This study explores the question of the generalizability of extant work-family research, most of which has been conducted in Western cultural contexts, to workers in African nations.We conducted a meta-analysis of African research, comparing means for work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment (WFE) to those same means in Western contexts. We also compared the magnitude of the relations between WFC and WFE and common individual employee outcomes in Africa with the West, finding a few differences. For example, we found smaller associations between conflict and job satisfaction in Africa than in the West, and WFC had medium, negative effect sizes with work engagement in Africa, as compared to positive, small effect sizes in the West. Yet, across all results, our findings most closely support a crossculturally invariant perspective on work and family-meaning very similar effects for workers in Africa and the West.

This study explores the question of the generalizability of extant work-family research, most of which has been conducted in Western cultural contexts, to workers in African nations.We conducted a meta-analysis of African research, comparing means for work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment (WFE) to those same means in Western contexts. We also compared the magnitude of the relations between WFC and WFE and common individual employee outcomes in Africa with the West, finding a few differences. For example, we found smaller associations between conflict and job satisfaction in Africa than in the West, and WFC had medium, negative effect sizes with work engagement in Africa, as compared to positive, small effect sizes in the West. Yet, across all results, our findings most closely support a crossculturally invariant perspective on work and family-meaning very similar effects for workers in Africa and the West.

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