Leslie B. Hammer

Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Measure of Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB)

Due to growing work-family demands, supervisors need to effectively exhibit family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB). Drawing on social support theory and using data from two samples of lower wage workers, the authors develop and validate a measure of FSSB, defined as behaviors exhibited by supervisors that are supportive of families. FSSB is conceptualized as a multidimensional superordinate construct with four subordinate dimensions: emotional support, instrumental support, role modeling behaviors, and creative work-family management. Results from multilevel confirmatory factor analyses and multilevel regression analyses provide evidence of construct, criterion-related, and incremental validity. The authors found FSSB to be significantly related to work-family conflict, work-family positive spillover, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions over and above measures of general supervisor support.

Development and validation of a multidimensional scale of perceived work-family positive spillover.

Although the benefits of participating in both work and family have been recognized for more than 30 years (Sieber, 1974), limited empirical research exists. One reason for this oversight is the absence of a well-established scale to measure these benefits. We present a new multidimensional scale of perceived work-family positive spillover. We conducted two studies that aided the development and validation of this scale. Our scale measures three types of work-family positive spillover: behavior-based instrumental positive spillover, value-based instrumental positive spillover, and affective positive spillover. Each of these three types of positive spillover occurs in two directions: from work to family and from family to work. We further evaluate the scales construct validity in relation to role satisfaction and self-reported mental health.

Work—life initiatives and organizational change: Overcoming mixed messages to move from the margin to the mainstream

This article examines perspectives on employer work—life initiatives as potential organizational change phenomena. Work—life initiatives address two main organizational challenges: structural (flexible job design, human resource policies) and cultural (supportive supervisors, climate) factors. While work—life initiatives serve a purpose in highlighting the need for organizational adaptation to changing relationships between work, family, and personal life, we argue they usually are marginalized rather than mainstreamed into organizational systems. We note mixed consequences of work—life initiatives for individuals and organizations. While they may enable employees to manage work and caregiving, they can increase work intensification and perpetuate stereotypes of ideal workers. In order to advance the field, organizations and scholars need to frame both structural and cultural work—life changes as part of the core employment systems to enhance organizational effectiveness and not just as strategies to support disadvantaged, non-ideal workers. We conclude with an overview of the articles in this special issue.

WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT AND WORK-RELATED WITHDRAWAL BEHAVIORS

This survey study explored the effects of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict on withdrawal behaviors at work (family interruptions at work, lateness to work, and absenteeism) among both members of 359 dual-earner couples. Using a systems theory framework, regression analyses revealed significant individual-level and crossover effects for both types of work-family conflict on withdrawal behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of the study of work-family conflict crossover effects on withdrawal behaviors at work are discussed.

Changing work and work-family conflict: Evidence from the work, family, and health network

Schedule control and supervisor support for family and personal life may help employees manage the work-family interface. Existing data and research designs, however, have made it difficult to conclusively identify the effects of these work resources. This analysis utilizes a group-randomized trial in which some units in an information technology workplace were randomly assigned to participate in an initiative, called STAR, that targeted work practices, interactions, and expectations by (1) training supervisors on the value of demonstrating support for employees’ personal lives and (2) prompting employees to reconsider when and where they work. We find statistically significant, although modest, improvements in employees’ work-family conflict and family time adequacy, and larger changes in schedule control and supervisor support for family and personal life. We find no evidence that this intervention increased work hours or perceived job demands, as might have happened with increased permeability of work across time and space. Subgroup analyses suggest the intervention brought greater benefits to employees more vulnerable to work-family conflict. This study uses a rigorous design to investigate deliberate organizational changes and their effects on work resources and the work-family interface, advancing our understanding of the impact of social structures on individual lives.

Clarifying the Construct of Family-Supportive Supervisory Behaviors (FSSB): A Multilevel Perspective

The goal of this chapter is to present new ways of conceptualizing family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), and to present a multilevel model reviewing variables that are linked to this construct. We begin the chapter with an overview of the U.S. labor markets rising work–family demands, followed by our multilevel conceptual model of the pathways between FSSB and health, safety, work, and family outcomes for employees. A detailed discussion of the critical role of FSSB is then provided, followed by a discussion of the outcome relationships for employees. We then present our work on the conceptual development of FSSB, drawing from the literature and from focus group data. We end the chapter with a discussion of the practical implications related to our model and conceptual development of FSSB, as well as a discussion of implications for future research.

The Conflicting Demands of Work, Family, and School Among Students at an Urban University

Abstract The effects of perceived effectiveness of university support services and general satisfaction with the educational experience on conflicting demands of work, family, and school were investigated in a study of 375 undergraduate and graduate students at an urban university. Results demonstrated a negative relationship between perceived effectiveness of support services and the degree of work-school role conflict experienced by participants. Furthermore, satisfaction with educational experience was negatively related to work-school conflict. No other significant effects were found.

Preventing Chronic Disease in the Workplace: A Workshop Report and Recommendations

Chronic disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Risk factors and work conditions can be addressed through health promotion aimed at improving individual health behaviors; health protection, including occupational safety and health interventions; and efforts to support the work-family interface. Responding to the need to address chronic disease at worksites, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a workshop to identify research priorities to advance knowledge and implementation of effective strategies to reduce chronic disease risk. Workshop participants outlined a conceptual framework and corresponding research agenda to address chronic disease prevention by integrating health promotion and health protection in the workplace.

Effectiveness of Total Worker Health Interventions

Total Worker Health (TWH) was introduced and the term was trademarked in 2011 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to formally signal the expansion of traditional occupational safety and health (OSH) to include wellness and well-being. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and other databases using keywords TWH, health promotion, health protection, and variants for articles meeting the criteria of (a) employing both occupational safety and/or health (OSH, or health protection) and wellness and/or well-being (health promotion, or HP) in the same intervention study, and (b) reporting both OSH and HP outcomes. Only 17 published studies met these criteria. All but 1 of the 17 TWH interventions improved risk factors for injuries and/or chronic illnesses, and 4 improved 10 or more risk factors. Several TWH interventions reported sustained improvements for over a year, although only 1 is readily available for dissemination. These results suggest that TWH interventions that address both injuries and chronic diseases can improve workforce health effectively and more rapidly than the alternative of separately employing more narrowly focused programs to change the same outcomes in serial fashion. These 17 articles provide useful examples of how TWH interventions can be structured. The promise of simultaneous improvements in safety, health, and well-being leads to the call to pursue TWH research to identify and disseminate best practices.

The Moderating Effects of Work-Family Role Combinations and Work-Family Organizational Culture on the Relationship Between Family-Friendly Workplace Supports and Job Satisfaction

This study determined whether work-family role combinations (i.e., work and elder care, work and child care, work and elder care and child care) and work-family culture significantly moderate the relationship between availability of workplace supports and job satisfaction. The data were obtained from the Families and Work Institute’s 1997 archival data set, the National Study of the Changing Workforce (NCSW). As predicted, the relationship between availability of workplace supports and job satisfaction varied depending on the type of work-family role combinations and levels of work-family culture. Specifically, the relationship was significant for the elder care work-family role combination, in that higher levels of workplace supports in unsupportive work-family cultures were associated with the greatest levels of job satisfaction. In addition, it was found that a supportive work-family culture and an increase in workplace supports were related to a slight decrease in job satisfaction for the elder care work-family role combination.