E. Jeffrey Hill

Work-Family Facilitation and Conflict, Working Fathers and Mothers, Work-Family Stressors and Support:

Work-family research frequently focuses on the conflict experienced by working mothers. Using data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (N = 1,314), this study also examined work-family facilitation and working fathers. Ecological systems, family stress, family resilience, and sex role theories were used to organize the data and create hypotheses. Work-to-family facilitation was positively related to job satisfaction and life satisfaction, and negatively related to individual stress. Family-to-work facilitation was positively related to marital satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction, and negatively related to organizational commitment. Working fathers reported long work hours (49 hours/week), major involvement in household responsibilities (46 hours/week), and a work culture less supportive of their family life than working mothers reported. However, working fathers reported less work-family conflict, less individual stress, and greater family satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction than working mothers. The results support including facilitation and gender in future work-family research.

Does It Matter Where You Work? A Comparison of How Three Work Venues (Traditional Office, Virtual Office, and Home Office) Influence Aspects of Work and Personal/Family Life.

Abstract Millions use electronic tools to do their jobs away from the traditional office. Some labor in a “virtual office” with flexibility to work wherever it makes sense and others telecommute primarily from home. This IBM study compares how three work venues (traditional office, n =4316, virtual office, n =767, and home office, n =441) may influence aspects of work (job performance, job motivation, job retention, workload success, and career opportunity) and personal/family life (work/life balance and personal/family success). Perceptions, direct comparisons, and multivariate analyses suggest that the influence of the virtual office is mostly positive on aspects of work but somewhat negative on aspects of personal/family life. The influence of the home office appears to be mostly positive and the influence of traditional office mostly negative on aspects of both work and personal/life. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Defining and conceptualizing workplace flexibility

We first compare and contrast current conceptualizations of workplace flexibility in order to arrive at a definition in harmony with its contemporary use: ‘the ability of workers to make choices influencing when, where, and for how long they engage in work-related tasks’. Next, we situate workplace flexibility in its theoretical contexts to provide researchers with a clearer understanding of what workplace flexibility is, what its mechanisms of operation are, and why it may be related to other concepts. Finally, we present a conceptual framework of antecedents and consequences of workplace flexibility, including illustrative examples of several basic associations from the peer-reviewed literature.

The relationship of perceived flexibility, supportive work–life policies, and use of formal flexible arrangements and occasional flexibility to employee engagement and expected retention

This study examines the relationship of perceived workplace flexibility and supportive work–life policies to employee engagement and expectations to remain with the organization (expected retention). It also explores the association of formal and occasional (informal) use of flexibility with these outcomes. Data are from a multi-organization database created by WFD Consulting of studies conducted between 1996 and 2006. Results revealed that perceived flexibility and supportive work–life policies were related to greater employee engagement and longer than expected retention. Employee engagement fully mediated the relationship between perceived flexibility and expected retention and partially mediated the relationship between supportive work–life policies and expected retention. Both formal and occasional use of flexibility were positively associated with perceived flexibility, employee engagement, and expected retention. These analyses provide evidence that workplace flexibility may enhance employee engagement, which may in turn lead to longer job tenure.

Beyond the Mommy Track: The Influence of New-Concept Part-Time Work for Professional Women on Work and Family.

This study investigates how the option for new-concept part-time work influences the ability of mothers of preschool children working in professional occupations to successfully integrate work and family responsibilities while maintaining career opportunities. Data are from a subset of the 1996 IBM Work and Life Issues Survey in the United States (n = 687). Compared to their counterparts who worked full time, mothers who worked in these part-time positions reported significantly greater work-family balance and did not report significantly less career opportunity. The part-time group reported 47% fewer work hours and 41% lower income than the full-time group. These data support the notion that new-concept part-time work is a viable option to assist women in professional careers to successfully integrate their family career. Implications of these findings are presented.

