Supervisor Support and Organizational Commitment: The Role of Work–Family Conflict,Job Satisfaction,and Work–Life Balance

Building on conservation of resources theory and social exchange theory, the author examined the relationship between supervisor support and organizational commitment through work–family conflict, work–life balance, and the job satisfaction of employees working in the financial sector in Australia. The study comprised 305 employees recruited through an online survey. Results indicate that supervisor support is negatively related to work–family conflict. In turn, work–life balance and job satisfaction are negatively linked to work–family conflict. The results further show that both work–life balance and job satisfaction are positively related to organizational commitment. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations, are discussed.     

The Relation of Career Adaptability to Work–Family Experience and Personal Growth Initiative Among Taiwanese Working Parents

This study aimed to explore the effect of career adaptability on 598 working parents in Taiwan. The results showed that career adaptability served an important role in moderating and mediating the effects between work–family conflict, work–family strength, and personal growth initiative.     

The Work–Home Interface: Linking Work‐Related Wellbeing and Volunteer Work

An abundance of research shows the benefits of participation in volunteer work for individuals, employers and the society as a whole. However, relatively little is known about the precursors of volunteer work. In this study, we aim to fill this gap by investigating to what extent work‐related well‐being can function as a driver of volunteer work. Moreover, building on the Conservations of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989 , 2011 ), we propose that the relationship between work‐related well‐being (burnout and engagement) and volunteer work is mediated by the work–home interface (work–home enrichment and work–home conflict). This hypothesis was tested in a large Swiss sample (N = 1947). Consistent with our expectations, structural equation analyses revealed an indirect relationship between (i) work engagement and volunteer work via work–home enrichment and (ii) between burnout and volunteer work via work–home conflict. In conclusion, it seems that well‐being at work indeed functions as a precursor for volunteer work because of the consequences it has for the work–family interface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emotional labor and burnout among female teachers: Work–family conflict as mediator

With the increasing number of women in the workforce, there is a need to understand how the interrelationship between emotions and the demands of work and family influence their well‐being. This study examined how emotional labor [surface acting (SA) and deep acting] and work–family conflict contribute to explaining variance in burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization). In a sample of 102 married, female Malay teachers, with at least one child living at home, results showed that SA was positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The results also showed that work–family conflict mediated the relationship between emotional labor and burnout. However, no moderation effect of work–family on the SA–burnout relationship was found. The results are discussed with respect to the general literature on the stress–strain relation and work–family conflict.     

A Resource Pathway to Action Against Discrimination: How Burnout and Work–Family Balance Form Obstacles to Action

Why is it difficult for targets to act out against individual experiences of discrimination? Whereas prior research focuses on normative concerns or failure to perceive discrimination as determinants of (lack of) action, we hypothesize that perceiving frequent discrimination at work undermines the potential to act out against discrimination because it depletes one's resources. We study a sample that is underrepresented in research on discrimination, yet forms a large percentage of the working population: parents experiencing disadvantage in a working context. We measured self‐reported disadvantage because of parenthood, action against disadvantage, levels of burnout and work‐home self‐efficacy. Results reveal that perceptions of discrimination are related to lower levels of action. Importantly, lack of resources could explain this effect: we found simultaneous (and separate) mediation of the exhaustion (but not distancing) burnout subscale as well as separate mediation of work–home self‐efficacy. The implications of these results and the importance of studying potential resources in relation to action against discrimination are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing work–family balance through conflict management*

An often‐neglected perspective is that work–family incompatibilities are not only intrapersonal role conflicts but also typically involve interpersonal conflicts. This study adopts an episodes approach and uses the theory of cooperation and competition to understand the interaction that promotes resolving work–family conflict incidents. Two‐hundred and four Chinese dual‐career parents each described a specific work–family conflict incident and responded to specific questions to code the interaction. Structural equation analyses indicated that cooperative goals facilitated constructive controversy that in turn promoted high quality resolutions, strong relationships, and confidence in the future of their work and family lives.     

