Work–family enrichment among dual-earner couples: Can work improve our family life?

Abstract

The extent to which resources generated at work and positive affect were associated with enrichment in the family domain among 107 dual-earner couples was investigated. Grounded in work-family enrichment theory (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006), this study examined the indirect effect of workplace organizational support on family satisfaction through positive affect at work. Organizational support for work-family management was associated with positive affect at work for both women and men, and positive affect at work was related to family satisfaction for women. One interpersonal effect emerged: women's positive affect at work was associated with family satisfaction for men. Implications for theory, practice, research, and workplace policy are discussed.

Workplace Family Support, Parental Satisfaction, and Work–Family Conflict: Individual and Crossover Effects among Dual‐Earner Couples

“…Another explanation may be that because women are more satisfied with their parental role (due to perceptions of higher workplace family support, among other aspects), they may reduce demands on their partners for higher family involvement, therefore reducing their partners' perceptions of role conflict. In fact, Dunn and O'Brien () reinforced this explanation. The authors found that if mothers are happy (positive affect) with their work due to workplace family support, the time spent with the family reflects this satisfaction.…”

“…In this line of reasoning, Demerouti () showed that resourceful work environments augment levels of employee energy, which is transmitted to the partner by increasing the partner's home resources. Similarly, Dunn and O'Brien () found family satisfaction of fathers to be predicted by the positive affect of mothers at work, caused by mothers' workplace family support.…”

“…Hence, work‐ related support may help individuals have more resources to engage in parental roles and experience more satisfaction with their family life. Adding to this line of reasoning, Dunn and O'Brien () found organisational support perceptions to predict family satisfaction among females. Desrochers, Sargent, and Hostetler () found a family‐unfriendly work culture to reduce family satisfaction.…”

“…Evidence from studies focusing on the crossover of work–family issues while emphasising the parental role point in a different direction. Costigan, Cox, and Cauce () and Dunn and O'Brien () found that the work experiences of mothers (job autonomy, positive atmosphere at work, and positive affect at work) shaped the parenting of fathers, resulting in increased positive interactions with children over time and increased parental satisfaction for fathers. The reverse was not true.…”

Propensity Score Analysis

“…Where non-equivalent groups are concerned, researchers must take appropriate action to eliminate the possibility of a Type I error. A recent study by Dunn and O’Brien (2013) found that dual-earner couples with children enjoyed positive affect from work–life programs. The authors however, intimated that demographic homogeneity among study participants limited generalizability of results.…”