Parents More Likely to Get By With a Little Help from…

Topic: Strategic HR, Work-Life Balance
Publication: Research and Practice in Human Resource Management
Article: The Influence of Support at Work and Home on Work Family Conflict: Does Gender Make a Difference?
Blogger: Sarah Bowen

A recent study study observed levels of managerial and spousal support in relation to Work-Family  Conflict (WFC). A sample of 185 married Malaysian, Chinese and Indian accountants that had at least one child were surveyed through mailed questionnaires. Gender was specifically examined in order to distinguish the varying roles of WFC between men and women.

Testing a series of four hypotheses, this study confirmed that the existence of both managerial and  spousal support reduces WFC. With respect to gender, the article verifies that WFC is diminished even more for men who receive managerial support than for women. However, the study failed to prove that WFC is reduced more for women through spousal support than for men.

This study also reveals that spousal support is highly significant in reducing WFC, and married  employees require both managerial and spousal support to minimize WFC. The bottom line?

· Spousal support decreases WFC

· Managerial training which encourages support at work to reduce WFC among employees has important repercussions for job satisfaction, commitment and turnover for female employees, and even more so for their male counterparts.

Nasurdin, A.M. & Hsia, K. L. (2008). The Influence of Support at Work and Home on Work-Family Conflict: Does Gender Make a Difference?, Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 16(1), 13-38.