The role of work–family role integration in a job demands–resources model among Chinese secondary school teachers

The current study examines an integrative demands–resources model of the work–family interface in a sample of 259 Chinese secondary school teachers. Participants completed questionnaires relating to job demands, job resources, work‐to‐family conflict, work‐to‐family enrichment, work–family role integration (WFRI) and burnout scale. Results show that: (i) job demands were strongly and positively associated with work‐to‐family conflict, which further led to an increase in burnout; job resources were strongly and positively associated with work‐to‐family enrichment, and consequently to a decrease in burnout. Job demands also had a significant direct impact on burnout; (ii) a newly proposed construct, WFRI, was found to partially mediate the relationship between job demands and work‐to‐family conflict, as well as between job resources and work‐to‐family enrichment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and future research directions are provided.     

Motherhood and Counselor Education: Experiences With Work–Life Balance

Female professors with children continue to experience institutional and cultural barriers in academia. This article situates the experiences of counselor educator mothers in the context of current trends in academia and research related to mothers in the workforce.     

The content of internal conflicts: A personal values perspective

This paper highlights the importance of considering two facets of the content of internal conflicts: The concrete subject theme of the conflict and the abstract motivations that people perceive as being conflicted (e.g. values implicated in the conflict). The paper demonstrates how personal value priorities contribute to the understanding of internal conflicts. In two studies I examined the relationship between values and the content of internal conflicts. In Study 1 (N = 250), students described a central conflict that they were experiencing and analysed the values they perceived as opposing in their conflict. Results indicated that the reported conflicts were usually between values not conceptualized as motivationally opposite to each other. Furthermore, personal value priorities were related to the values implicated in the conflict both directly and indirectly by their effect on the themes of the conflicts. In Study 2 (N = 230), working parents analysed the values they perceive as coming in conflict in two work–family dilemmas. Findings supported the premise that values explain individual differences in the motivational meaning attributed to a conflict even when the conflict theme is held constant. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Framework for Optimizing Work–Life Balance Practices in Australia: Perceived Options for Employee Support

Drawing from institutional theory, this study explored work–life balance (WLB) practices in Australian small and medium enterprises. Data were obtained from a sample of 219 managers. The authors identified organizational characteristics associated with the adoption of 4 groups of WLB practices using a causal model. Of the 3 models tested, the final model supported a conceptual framework that included 4 domains: flexible work options, leave programs, support benefits, and care arrangements. The findings suggested that organizational characteristics—namely, industry type and location—affected WLB practices. Implications for theory and practice are discussed along with avenues for future research.     

Technology‐Related Pressure and Work–Family Conflict: Main Effects and an Examination of Moderating Variables

With the increased use of computers for completing work, as well as the interconnectivity that the technology enables, more and more workers are experiencing technology‐related pressure. Although it is known that this pressure occurs, especially for employees who complete the majority of their work on computers, little is known about the outcomes that result from it. This study attempts to fill this void by examining work–family conflict (WFC) as a potential consequence stemming from technology‐related pressure. Additionally, we examine negative affectivity, social stressors, and job control as moderators of the technology‐related pressure/WFC association. We investigated these relationships in a sample of 283 workers, all of whom complete the majority of their work on the computer.     

Experiential Family Therapy: An Innovative Approach to the Resolution of Family Conflict in Genetic Counseling

Experiential family therapy is an intuitive approach that utilizes active, multisensory techniques. These techniques, such as role plays and drawings, increase the family's expression of affect and uncover new information. Increased affect and uncovered information stimulate change and growth in the family system. Experiential techniques are especially useful when more traditional, verbal-based communication is not effective. In this article, I will present a pediatric case in which the patient, a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, was referred to the genetics clinic to rule out the presence of an associated genetic disorder. I will then describe a hypothetical second counseling session with the same family and suggest how three experiential family therapy techniques: family drawing, empty chair technique, and continuums might be used in the session to help resolve a marital conflict between the patient's parents.