Work-family conflict, locus of control, and women's well-being: tests of alternative pathways

What's the point in even trying? Women's perception of glass ceiling drains hope

In this study, we focus on glass ceiling perceptions, characterized by women's subjective feelings about their ability to move upward in their organization. Drawing on social information processing and hope theory, we propose that glass ceiling perceptions decrease women's citizenship behaviors and increase their turnover intentions by draining their hope in the workplace. Moreover, we suggest that the strength of the association between glass ceiling perceptions, drained hope in the workplace, and these two outcomes is conditional upon women's perceptions of their work-family conflict. Using a two-study design, we tested our hypothesized relationships. We found a mediating effect of drained hope in the workplace between glass ceiling perceptions and (a) turnover intention and (b) organizational citizenship behaviors. This effect is significant when work-family conflict is high. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings regarding the tensions that women experience with simultaneously managing their careers and conflict in the family.

Work-Family Conflict Impact on Psychological Safety and Psychological Well-Being: A Job Performance Model

In a modern working environment characterized by new technology and work assignments extended to personal time, employees are expected to balance multiple roles while maintaining maximum productivity. Past studies analyzed work-family conflict and its connection to job performance, without adequate integration of psychological factors into the research model. This study aims to fill the gap and explain the impact of work-family conflict and psychological factors on job performance. To explore the association between work-family conflict and job performance and measure the effects on psychological safety and psychological well-being, an empirical study was conducted on a sample of 277 company employees in Bahrain. The online questionnaire used five-point Likert-scales adopted from previous studies to measure the variables of the research model. In the structural model, relationships between work-family conflict, psychological well-being, psychological safety, and job performance were tested. Confirmatory Factor Analysis with Maximum likelihood estimation was performed by using SEM software AMOS version 23. The findings of the study suggest there is a negative impact of work-family conflict on psychological safety and psychological well-being. This study is significant since it detaches from the prior researches focused on observing the repercussions of work-family conflict in workers' well-being, and centers on the analysis of job performance instead. The findings show that psychological well-being and psychological safety influence job performance. When psychological well-being and psychological safety of employees are unsatisfactory, job performance will decrease accordingly. The mediation test indicated that work-family conflict had an indirect influence on job performance when psychological safety and psychological well-being were mediators. The study contributes to a better understanding of work-family conflict, psychology of employees, and job performance. The study provides valuable insight to organizations on ways to increase employees' effectiveness and ensure better performance by preventing work-family conflict from occurring.

The influence of mastery on mother's health in middle years: Moderating role of stressful life context

Using data from 416 middle-aged mothers gathered over the course of a decade, this study examined the influence of mastery trajectories (the initial level and change), on change in physical health. Mastery is defined as one's ability to control and influence his/her life and environment to reach a desired outcome or goal. Both the initial level and change in mastery from 1991 to 1994 were associated with decreased physical health problems over the middle years (1991-2001). Contextual moderation of this association by stressful life contexts including negative life events and work-family conflict was investigated. Moderation analysis showed that under conditions of low contextual life stressors, the level and increase in mastery significantly contributed to decreases in physical health problems in middle-aged mothers. Alternatively, conditions of high contextual life stressors inhibited the ability of mastery to influence physical health of mothers, suggesting that the positive health impact of mastery on physical health is mitigated by stressful life experiences. Implications for the need to maintain important personal resources, such as mastery, during times of stress are discussed.

Timing of return to work and women's breastfeeding practices in urban Malaysia: A qualitative study

Nearly half of the working population in Malaysia are women, and with only a short period of maternity leave, they may struggle to achieve the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. The aim of this paper was to explore the relationship between the timing of return to work and beliefs and breastfeeding practices among women in urban Malaysia. A qualitative inquiry based on a phenomenological framework and multiple methods was used: face-to-face interview, participant diary and researcher field notes. Data collection took place in Penang and the Klang Valley, Malaysia, from March to September 2011. Eligible participants were purposely identified at randomly selected recruitment sites. A thematic analysis method was used to develop the typologies and categories of the findings. A total of 40 working women with a mean age of 32 years (SD 3.4) were interviewed and 15 participated in the diary writing. Most women (75%) returned to work between 2 and 3 months. Only 10% returned to work 4 months or later postpartum, and 15% had an early return to work (defined here as less than 2 months). The women fell into three groups: Passionate women with a strong determination to breastfeed, who exclusively breastfed for 6 months; Ambivalent women, who commenced breastfeeding but were unable to sustain this after returning to work; and Equivalent women, who perceived formula feeding as equally nutritious as breast milk. Although longer maternity leave was very important for Ambivalent women to maintain breastfeeding, it was not as important for the Equivalent or Passionate women. In conclusion, returning earlier was not an absolute barrier to continuing breastfeeding. Instead, a woman's beliefs and perceptions of breastfeeding were more important than the timing of her return to work in determining her ability to maintain breastfeeding or breast milk feeding.

