Work-family enrichment: evidence from India on source attribution

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1269-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Premchandran ◽  
Pushpendra Priyadarshi

PurposeWork-family researchers examining work-family enrichment (WFE) have used a cross-domain model (Frone et al., 2003) to explain relationships between enrichment experienced and the satisfaction reported in the same domain. Recent research points out inconsistencies in this approach, arguing for a source attribution model in which increased satisfaction is reported in the domain where the source of enrichment resides. This study looks at bi-directional WFE and both forms of domain satisfaction, job and family, to explore relative strengths of these relationships in an Indian context, thereby extending theory on source vs cross-domain effects of enrichment.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a single-source cross-sectional study of 508 married individuals working in the services sector in India, each with at least one child in the family. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results support the source attribution perspective of enrichment where WFE shows stronger links to job satisfaction, and family-work enrichment (FEW) shows stronger links to family satisfaction. Our study revealed that dual-earners report higher satisfaction levels compared to those from single-earner households.Originality/valueIn addition to advancing theory on source attribution for WFE, this is the first study to focus exclusively on married individuals with children to further help accentuate inter-domain resource transfer. In addition, this is one of the few studies to test out the theory of enrichment through service sector knowledge workers in a developing economy like India, where the service sector contributes to 60% of the GDP.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansi Rastogi ◽  
Osman M. Karatepe

PurposeDrawing from work-family enrichment (WFE) model and path-goal theory of motivation, this paper proposes and tests work engagement (WE) as a mediator between informal learning and WFE.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires measuring informal learning, WE and WFE were filled out by 290 hotel employees in India. The abovementioned linkages were tested via structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings suggest that hotel employees' informal learning fosters their WE and WFE. The findings also reveal that WE partly mediates the impact of informal learning on WFE.Originality/valueMost of employees' learning efforts in the workplace emerge from informal learning. However, there is still limited information whether employees' informal learning activates their WE, which is a timely and significant topic. Importantly, there is a paucity of evidence appertaining to the effect of informal learning on WFE, which is underrepresented in the current literature. Evidence about the mechanism linking informal learning to WFE is also sparse.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Premchandran ◽  
Pushpendra Priyadarshi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of personality and individual differences as an antecedent to work-family enrichment (WFE) and consequently with job satisfaction. This study address gaps in WFE literature by looking at proactivity, work-family self-efficacy (WFSE) and family permeability as antecedent variables that have received scant attention from researchers. By addressing these gaps, the study seeks to advance theory on WFE and its relation to job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The authors do this through the exploration of pathways through WFE and studying 508 married individuals, with at least one child, working in the IT/ITES sector in India. The authors use structural equation modeling to analyze different pathways from personality based antecedents and WFE as mediator. Findings The results demonstrate the mediating role of WFE in the relationship between antecedents (WFSE, family permeability and proactive personality) and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to existing research on WFE and personality by showing that WFE is a significant pathway toward job satisfaction and how personality variables influence satisfaction. Originality/value It is also the first study to use proactivity and WFSE as antecedents to test out the influence of WFE on job satisfaction. This is also the first study to look at only married individuals with children in a WFE study forced on the services sector. Consequently, these findings have significant implications in the way organizations deal with work-life situations, especially in the 30+ age bracket in India.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarika Jain ◽  
Shreekumar K. Nair

Purpose For more than a decade, efforts to integrate the two major perspectives of work–family studies, namely, work–family conflict and work–family enrichment have started advancing not only in western context but also in non-western contexts as well. However, both conflict and enrichment emerging from the family front have often been neglected in previous studies. The purpose of this paper is to test the integration of two major work–family perspectives, that is, work–family conflict and work–family enrichment in an Indian context. Design/methodology/approach The current study involves a multi-sectoral survey of sales employees belonging to manufacturing, information technology, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and financial services using standard scales. The sample consisted of 330 sales employees working in some of the major firms coming under these sectors. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using analysis of a moment structures was used to test the integrated model. In addition, multi-group SEM was used to test the impact of select demographic variables on the integrated model. Findings Results of SEM suggested that for sales employees in Indian organizations, work–family conflict follows a matching domain principle, whereas, work–family enrichment follows both matching and cross-domain principles. Further, it was found that marital status and annual salary emerge as moderators in the integrated model. Research limitations/implications The present study confirmed that similar-domain relationships are stronger than cross-domain relationships, supporting findings from previous research with regard to work–family conflict. In addition, the results contradicted the studies conducted in western countries wherein the same domain effect is observed with respect to both types of enrichment, that is, work to family enrichment (WFE) and family to work enrichment (FWE). The present study confirms a similar and cross-domain relationship in the case of both types of enrichment. It means that both WFE and FWE have a positive impact on both jobs and family satisfaction. Practical implications Organizations so far have been trying ways to reduce stress to reduce work to family conflict. However, there is a need to incorporate policies that facilitate work–family enrichment. Such policies may focus more on support for both married and unmarried employees’ sales employees. Originality/value This study contributes to work–family literature by attempting to integrate both conflict and enrichment perspectives, which has rarely been done in the Indian context.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-8