The Work-Family Interface: Differentiating Balance and Fit

Work-family fit has recently emerged in work and family literature, comparable to work-family balance in that it represents interactions between work and family and yet distinct because it precedes balance and other outcomes. This study explores the relationship between, predictive factors of, and interactive moderating effects of work-family fit and work-family balance. Data are from a survey of business graduate school alumni (n = 387). Findings indicate that fit and balance are two separate constructs. Fit is uniquely predicted by work hours, age, family income, and household labor satisfaction. Balance is uniquely predicted by frequency of family activities. Job satisfaction and marital satisfaction predicted both fit and balance. Analyses suggest that fit is based more on the structural aspects of work-family interactions, whereas balance appears to be based more on the psychological factors. Job satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and frequency of family activities moderated the relationship between fit and balance.

Exploring the relationship of workplace flexibility, gender, and life stage to family-to-work conflict, and stress and burnout

This study explores how the reported use and perceived value of five workplace flexibility options differ by gender and life stage. It also examines the relationship of perceived workplace flexibility, gender, and life stages to family-to-work conflict and stress and burnout. Data are from a multi-company database created by WFD Consulting containing the results of studies conducted in multiple organizations between 1996 and 2006. Results revealed a curvilinear relationship in differences between men and women in the use of workplace flexibility options over the life course. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) revealed that perceived flexibility consistently predicted less family-to-work conflict and less stress and burnout. Gender (being female) was also modestly associated with greater family-to-work conflict and greater stress and burnout. The addition of life stage variables significantly increased the proportion of the variance explained in family-to-work conflict and stress and burnout. The addition of the interaction of life stage and gender significantly increased the proportion of the variance explained in family-to-work conflict but not in stress and burnout. These results support the idea that gender, life stage, and their interactions are important variables in research related to workplace flexibility.

Putting work and family experiences in context: Differences by family life stage

This study explores how individuals across six family life stages (before children, transition to parenthood, youngest child preschool-age, youngest child school-age, youngest child adolescent, and empty nest) differ in their experience of the work—family interface. Data come from a global IBM work and life issues survey (N = 41,769). Structural equation modeling was used to compare employees from six family life stages on work role factors (job hours, job responsibility, job flexibility) and family role factors (household work hours, marital status), and their relationships to work—family conflict, family—work conflict, work—family fit and four personal success measures. Meaningful differences in the means and size of the relationships among variables across family life stages provided empirical evidence of a ‘life course’ for the work—family interface influenced by differential exposure and differential effects of work and family role demands.

Workplace flexibility, work hours, and work-life conflict: Finding an extra day or two.

This study explores the influence of workplace flexibility on work-life conflict for a global sample of workers from four groups of countries. Data are from the 2007 International Business Machines Global Work and Life Issues Survey administered in 75 countries (N = 24,436). We specifically examine flexibility in where (work-at-home) and when (perceived schedule flexibility) workers engage in work-related tasks. Multivariate results indicate that work-at-home and perceived schedule flexibility are generally related to less work-life conflict. Break point analyses of sub-groups reveal that employees with workplace flexibility are able to work longer hours (often equivalent to one or two 8-hr days more per week) before reporting work-life conflict. The benefit of work-at-home is increased when combined with schedule flexibility. These findings were generally consistent across all four groups of countries, supporting the case that workplace flexibility is beneficial both to individuals (in the form of reduced work-life conflict) and to businesses (in the form of capacity for longer work hours). However, work-at-home appears less beneficial in countries with collectivist cultures.

Gender and the Work-Family Interface: Exploring Differences Across the Family Life Course

This study examines gender differences in the work—family interface across six family life stages using a global sample of IBM employees in 79 countries (N = 41,813). Family life stage was constructed using the age of respondent and age of youngest child. Results revealed that having young children at home was the critical catalyst for gender differences in the work—family interface. The greatest gender differences were found in the central stages of life when children require more temporal and economic resources from their parents. When life stage was not considered, the first and last stages tended to offset each other, concealing major gender differences during the central stages of family life. These findings signify that life stage is an important concept to consider in research related to gender and the work— family interface. Implications to the development of work policies attentive to shifts in work—family linkages during the life course are discussed.