The implications of work-family balance among dual-earner couples

Purpose

The implications of the work-family balance (WFB) of dual-earner couples are well known; however, the extant literature on this topic has failed to adequately explore the context of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specifically Nigeria. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the WFB of dual-earner couples in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a qualitative methodology in order to explore the effect of couples’ dual-earner status on their WFB in an African context by using Nigerian medical practitioners as the empirical focus.

Findings

The findings reveal that the dual-earner status provides some respite from financial hardship and improves family finances, which subsequently enhances WFB. However, the dual-earner status also has negative impacts on WFB in terms of work performance, dysfunctionality, and associated societal problems.

Originality/value

This paper provides insights into the WFB of dual-earner couples in the non-western context of SSA, highlighting the previously unexplored implications of dual-earner status in the context of SSA.

Work family conflict in its relations to perceived working situation and work engagement

BACKGROUND

These days physicians' work is characterized by an increase in economic demands, pressure and challenges in establishing a balance between work and family life. The current study investigates the relationship between physicians' job demands and resources, perceived job stress, work-family conflict, work engagement and job satisfaction.

METHODS

564 clinicians specialising in different medical fields participated in the cross-sectional study. Self-administered questionnaires, including the COPSOQ and the UWES- Scale were administered.

RESULTS

Our results illustrated significant relationships between physicians' work engagement and their job satisfaction as well as between job stress and work family conflict. Moreover, perceived job stress moderated the effect of high job demands on work family conflict. In addition, significant gender differences have been found in perceived stress levels, work family conflict and work engagement.

CONCLUSION

This study proves and verified associations between work engagement, work-family conflict, job demands and resources that may influence employees' satisfaction. Implications for both working physicians and hospital management are given.

Differential Reactivity and the Within-person Job Stressor-Satisfaction Relationship

An experience sampling methodology was used to study the direct and conditional within-person relationship between job stressors and job satisfaction. One hundred and one full-time administrative staff completed momentary measures of job stressors and job satisfaction three times a day on six different workdays over a 3-week period (N = 1818 observations). Multilevel random coefficients models were specified, and the results suggest that within-person stressors are negatively related to within-person job satisfaction. These results stand when controlling for the effects of time, demographics, work characteristics, baseline levels of job stressors and satisfaction, and between-person effects of job stressors. Furthermore, consistent with the differential reactivity model, the results suggest that the observed within-person stressors-satisfaction relationship is conditional upon locus of control and positive affect. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Managing work-family conflict in the medical profession: working conditions and individual resources as related factors

OBJECTIVES

This study developed and tested a research model that examined the effects of working conditions and individual resources on work-family conflict (WFC) using data collected from physicians working at German clinics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of 727 physicians working in German hospitals. The work environment, WFC and individual resources were measured by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, the WFC Scale, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale and the Questionnaire for Self-efficacy, Optimism and Pessimism. Descriptive, correlation and linear regression analyses were applied.

RESULTS

Clinical doctors working in German hospitals perceived high levels of WFC (mean=76). Sociodemographic differences were found for age, marital status and presence of children with regard to WFC. No significant gender differences were found. WFCs were positively related to high workloads and quantitative job demands. Job resources (eg, influence at work, social support) and personal resources (eg, resilient coping behaviour and self-efficacy) were negatively associated with physicians' WFCs. Interaction terms suggest that job and personal resources buffer the effects of job demands on WFC.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, WFC was prevalent among German clinicians. Factors of work organisation as well as factors of interpersonal relations at work were identified as significant predictors for WFC. Our results give a strong indication that both individual and organisational factors are related to WFC. Results may play an important role in optimising clinical care. Practical implications for physicians' career planning and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Trajectories of maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety over 13 years: the influence of stress, social support, and maternal temperament

Background

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health problems among women, with various negative impacts both for the women concerned and their families. Greater understanding of developmental trajectories of maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety over the child rearing period would have significant benefits for public health, informing prevention and treatment approaches. The aim of the current study was to examine whether stressors related to child rearing and living conditions, social support, and maternal temperament, predicted mothers’ membership in groups with different trajectories of symptoms of depression and anxiety during 13 years of the child rearing phase.