Purpose The researchers wanted to examine work-family enrichment using the antecedent variables of proactivity, work-family self-efficacy (WFSE) and family permeability, Design/methodology/approach The researchers selected married individuals working full time with at least one child younger than the age of 16. Respondents were drawn from the IT sectors in the large southern Indian cities of Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Respondents answered questions about their proactive personality, WFSE, family permeability, WFE and job satisfaction, in addition to demographic variables around age, gender, children and dual-earner status. Findings The results show the influence of work-family enrichment (WFE) on job satisfaction. The authors said the strong correlations between the three personality-based antecedents and WFE made it essential for managers to consider each individual worker’s personality traits, as well as to produce work policies and job specifications that helped people to manage their work-family interrelationships. Originality/value The authors say the research has made three unique contributions to work-family literature. First, they have explored individual preferences and personality variables that result in greater enrichment. Second, the study has advanced WFE literature by considering family permeability as a preference. Finally, the study has answered the calls of previous researchers to look at variables like work-family self-efficacy as additional resources that help enrichment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansi Rastogi ◽  
Richa Chaudhary

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of job crafting behaviors in predicting work-family enrichment. It is hypothesized that employees who are able to adjust their work environment proactively by increasing structural and social job resources, increasing challenging job demands and decreasing hindering job demands would be more engaged and experience work-family enrichment. Design/methodology/approach The sample for the study consisted of 496 employees working in diverse nature of organizations in India. Structural equation modeling with the help of SPSS AMOS 20 was used for testing the study hypotheses. Findings The results reveal a strong relationship between job crafting and work-family enrichment experiences among employees. The study also established the role of work engagement as a mediator of the relationship between job crafting and work-family enrichment. Research limitations/implications The study significantly advances the underdeveloped literature on work-family enrichment by establishing job crafting as a predictor and illuminating the underlying psychological processes in a non-western collectivist culture. The study also contributes to theory building around the construct of job crafting which is still in its infancy. Practical implications The practitioners are encouraged to provide opportunities, support and freedom for job crafting to their employees for better work and home outcomes. Originality/value The present study is one of the pioneer attempts to examine how employees themselves can influence work-family enrichment by enhancing their work engagement using job crafting.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Taheri

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test a model in which family-supportive organizational environment is associated with lower levels of turnover intention through higher levels of work-family enrichment and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 300 employees, the bootstrap procedure for estimating indirect correlations in multiple mediator models was used to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest that employees experiencing high levels of family-supportive organizational environment are likely to report lower intention to leave their profession by virtue of their higher levels of job satisfaction and work-life enrichment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to public organization and sample size. Further research is needed to make comparison between large/state-owned and small/private organizations.Practical implicationsIn the Iran context, work-family enrichment and job satisfaction are effective in reducing the employees' turnover intention. Organizations should show concerns for the employees' work-life enrichment and job satisfaction to reduce their turnover intention.Social implicationsTurnover is one of the problems of organizations in many countries throughout the world including Iran, which has negative consequences through increasing the cost of organizations. The results of this study suggest ways in which staff retention could be improved.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to supportive organizational environment literature by addressing the relationship between family-supportive organizational environment and employee-related outcomes. Given some commonalities between Iran and other developing countries, the findings might be of potential interest in comparative studies dealing with the employees' turnover issue.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 386-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Martinez-Sanchez ◽  
Manuela Perez-Perez ◽  
Maria-Jose Vela-Jimenez ◽  
Silvia Abella-Garces

