Family-friendly practices, high-performance work practices and work–family balance

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to establish to what extent family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices are positively related to work–family balance and to identify the role played by job satisfaction and working hours as mediators of this relationship Design/methodology/approach We use data for a representative sample of almost 17,000 employees of dual-earner couples from European countries. To test the mediation mechanism implied by our hypotheses, we follow the procedure outlined in Baron and Kenny (1986). Given the nature of the dependent variables, ordered probit and regression models were estimated in the analysis. Findings The results show that, in general, family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices increase work–family balance and that these positive relationships are partially mediated by job satisfaction and working hours. While both family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices increase job satisfaction, only the first increase working hours. Moreover, job satisfaction increases work–family balance, while working hours reduces it. The net effect of these opposing forces on work–family balance is positive. Research limitations/implications The use of secondary data posits some constraints, such as the type of measures and the failure to control for a higher number of family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices. Additionally, the non-longitudinal nature of the data set implies that some relationships cannot be considered causal in the intended direction. Practical implications Managers should implement family-friendly practices and high-performance work practices, as, in general, they increase work–family balance. A significant portion of this positive effect is channeled through job satisfaction and working hours. Originality/value The paper contributes to understanding the relationship between different subsets of human-resources management practices and work–family balance, proposing a model that aims to disentangle the mediating mechanisms through which this relationship occurs.

I Quit! Effects of Work-Family Policies on the Turnover Intention

“…The implementation of WFPs reduces work stress [22], absenteeism [23], and turnover intention [24]. In addition, WFPs improve job satisfaction [25], quality of life [26,27], and workers' emotional commitment [28,29]. WFPs also have the virtue of reducing the negative effects of WFC on the psychological and physical well-being of workers [30].…”

Supplemental family leave provision and employee performance: Disentangling availability and use

“…In all European countries employees have the right to some form of paternity, maternity and/or parental leave, although the duration and levels of payment differ tremendously between the countries (OECD, 2017). In addition, organizations increasingly provide supplemental leave on top of the policies they are obliged to offer by law, by offering a longer period of leave or increasing the level of payment employees are entitled to (den Dulk et al, 2012;Ronda et al, 2016, den Dulk, 2001). These supplemental family leave provisions are designed to help employees with young children to better combine work and family life, and as such can be beneficial to the employees (Ronda et al, 2016).…”

“…In addition, organizations increasingly provide supplemental leave on top of the policies they are obliged to offer by law, by offering a longer period of leave or increasing the level of payment employees are entitled to (den Dulk et al, 2012;Ronda et al, 2016, den Dulk, 2001). These supplemental family leave provisions are designed to help employees with young children to better combine work and family life, and as such can be beneficial to the employees (Ronda et al, 2016). At the same time, adopting such supportive policies may be beneficial for organizations, by increasing desired outcomes such as employee performance among employees, the so-called 'business-case argument' for offering supportive policies (Kossek & Friede, 2006;Wheatley, 2017).…”

Why Work Overtime? A Systematic Review on the Evolutionary Trend and Influencing Factors of Work Hours in China

“…Focusing on system optimization and smart production, the Industrial 4.0 era has changed the mode of production and individual's way of life (3, 4), and the traditional manufacturing industry has begun to adopt the Internet of Things (which aims to connect humans, machines, and materials at any time or place) or big data analysis for intelligent transformation (5), which highlights the new characteristics for a changed reality. With high competition and uncertainty, this changing reality not only placed higher demands on management practice, but also underscored the urgency to elucidate the historical trend of work hours (6).…”