Methods

The data were from a prospective, longitudinal study of 913 mothers in Norway followed from when their children were 18 months old (time 1) until they were 14.5 years (time 6) (the TOPP study). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to test whether child related stressors, stressors related to the living conditions, social support and maternal temperament at time 1 predicted membership in groups based on maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety over the subsequent 13 years.

Results

Temperamental distress, followed by child related stressors, were the strongest predictors of membership in a group with high symptoms of depression and anxiety over time. Stressors related to living conditions, and social support from partner and friends/family were also significant predictors. No interaction effects among predictors were found.

Conclusions

This study indicates that factors present early in the child rearing phase may provide substantial prediction of the variance in maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety over the following 13 years. Temperamental distress and child related stressors were the strongest predictors of membership in different depression and anxiety symptom trajectory groups.

Conflict Segments of Women Employees of IT Sector in India

The growth rate for women entering the workforce is expected to be greater than for men. Therefore it is possible that the financial well-being of the family may no longer fall to the male, it may be shared between the two partners or may be the sole responsibility of a single parent. These trends potentially increase the chance that work could interfere with family (WIF) or that family could interfere with work (FIW).The study is conducted to test the Impact of Organizational Commitment, Job Autonomy, Job Involvement and Climate as moderating variables on Work Family Conflict of Employed women in India. The sample size of 598 is identified and with the application of statistical tools the relationship among the said variables are estimated and its role on the Work family conflict is studied quantitatively.

Expanding the boundaries of work—family research: A review and agenda for future research

Given the dominance of work—family research within the context of the United States and a disparate and fractured understanding of the dynamic interplay between work and family for those who live and work beyond the borders of the United States, we review and synthesize 219 empirical work—family studies that have targeted employees outside of the United States. Our review answers four questions about international work—family research. First, what constitutes the work—family interface and is there consensus about how to measure it? Second, what theories have researchers used to explain the work—family interface? Third, which antecedents and consequences of the work—family interface are common across countries and which are unique to particular countries? Fourth, what can we learn from this review that will inform future research in this area? Based on our review, a universal theoretical framework that integrates both work—family conflict and facilitation is provided. Future research directions are also discussed.

Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care: model testing and refinement

OBJECTIVES

This article presents the results of an empirical test of a literature-based Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care Model. The model was developed to explain and improve health care for ethnically diverse patients seen in community-based primary care clinics.

DESIGN

Samples of predominantly low-income African American (n = 110) and non-Hispanic White American (n = 119) patients were recruited to complete questionnaires about their perceived health care provider cultural sensitivity and adherence to their provider's treatment regimen recommendations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients completed written measures of their perceived provider cultural sensitivity, trust in provider, interpersonal control, satisfaction with their health care provider, physical stress, and adherence to provider-recommended treatment regimen variables (i.e., engagement in a health promoting lifestyle, and dietary and medication adherence).

RESULTS

Two-group path analyses revealed significant links between patient-perceived provider cultural sensitivity and adherence to provider treatment regimen recommendations, with some differences in associations emerging by race/ethnicity.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide empirical support for the potential usefulness of the Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care Model for explaining the linkage between the provision of patient-centered, culturally sensitive health care, and the health behaviors and outcomes of patients who experience such care.

Perceived Work and Family Conflict Among African American Nurses in College

Purpose: This article describes the perceptions of African American nurses regarding the interaction between work—family conflict, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Design and methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed to conduct six focus group sessions with 23 nurses at three universities in the southeastern United States. Findings: Stressors such as racism or lack of teamwork and supervisor support caused the nurses to contemplate leaving a workplace or the profession. Family stressors, such as an ill family member, also influenced any decision regarding career longevity. Implications: Future studies examining work—family interface, especially positive spillover and psychological well-being are warranted.

