This study explores how individuals across six family life stages (before children, transition to parenthood, youngest child preschool-age, youngest child school-age, youngest child adolescent, and empty nest) differ in their experience of the work—family interface. Data come from a global IBM work and life issues survey ( N = 41,769). Structural equation modeling was used to compare employees from six family life stages on work role factors (job hours, job responsibility, job flexibility) and family role factors (household work hours, marital status), and their relationships to work—family conflict, family—work conflict, work—family fit and four personal success measures. Meaningful differences in the means and size of the relationships among variables across family life stages provided empirical evidence of a ‘life course’ for the work—family interface influenced by differential exposure and differential effects of work and family role demands.
This study examines gender differences in the work—family interface across six family life stages using a global sample of IBM employees in 79 countries ( N = 41,813). Family life stage was constructed using the age of respondent and age of youngest child. Results revealed that having young children at home was the critical catalyst for gender differences in the work—family interface. The greatest gender differences were found in the central stages of life when children require more temporal and economic resources from their parents. When life stage was not considered, the first and last stages tended to offset each other, concealing major gender differences during the central stages of family life. These findings signify that life stage is an important concept to consider in research related to gender and the work— family interface. Implications to the development of work policies attentive to shifts in work—family linkages during the life course are discussed.
The problem and the solution. Work-family scholarly research is often dominated by a conflict perspective. In this study, employees of a large multinational corporation were asked to describe the positive influences of their work life on their home life and vice versa. Participants most frequently mentioned work place flexibility, financial benefits, and the ability to keep family commitments as important components of work-to-home facilitation. Supportive family relationships, psychological benefits of home, and psychological aspects of work were most frequently identified as important components of family-to-work facilitation. Implications for human resource development professionals are discussed as well as suggestions for future work-family facilitation theory and research.
This study explored how older workers (age 55?) differed from middle-aged (ages 35-54) and young workers (\35 years) in their experience of the work-family interface. Data came from a subset of a survey conducted by a multi-national corporation in 79 countries (N = 41,813, n = 2,700). Older workers reported significantly less workto-family and family-to-work conflict and greater workfamily fit, life success, and work success than middle-aged and young workers. They reported significantly greater job flexibility and job satisfaction but were significantly less likely to be aware of and use work-family programs than young workers. Older men reported significantly less awareness and use of work-life programs and less familyto-work conflict than older women. Implications of this research are presented.
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