Linda Duxbury

Work-Family Conflict A Comparison by Gender, Family Type, and Perceived Control

The objective of this research was to examine the relationships between the dependent variable of work-family conflict (operationalized as overload, work to family interference, family to work interference) and the independent variables of gender, family type, and perceived control. The sample consisted of 1,989 single-parent and dual-income employees with children ages 6 through 12. The findings indicated that individuals with higher perceived control have lower levels of overload and interference. Women had higher levels of overload and interference than did men. Single parents had similar levels of overload and interference from family to work as married individuals.

Work-family conflict in the dual-career family

The focus of this paper is the development and testing of a model of the relationships between work conflict, family conflict, work-family conflict, quality of work life, quality of family life, and life satisfaction. The model was based on the theoretical work of Kopelman, Greenhaus, and Connolly (1983, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32, 198–215) and was tested on responses from 220 career-oriented individuals with children and a career-oriented spouse. Fifteen of 17 hypothesized relationships were significant and the variance explained in work-family conflict exceeded 49%. The results indicated that work conflict was the most important predictor of family conflict lending support to Kanters contention that the work and family domains cannot be considered as separate, independent entities. Of 6 relationships tested, work conflict was also the most important predictor of work-family conflict. It is suggested that this is due to the fact that people have less control over their work lives than their family lives and implies that work operates as a dominant constraint over an individual. Work-family conflict was shown to have a significant negative influence on an individuals quality of work life and quality of family life, which, in turn, were highly related to life satisfaction.

Part‐time work for women: Does it really help balance work and family?

Results of this study suggest that the differential response of women to part-time work as opposed to a career may be a function of motivational and work-context differences between career and non-career women. Part-time work was associated with lower work-to-family interference, better time management ability, and greater life satisfaction for women in both career and earner-type positions. Role overload, family-to-work interference, and family time management, however, were dependent on job type with beneficial effects for earners but not for career women. Job type also played a role: Career women reported higher life satisfaction and lower depressed mood than did women in earner positions.

Time thieves and space invaders: technology, work and the organization

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the shifting boundaries between two experiential categories – home and work – for office workers. The boundaries are both spatial and temporal, and the paper seeks to analyse how certain kinds of mobile technology are being used in such a way as to make these boundaries increasingly permeable.Design/methodology/approach – The research involved both the collection of quantitative data using a survey tool, and the gathering of qualitative data through in‐depth interviews.Findings – The paper finds that the mobile technology discussed enables work extension – the ability to work outside the office, outside “normal” office hours. This provides flexibility with respect to the timing and location of work, and makes it easier to accommodate both work and family. But at the same time, of course, it also increases expectations: managers and colleagues alike expect staff to be almost always available to do work, which makes it easier for work to encroach on family time, and ...

After-Hours Telecommuting and Work-Family Conflict: A Comparative Analysis

After-hours telecommuting AHT is a work arrangement where job-relevant work is done at home on a computer outside of regular office hours. This study examined how after-hours telecommuting affects an individuals ability to balance work and family demands measured as role overload, spillover of interference from work to family and spillover of interference from family to work. It also examined the impact of gender and maternal career employment on these relationships. The analysis showed that men and women who performed after-hours telecommuting worked significantly more hours per week and a greater number of hours of overtime at home than did individuals without computers at home. After controlling for total work hours of both spouses, significant gender differences and differences due to performing after-hours telecommuting were found. These differences were associated with role overload and spillover of interference from work to family.

Conceptualizing and measuring the virtuality of teams

Virtual teams (VTs) are teams whose members do not share a common workspace all of the time, and must therefore collaborate using communication and collaboration tools such as email, videoconferencing, etc. Although the body of research on VTs is quickly expanding, to date, the field has yet to produce a comprehensive and coherent foundation upon which future research can be based, and empirical findings based on a substantive sample of real VTs remain limited at this time. This study fills a void in the VT literature with respect to defining and operationalizing the construct of degree of virtuality, and responds to calls for research that studies ongoing VTs, under real conditions. Data were collected from 30 VTs working in a Canadian technology‐based organization.

An empirical evaluation of the impacts of telecommuting on intra-organizational communication

Abstract This study represents a preliminary step towards developing an understanding of how telework arrangements affect intra-organizational communication. The following general research questions are addressed: (1) Do telework arrangements change the way in which teleworkers communicate with their superiors, their subordinates, their colleagues and their clients?; and (2) Do telework arrangements change the way in which managers communicate with subordinates who telework? The study, which was conducted at two Canadian federal government departments, was designed to collect information from four groups: (1) teleworkers ( n =36 at Time 2); (2) managers of teleworkers ( n =28 at Time 2); (3) co-workers of teleworkers ( n =27 at Time 2); and (4) a control group ( n =25 at Time 2). Three data collection techniques were used in this study: paper and pencil questionnaires, telephone interviews, and focus group interviews. Data were collected at three points in time: (1) two weeks prior to the start of the telework pilot; (2) three months after the telework pilot had begun; and (3) six months after the start of the telework pilot. Analysis of the data suggests that, with a few important exceptions, part-time telework arrangements have little impact on intra-organizational communication.

Measurement of Perceived Organizational Readiness for Change in the Public Sector

Using the act frequency approach we developed and operationalized two constructs: perceived organizational readiness for change and perceived organizational unreadiness for change. Using a sample drawn from five Canadian public sector organizations, it was found that perceived readiness for change can be conceptualized with three sub-constructs: commitment of senior managers to the change, competence of change agents, and support of the immediate manager. Perceived unreadiness for change had two sub-constructs: poor communication of change and adverse impact of change on work. Using structural equation modelling techniques, the measurement scales of all these constructs were tested for reliability and validity using job stress and perceived organizational support as outcome variables.

Development of a measure to assess organizational change

Discusses the use of the act frequency approach methodology to develop and validate a measure of organizational support of revolutionary change. A total of nine unique behaviors, describing three constructs, were viewed by employees as supportive of revolutionary change; and 12 unique behaviors, describing two constructs, were perceived as being non‐supportive of revolutionary change. The measures developed were found to have high internal reliability. The measures were also found to be highly correlated with relevant individual and organizational outcome measures. These results provide empirical support for the idea that how an organization supports revolutionary change can have an impact on both the organization and its employees and that contextual variable may not influence perceptions.

AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN BASIC HUMAN VALUES

This study assessed generational differences in human values as measured by the Schwartz Value Survey. It was proposed that the two most recent generations, Millennials and Generation Xers, would value Sell-enhancement and Openness to Change more than the two older generations, Baby Boomers and Matures, while the two older generations would value Self-transcendence and Conservation more. The hypotheses were tested with a combined sample of Canadian knowledge workers and undergraduate business students (N = 1,194). Two hypotheses were largely supported, although an unexpectedly large difference was observed between Millennials and Generation Xers with respect to Openness to Change and Self-enhancement. The findings suggest that generation is a useful variable in examining differences in social values.