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of a bundle of work–family policies on employee’s job satisfaction and (affective) organizational commitment, by using work–family enrichment and conflict as explanatory.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical study is conducted with a sample of 322 employees from 30 Spanish firms that have been granted with the “Flexible Firm Award” or have been certified as “Family Responsible Firms.” Structural equation modeling is used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that the higher the use of work–family policies the more positive effects on work–family enrichment and conflict, and that job satisfaction is positively related to (effective) organizational commitment.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a cross-sectional study which may limit the establishment of causal relationships.Practical implicationsWork–family policies may constitute a relevant management tool to balance work and family life by making employees more interested in their jobs, enhancing their well-being and reducing the conflicts between work and family domains. The positive role of work–family enrichment contributes to enhance employees’ job satisfaction and, at the same time, to increase their organizational commitment. Managers should pay attention at how work–family policies are justified because they may influence differently on their outcomes on satisfaction and commitment.Originality/valueThere are two main original contributions of the paper. First, the authors study the joint effect of work–family policies on different dimensions of enrichment and conflict. Second, the authors analyze the relationship between different dimensions of enrichment and conflict on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-142
Author(s):  
Abha Bhalla ◽  
Lakhwinder Singh Kang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the pattern of work-family interface outcomes by empirically testing work-family conflict and facilitation bidirectional dimensions simultaneously in relation to domains-specific (job and family) and domain nonspecific (life) satisfactions. In addition, the indirect effects of work-family interface dimensions on life satisfaction (LS), mediated through both domain-specific satisfactions are also examined to understand which domain satisfaction elicits major impact on LS. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling analysis was conducted on questionnaire data obtained from 212 fulltime journalists working in top ten dailies of Punjab, India. Parallel multiple mediated regression was used to estimate specific indirect effects caused by each of the two parallel mediators (job satisfaction (JS) and family satisfaction (FS)). Findings Results illustrate that both dimensions of work-family conflict strongly decreased satisfaction of an originating domain than satisfaction of the receiving domain while both dimensions of work-family facilitation increased satisfaction of both the domains on equal basis. Results further reveal that the effect of work-family conflict and facilitation dimensions on LS is indirect rather than direct. On comparison of specific indirect effects results demonstrate that only originating domain satisfaction act as a mediator to work-family conflict and LS relationship, while both JS and FS act as mediators to work-family facilitation and LS relationship. Practical implications Media organizations can offer interventions like family friendly policies, overtime pay, more autonomy, work rewards and skill variety, so that employees’ workplace resource reservoir can be strongly built up to meet future work and family demands. In this way, positive intrusion from work-to-family takes place, which leads to more JS and FS and in turn increased overall LS. Originality/value The study removes inconsistency regarding pattern of work-family conflict and facilitation outcomes by testing a comprehensive model that integrates originating domain, receiving-domain and domain-nonspecific outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Agrawal ◽  
Ritika Mahajan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide an integrative review of work–family enrichment literature.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based upon 206 peer-reviewed papers derived from systematic search in the Scopus database. The review ascertains its relevance by analyzing the publication trends, research designs, data analysis techniques, sample characteristics, measures and findings of selected articles.FindingsThe study notes a rising trend of publication activity in the Asian region on this topic. Empirical research using regression is the most popular research design in this field. Most of the research studies have targeted samples based on family type and/or gender. The majority of the studies include directionality to measure work–family enrichment. Notably, work-related antecedents and consequences have received the most attention from the research community. Crossover models have concentrated on spousal dyad samples.Originality/valueAs per the authors' knowledge, the study is a primary attempt to integrate the extant literature on this subject. Additionally, the study presents the gender role ideology as a potential moderator and provides future research directions along with managerial implications.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luo Lu ◽  
Yu-Yueh Chang

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating roles of four aspects of work and family interface (WFI: work-to-family conflict, WFC; family-to-work conflict, FWC; work-to-family enrichment, WFE; and family-to-work enrichment, FWE) in a Chinese context in Taiwan. Included in the integral model are demands and resources from the work and family domains as antecedents, and role satisfaction and burnout as consequences. Design/methodology/approach – Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 499 full-time working Chinese parents in Taiwan. Findings – Structural equation modeling results showed that antecedents had cross-domain and within-domain effects on all aspects of the WFI; and conflict and enrichment also had cross-domain and within-domain effects on job satisfaction and family satisfaction, while influences from the work domain (WFC and WFE) had a significant impact on burnout. Overall, the partial mediation model was supported, showing that antecedent variables having both indirect (through the WFI variables) as well as direct relationships with the outcome variables. Originality/value – This is the first study testing a comprehensive model of the whole loop of antecedents-WFI-consequences with a non-Western sample. One unique contribution of the study is that the authors extended Western-based resources theories to Chinese employees, confirming that all four aspects of the WFI are important mediators linking up antecedents with consequences from both the work and family domains. Basing upon the findings, the authors suggests that both managers and employees should endeavor to break the destructive flow of conflict→dissatisfaction/burnout and to initiate the constructive flow of enrichment→satisfaction/free of burnout, by considering not only demands but also resources from both the work and family domains.


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