Work and Family Conflict for Young Families with Children
Author(s):
Ausra Rutkiene (presenting / submitting) Elena Trepule
Conference:
ECER 2016
Network:
32. Organizational Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

32 SES 11 B, Organizing Family: Work-family Conflicts and Professional Support

Paper Session

Time:
2016-08-25
17:15-18:45
Room:
OB-E0.01
Chair:
Andreas Schröer

Contribution

Most families with children experience stress and strain when they are trying to match family life with successful career. Researchers have measured work–family conflict in many ways ant there are a lot of studies trying to explain main stressors and possibilities to minimize or avoid them (Carlson et al, 2000; Kim & Ling, 2001; Carlson & Kacmar, 2002; Ahman, 2008 etc.). Family-work conflicts are usually generated with the appearance of children, when parents have to reconcile family and professional responsibilities.

Work family conflict definition was formulated by Greenhaus in 1980s. Kopelman, Greenhaus and Connolly (1983) defined inter-role conflict as the extent to which a person experiences pressures within one role that are incompatible with the pressures that arise within another role.  Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) identified three types of the work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict, and behavior-based conflict.

„Time-based conflict may occur when time devoted to one role makes it difficult to participate in another role, strain-based conflict suggests that strain experienced in one role intrudes into and interferes with participation in another role“ (Carlson et al, 2000, p. 250). Behavior-based conflict occurs when behavior at work place must be specific and it doesn’t match expectations and behavior at home.

The aim of the study is to identify main source of work-family and family-work conflict in specific cultural context.

The financial support provided by the Research Council of Lithuania for the research and proof-reading of English language is gratefully acknowledged (Project Reg. No. MIP-075/2014).

Method

Research approach. One of the complex research phases is quantitative research. Survey was chosen because “numerous facts about the behaviors and situations of people that can be obtained only by asking a sample of people about themselves” (Fowler, 2014, p.2). Research tool. Quantitative research tool questionnaire is developed by D. S. Carlson, K. M. Kacmar and L. J. Williams (Carlson et al, 2000). It consist from 18 items to analyze both directions of conflict: work interference with family and family interference with work. This tool also considers that there are different forms of conflict based on time, strain and behavior. Data collection. Survey was started in December 2015 and will continue until the end of January 2016. Questionnaire was distributed via internet: on-line questionnaire links were sent via e-mails, social networks etc. Research participants. Respondents are men and women with families and children under 12. Data analysis. Quantitative data analysis methods will be applied for the analysis, i.e. descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, non-parametric tests for comparisons.

Expected Outcomes

Findings will demonstrate what type of work-family and family work conflict is most often and is there correlation between different types of conflict. Quantitative research findings will prove several hypothesis: • Literature review states that conflict occurs more often between women, i.e. females are more likely to have higher level of work-family conflict than males. • Full time working people have higher level of work-family conflict in comparison with part-time workers. • The greater the work strain, the higher the level of work-family conflict. • The bigger the number of children in the family the higher work – family conflict.

References

Ahmad, A. (2008) Job, Family and Individual Factors as Predictors of Work-Family Conflict. The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning Vol. 4 (1), 57-65. Carlson, D. S., & Kacmar, K. M. (2002). Work family conflict in the organization: Do life role values make a difference? Journal of Management, 26(5), 1031-1054. Carlson, D.S., Kacmar, K. M. & Williams, L. J. (2000), Construction and Initial Validation of a Multidimensional Measure of Work–Family Conflict, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 249–276 Fowler, F. J. (2014). Survey research methods / Floyd J. Fowler, Jr. -5 ed. - Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88. Kim J. L. S., & Ling, C. S. (2001). Work-family conflict of women entrepreneurs in Singapore. Women in Management Review, 16(5), 204-221. Kopelman,R.E., Greenhaus,J.H. & Connolly,T.F. (1983). A model of work, family, and interrole conflict: A construct validation study. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32, 198-215

Author Information

Ausra Rutkiene (presenting / submitting)
Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Elena Trepule
Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

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