Spousal Problems and Family-To-Work Conflict; Mediating Effects of Time, Relationship, and Financial Strain
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Kei Nomaguchi, AdvisorResearch on work-family conflict has largely focused on work interfering with family (e.g., work-to-family conflict), paying less attention to how family interferes with work (e.g., family-to-work conflict).In particular, although studies have examined how children's problems affect their parents' family-to-work conflict, very little is known about spousal problems as a source of family-to-work conflict.This study examines how three types of spousal problems-medical, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and overwork-relate to respondents' family-to-work conflict with a special focus on three types of strains-relationship strain, time strain, and financial strain-as mediators.It also examines variations by gender and parental status to minor children in these associations.Using married or cohabiting respondents aged 25 to 61 who are employed from the 1995-1996 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N = 1,499), this study finds that spouses' medical problems as well as emotional and behavioral difficulties, but not spouses' overwork, are positively related to respondents' family-to-work conflict.Strain-relationship, time, and financial-is found to mediate these relationships, partially for spouses' medical problems and completely for spouses' emotional and behavioral difficulties.Perceptions of time strain explain the effect of spouses' medical problems most, where perceptions of relationship strain explain the effect of spouses' emotional and behavioral difficulties most.There are no variations by gender or respondents' parental status to minor children.These findings suggest that a spouse, when he or she has a problem, has the potential to negatively influence the other spouse's ability to balance work and family responsibilities.Policy makers should consider expanding policy to not only include support when spouses face medical problems but emotional and behavioral difficulties as well.
Author: Marshal Neal Fettro
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2341407537