairfam), we found (1) significant actor effects for all outcomes, with stronger actor effects among men than women on mental health; (2) significant partner effects for life satisfaction and mental health, with stronger partner effects among men than women on life satisfaction; and (3) stronger actor effects than corresponding partner effects for life satisfaction and mental health. As work–family conflict has become a fact of life for many contemporary workers, our results contribute by highlighting the importance of using couple-level data and testing longitudinal crossover effects to provide a fuller understanding of such conflict’s health consequences.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi-Chao Zhang ◽  
Oi Ling Siu ◽  
Jing Hu ◽  
Weiwei Zhang

This study investigated the direct, reversed, and reciprocal relationships between bidirectional work-family conflict/work-family facilitation and psychological well-being (PWB). We administered a three-wave questionnaire survey to 260 married Chinese employees using a time lag of one month. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling analysis was conducted and demonstrated that the direct model was better than the reversed causal or the reciprocal model. Specifically, work-to-family conflict at Time 1 negatively predicted PWB at Time 2, and work-to-family conflict at Time 2 negatively predicted PWB at Time 3; further, work-to-family facilitation at Time 1 positively predicted PWB at Time 2. In addition, family-to-work facilitation at Time 1 positively predicted PWB at Time 2, and family-to-work conflict at Time 2 negatively predicted PWB at Time 3.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Aimzhan Iztayeva

As both paid and unpaid work were disrupted during the COVID-19 crisis, the two roles that working custodial single fathers occupy—breadwinners and caregivers—have intensified significantly. Using two independent sets of interviews, this study examines how custodial single fathers navigated work and caregiving responsibilities prior to COVID-19 and compares them to the experiences of single fathers interviewed during the pandemic. The findings are organized into three key themes. First, men with white-collar jobs experienced less work-family conflict than men with blue-collar jobs. The COVID-19 crisis further widened this divide as lack of flexibility put men with blue-collar jobs in a precarious position in the labor market. Second, the way single fathers arranged childcare varied with the availability of extended family and the coparenting relationship with the child(ren)’s mother. The pandemic significantly complicated these arrangements by removing men’s access to extended family and intensifying already conflicted coparenting relationships. Finally, prior to the pandemic, many single fathers struggled with lack of leisure time and diminished social support networks that shrunk with their initial break from their child(ren)’s mother. The resulting feelings of fatigue and loneliness seeped into men’s psychological well-being. COVID-19 and related social distancing measures further exacerbated single fathers’ isolation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 106907272199427
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Chaoping Li

The aim of this study was to translate the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale (MWS) into Chinese and then test its reliability and validity among full-time Chinese employees in two stages. In Study 1 ( N = 220), the MWS was translated and exploratory factor analysis was conducted resulting in a four-factor solution consistent with the original MWS: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. In Study 2 ( N = 425), confirmatory factor analysis showed that a four-factor, bifactor model was the best fit for the data. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested which demonstrated that the Chinese version of the MWS did not differ across gender, age, and job position groups. Finally, workaholism and engagement were related and distinct from one another, and they correlated with emotional exhaustion, work-family conflict and life well-being uniquely. This study indicated that the Chinese version of the MWS is a valid and reliable tool for Chinese employees, and this has important practical implications for the individual health and career development of Chinese working adults.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedva Braunstein-Bercovitz ◽  
Smadar Frish-Burstein ◽  
Benny A. Benjamin

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