Despite significant promotion of diversity in companies, as well as legislation for equal opportunities for women and men, it must be noted that women still remain largely in the minority in decision-making positions. This observation reflects the phenomenon of the glass ceiling that constitutes vertical discrimination within companies against women. Although the glass ceiling has generated research interest, some authors have pointed out that theoretical models have made little attempt to develop an understanding of this phenomenon and its implications. Therefore, our study aims to fill this gap and to better understand the phenomenon of the glass ceiling by considering both its antecedents and its possible consequences. More precisely, we extend the model developed by Elacqua et al. (2009), proposing a more comprehensive model including organizational gender culture as a third factor (in addition to situational and interpersonal issues) in the emergence of the glass ceiling through the perception of differential treatment. We also investigated the glass ceiling’s consequences for organizational attitudes and well-being at work by considering work-to-family conflict (WFC) as a possible mediator. We surveyed 320 women in managerial positions in a Belgian organization. Our study highlights the importance of all three factors in the emergence of the perception of differential treatment and, ultimately, the perception that a glass ceiling exists. Moreover, our results show that WFC fully mediates the effects of the glass ceiling on job strain and job engagement, and partially mediates the effects of the glass ceiling on job satisfaction and intention to quit.

Abstract. Much effort has been expended in the past decade to examine the causal relationship between work–family conflict (WFC) and negative indicators of well-being. Comparatively little is known about the effects of work–family enrichment (WFE) on well-being. Even more importantly, very few studies have examined the concomitant effects of both WFC and WFE in terms of well-being. This study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the directionality of the causal relationships between WFC, WFE, and two well-being variables (i.e., job strain and job engagement). We examined these relationships using a two-wave cross-lagged panel design. Our sample was composed of 978 workers from a Belgian Federal Public Service. Reciprocal relationships were found between WFC–job strain, WFC–job engagement, and WFE–job engagement.

It is well established that negative work-home interference (NegWHI) impacts upon several work attitudes and behaviors. In the interests of both organizational effectiveness and employee well-being, it is important to identify concepts related to NegWHI and investigate their effects on well-being outcomes. This study examines the mediating role of (1) perceived organizational support (POS) in the relationship between organizational justice (OJ) and NegWHI; and (2) NegWHI in the relationships between POS and four well-being outcomes. A total of 509 employees of a Belgian hospital were surveyed. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping method. Results showed that POS partially mediates the relationships between distributive and passive procedural justice and NegWHI, and fully mediates the relationship between the other justice dimensions and NegWHI. NegWHI partially mediates the relationships between POS and both job satisfaction and intention to quit, and fully mediates the relationship between POS and job strain. Furthermore, POS is positively related to job engagement. This study showed that organizations can help employees to better manage their work and family lives and reduce the impact of NegWHI by enhancing employees’ feeling that they are supported by their organization. In order to increase POS, organizations need to promote justice in the workplace.

While it is well known that person–organization fit is an important antecedent of behavioral outcomes, little is known about needs–supplies fit in this relationship. In this way, we first want to extend our knowledge about defining and assessing work-related needs derived from employment quality indicators as the basis for needs–supplies fit. Second, following the Cognitive and Affective Personality System theory, we test the mediating role of organizational identification to better understand how needs–supplies fit is related to task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. Data were collected in two companies: sample 1 (N=525) and sample 2 (N=525). Results show (a) that a specific needs–supplies fit perception (i.e., based on 12 work-related needs derived from employment quality indicators) is positively related to a global needs–supplies fit perception (i.e., based on an overall job perception), suggesting that needs–supplies fit may be a multidimensional concept and (b) the full mediating role of organizational identification in the relationship between needs–supplies fit and performance measures.

Orientation: Knowing that it is imperative to better understand the antecedents and consequences of needs-supplies fit, the present research had two main objectives. Firstly we wanted to extend our knowledge about traditional psychological needs, for example highlighted through the Self-Determination Theory, by presenting more specific work-related needs. Secondly, following the new directions of organisational fit theories, we wanted to better understand how individuals make sense of fit.Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to propose more specific work-related needs in terms of employment quality and to test job crafting as an antecedent of needs-supplies fit (NS fit). We tested the double mediating role of NS fit (i.e. specific: based on more specific work-related needs, and general: based on global job perceptions) between job crafting and individual outcomes namely burnout and work engagement.Motivation for the study: By taking into account more specific work-related needs, this study aimed to add more specific information to better help predict well-being at work. Moreover, the present research responds to the need to better understand how individuals make sense of fit.Research design, approach, and method: Data were collected in a Belgian Public Federal Service (N = 1500). Our research model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling with Mplus.Main findings: Results show, (1) that specific NS fit perception was positively related to a global NS fit perception and (2) the partial mediating role (specific and general) of NS fit between job crafting and burnout and work engagement.Practical/managerial implications: Managers should encourage crafting behaviours and should know their team and that team’s specific needs.Contribution/added-value: By taking into account more specific work-related needs, our study suggests that needs-supplies may have more than one dimension. Moreover, it shows that job crafting is a way to increase NS fit.