Work-family research frequently focuses on the conflict experienced by working mothers. Using data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce ( N = 1,314), this study also examined work-family facilitation and working fathers. Ecological systems, family stress, family resilience, and sex role theories were used to organize the data and create hypotheses. Work-to-family facilitation was positively related to job satisfaction and life satisfaction, and negatively related to individual stress. Family-to-work facilitation was positively related to marital satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction, and negatively related to organizational commitment. Working fathers reported long work hours (49 hours/week), major involvement in household responsibilities (46 hours/week), and a work culture less supportive of their family life than working mothers reported. However, working fathers reported less work-family conflict, less individual stress, and greater family satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction than working mothers. The results support including facilitation and gender in future work-family research.

This study examines the influence of perceived flexibility in the timing and location of work on work-family balance. Data are from a 1996 International Business Machines (IBM) work and life issues survey in the United States (n ϭ 6,451). Results indicate that perceived job flexibility is related to improved work-family balance after controlling for paid work hours, unpaid domestic labor hours, gender, marital status, and occupational level. Perceived job flexibility appears to be beneficial both to individuals and to businesses. Given the same workload, individuals with perceived job flexibility have more favorable work-family balance. Likewise, employees with perceived job flexibility are able to work longer hours before workload negatively impacts their work-family balance. Implications of these findings are presented.

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Millions of employees now use portable electronic tools to d o theirjobs from a "virtual office" with extensive flexibility in the timing and location of work. However, little scholarly research exists about the effects of this burgeoning work form. This study of IBM employees explored influences of the virtual office on aspects of work and worwlife balance as reported by virtual office teleworkers (n = 157) and a n equivalent group of traditional office workers (n = 89). Qualitative analyses revealed the perception of greater productivity, higher morale, increased flexibility and longer work hours due to telework, as well as an equivocal influence on work/life balance and a negative influence on teamwork. Using a quasi-experimental design, quantitative multivariate analyses supported the qualitative findings related to productivity, flexibility and worWlife balance. However, multivariate analyses failed to support the qualitative findings for morale, teamwork and work hours. This study highlights the need for a multi-method approach, including both qualitative and quantitative elements, when studying telework.

This study examines the relationship of perceived workplace flexibility and supportive workÁlife policies to employee engagement and expectations to remain with the organization (expected retention). It also explores the association of formal and occasional (informal) use of flexibility with these outcomes. Data are from a multiorganization database created by WFD Consulting of studies conducted between 1996 and 2006. Results revealed that perceived flexibility and supportive workÁlife policies were related to greater employee engagement and longer than expected retention. Employee engagement fully mediated the relationship between perceived flexibility and expected retention and partially mediated the relationship between supportive workÁlife policies and expected retention. Both formal and occasional use of flexibility were positively associated with perceived flexibility, employee engagement, and expected retention. These analyses provide evidence that workplace flexibility may enhance employee engagement, which may in turn lead to longer job tenure.Este estudio examina la relació n de la flexibilidad laboral percibida y la política de calidad de vida y trabajo con el compromiso del empleado y las expectativas de permanencia en la organizació n (expectativas de retenció n). También explora la asociació n de la flexibilidad formal e informal (ocasional) con estos resultados. La informació n proviene de una base de datos creada por WFD Consulting, de estudios realizados entre 1996 y 2006. Los resultados indican que la percepció n de flexibilidad y una política de apoyo a la calidad de vida y trabajo están relacionadas con un aumento del compromiso del personal y una expectativa de retenció n superior. El compromiso de los empleados arbitra en pleno la relació n entre una percibida flexibilidad y la expectativa de retenció n y determina parcialmente la relació n entre el apoyo de la relació n calidad de vida trabajo y la esperanza de retenció n. Ambos usos de la flexibilidad formal o informal se asocian positivamente con la percibida flexibilidad, el compromiso personal y la expectativa de retenció n. Estos análisis son evidencia de que la flexibilidad en el trabajo aumenta el compromiso del empleado y resulta en una intenció n de permanencia más prolongada en la organización. Palabras

This study explores the influence of workplace flexibility on work-life conflict for a global sample of workers from four groups of countries. Data are from the 2007 International Business Machines Global Work and Life Issues Survey administered in 75 countries (N = 24,436). We specifically examine flexibility in where (work-at-home) and when (perceived schedule flexibility) workers engage in work-related tasks. Multivariate results indicate that work-at-home and perceived schedule flexibility are generally related to less work-life conflict. Break point analyses of sub-groups reveal that employees with workplace flexibility are able to work longer hours (often equivalent to one or two 8-hr days more per week) before reporting work-life conflict. The benefit of work-at-home is increased when combined with schedule flexibility. These findings were generally consistent across all four groups of countries, supporting the case that workplace flexibility is beneficial both to individuals (in the form of reduced work-life conflict) and to businesses (in the form of capacity for longer work hours). However, work-at-home appears less beneficial in countries with collectivist cultures.

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Using a sample consisting of 4,997 married couples from the National Survey of Families and Households, individual emotional distress, the occurrence of couple disagreements, couple fighting, and couple quality time together mediated the relationship between financial strain and personal assessments of marital instability. The overall results suggest that financial strain influences both positive and negative forms of couple interaction which are stronger mediators than personal emotional distress of the relationship between financial strain and marital instability. The results further suggest that there were no gender differences among these linkages. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007Couple interaction, Disagreements, Financial strain, Marital conflict, Marital instability,