Understanding childcare satisfaction and its effect on workplace outcomes: The convenience factor and the mediating role of work‐family conflict

Abstract

Building on Hobfoll's (1989Hobfoll's ( , 2001) conservation of resources theory, we posit childcare is an essential resource to working parents. In addition to previously demonstrated childcare satisfaction (CCS) dimensions, we propose and demonstrate empirical support for a convenience dimension of CCS. Satisfaction with caregiver convenience refers to a parent's evaluation of the caregiver's location and availability. We hypothesize that timerelated dimensions of CCS (caregiver dependability and convenience) relate to employee well-being and withdrawal, because they diminish time-based family interfering with work (FIW). We also propose quality-related CCS dimensions (caregiver attentiveness, communication, and cost) relate to psychological well-being, because they reduce strainbased FIW. Survey data from a sample of 316 university employees (faculty and staff) who were parents of under school-age children (infancy through preschool) revealed timebased FIW as an explanatory mechanism for the relationships between satisfaction with caregiver convenience and both turnover intentions and absenteeism (due to childcare issues). In addition, strain-based FIW mediated the effects of satisfaction with caregiver attentiveness on well-being and satisfaction with caregiver cost on well-being. This study expands previous research on CCS by demonstrating that CCS is related to important work outcomes in part because it reduces time-and strain-based FIW.

Local Day-Care Quality and Maternal Employment: Evidence from East and West Germany

“…Unfortunately, we were unable to consider quality aspects which relate to flexibility and convenience of the care, which have been found to be important predictors of maternal well-being and employment in the US (Hofferth & Collins, 2000;Meyers, 1993;Payne et al, 2012). As a result, there remains a risk that other unobserved characteristics at the county level which correlate with quality aspects and with maternal employment may bias our results.…”

“…Although comparisons of parental reports of teacher-child ratios and information based on ECEC provider survey showed a high level of consistency (Hofferth & Collins, 2000), parents tend to overestimate the process quality of ECEC centers (Cryer & Burchinal, 1997;Mocan, 2007) and may be better able to assess and consider easily observable indicators, such as teacher-child-ratios and group sizes than teacher education (Hofferth & Wissoker, 1992). Due to data limitations, we cannot take into account stability and reliability of care arrangements and convenience factors, which have also been found to correlate with maternal work or care decisions or perceived work-family conflict (Gordon & Högnäs, 2006;Gordon et al, 2008;Hofferth & Collins, 2000;Payne et al, 2012).…”

“…Johansen et al (1996) also found that mothers who worked longer hours attached greater importance to educational and developmental attributes of their child care choice. Moreover, some cross-sectional studies have provided evidence that mothers who were more satisfied with some child care quality aspects reported better workfamily balance and well-being (Erdwins et al, 2001;Payne et al, 2012;Press et al, 2006). Payne et al (2012) found that satisfaction with caregiver convenience related to reduced turnover intentions and absenteeism through lower time-based work-family conflict.…”

“…Moreover, some cross-sectional studies have provided evidence that mothers who were more satisfied with some child care quality aspects reported better workfamily balance and well-being (Erdwins et al, 2001;Payne et al, 2012;Press et al, 2006). Payne et al (2012) found that satisfaction with caregiver convenience related to reduced turnover intentions and absenteeism through lower time-based work-family conflict. Strain-based workfamily conflict mediated the relationship between satisfaction with caregiver attentiveness and with costs and maternal well-being.…”

Does Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care Affect the Home Learning Environment of Children?

“…2007, Poms et al 2009, Payne et al 2011, consequently increasing parents' well-being. 9 In turn, increases in parental well-being can improve child development (e.g., Berger and Spieß 2011) and are likely related to improvements in the HLE.…”