Combining work and family in the Netherlands: blessing or burden for one's mental health?

In this article we study which characteristics of combining work and family put people at risk for mental illness. Two alternative perspectives on the impact of multiple social roles on mental health are tested: the role accumulation perspective and the role strain perspective. Both perspectives are studied with data from a cross-sectional national survey held among a large, representative sample of Dutch people (N=1008). Multivariate analyses provided support for both perspectives. Having more social roles was related to better mental health. We also found a positive mental health effect of having a full-time job in combination with having children. However, having a partner who contributes less to household duties or having a job with low decision latitude or lower skill discretion was related to mental illness. So, certain aspects of social roles may also threaten people's mental health. Overall, our findings do not support the idea that combining work and family is necessarily a burden and harmful for people's mental health. Whether multiple social roles are a blessing or burden for people's mental health seems to depend on the characteristics of the social roles.

Women's strategies for handling household detergents

Performing household-cleaning chores involves the use of chemical detergents; these are commonly believed to provide cleaner and safer households. Occupational health studies have associated health risks with detergents, including respiratory and skin problems. Women are the major users of household detergents, as they are in general the primary homemakers. Detergent-handling strategies including storage, use, and precautionary measures affect women's exposure to chemical detergents and thus affect their health. Studies investigating the behavioral component of chemical exposure to detergents at the domestic level are scarce. In this study of detergent-handling strategies, women's potential exposure was investigated by an ergonomics methodology combining in-depth interviews and observations. The participants were 28 women who were responsible for cleaning chores in their households. The women lived in Nabaa, a low socioeconomic, religiously and ethnically diverse neighborhood on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. Information on how women in Nabaa used and perceived household detergent, added to the understanding of their potential chemical exposure. All the study subjects washed dishes, cleaned bathrooms, and swept floors on at least a daily basis. We found that more than half of the participants stored different incompatible detergents in close proximity to each other. Many of the women stated that they over-consumed detergents. A large proportion mixed different detergents together but most of them opened the windows while cleaning for ventilation. The majority did not wear gloves and did not follow label directions. The participants were consistently exposed to chemical detergents and minimal precautionary measures were taken. Cleanliness and hygiene had a strong cultural value and were of utmost importance to women who prioritized them over excessive exposure to chemicals. The use of an ergonomics methodology provided access to important information concerning how women make choices that affect their environmental exposure.

Association of personality and work conditions with depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have found a relationship between job-related stress and depressive symptoms in different occupational groups, and that personality may modify the risk of developing depressive symptoms. We aimed to examine the association of personality and other individual and work conditions with depressive symptoms.

SUBJECTS AND METHOD

A sample of 498 teachers answered a questionnaire concerning individual and work characteristics, some job-related perceptions, and the wish to change jobs. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and personality was measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125).

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms were associated with female gender, age, low job satisfaction, high job stress, the wish to change jobs, working at a public school, and with higher scores on harm avoidance and novelty seeking and lower scores on self-directedness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results underline the influence of personality traits on the development of depressive symptoms independently of other individual characteristics and the occupational context.

Engendering health disparities

How is gender implicated in our exploration of health disparities in Canada? Set against the backdrop of federal government policy, this review paper examines the ways in which gender intersects with other health determinants to produce disparate health outcomes. An overview of salient issues including the impact of gender roles, environmental exposures, gender violence, workplace hazards, economic disparities, the costs of poverty, social marginalization and racism, aging, health conditions, interactions with health services, and health behaviours are considered. This review suggests health is detrimentally affected by gender roles and statuses as they intersect with economic disparities, cultural, sexual, physical and historical marginalization as well as the strains of domestic and paid labour. These conditions result in an unfair health burden borne in particular by women whose access to health determinants is--in various degrees--limited. While progress has certainly been made on some fronts, the persistence of health disparities among diverse populations of women and men suggests a postponement of the vision of a just society with health for all that was articulated in the Federal Plan on Gender Equality. Commitment, creativity and collaboration from stakeholders ranging from various levels of government, communities, academics, non-governmental agencies and health professionals will be required to reduce and eliminate health disparities between and among all members of our society.