Sara Tement

Patterns of conflict and enrichment in work-family balance: A three-dimensional typology

Abstract A four-dimensional typology of work-family balance (WFB) that has previously been reported was tested in four samples: Finnish nurses (n=662), Slovenian nurses (n=667), Finnish health and social care workers (n=1493) and Finnish service sector employees (n=827). Latent profile analyses identified three rather than four types of WFB in each sample. In line with the four-dimensional typology, a Beneficial type (56% to 70% of the participants), experiencing high work-to-family and family-to-work enrichment (WFE and FWE) and low work-to-family and family-to-work conflict (WFC and FWC), and an Active type (15% to 20%), experiencing high WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE, emerged; however, the Harmful and Passive types were not identified. Instead, a Contradictory type (16% to 53%), experiencing high WFC and low WFE in combination with low FWC and high FWE, was found. The Beneficial type showed higher subjective well-being than the Contradictory and Active types, the latter showing higher vigour at work but also higher psychological strain and lower life satisfaction than the Contradictory type. These findings support the view that WFB is not a single state or continuum, but manifests itself in diverse combinations of WFC, FWC, WFE and FWE.

The Moderating Impact of Types of Caregiving on Job Demands, Resources, and Their Relation to Work-to-Family Conflict and Enrichment

This research aims to examine for whom combining work and family/caregiving may be most harmful. Employed parents, elder caregivers, and the sandwiched generation were compared with their coworkers without such responsibilities. Based on the job demands–resources model, we assumed that high job demands/low job resources would relate to work-to-family conflict (WFC) and low job demands/high job resources to work-to-family enrichment. However, this effect would depend on employees’ family/caregiving responsibilities. Using a large sample of Slovenian employees (N = 1,285), we found support for the moderating role of the type of caregiving responsibility between workload and WFC. In addition, the type of caregiving had a moderating effect on the relationship between coworker support and WFC. Support was also found for the differential impact of job resources on work-to-family enrichment. The results therefore indicate the relevance of types of caregiving responsibility in work–family research and practice.

Does Trait Affectivity Predict Work-to-Family Conflict and Enrichment Beyond Job Characteristics?

ABSTRACT The present study examines whether negative and positive affectivity (NA and PA, respectively) predict different forms of work-to-family conflict (WFC-time, WFC-strain, WFC-behavior) and enrichment (WFE-development, WFE-affect, WFE-capital) beyond job characteristics (workload, autonomy, variety, workplace support). Furthermore, interactions between job characteristics and trait affectivity while predicting WFC and WFE were examined. Using a large sample of Slovenian employees (N = 738), NA and PA were found to explain variance in WFC as well as in WFE above and beyond job characteristics. More precisely, NA significantly predicted WFC, whereas PA significantly predicted WFE. In addition, several interactive effects were found to predict forms of WFC and WFE. These results highlight the importance of trait affectivity in work–family research. They provide further support for the crucial impact of job characteristics as well.

Flow among higher education teachers: A job demands-resources perspective

The aim of the present study was to investigate job resources and demands and their relatedness to work flow. In line with the three-dimensional model of flow, absorption, work enjoyment and intrinsic work motivation were explored as separate outcomes. Our predictions were tested using a sample of 293 higher education teachers in Slovenia. The participants indicated their levels of flow, job demands (e.g., workload) and job resources (e.g., variety and autonomy) using the Slovenian version of the work flow inventory and job demands-resources scales. Our hypotheses were tested using moderated multiple regression where main as well as interactive effects between job resources and demands were examined. Autonomy and variety were found to enhance absorption, work enjoyment and intrinsic work motivation. Furthermore, autonomy was found to be the most important predictor of all the work flow dimensions. In contrast, workload was not significantly related to any of the outcomes. We also found interactive effects of variety and workload as well as variety and autonomy on absorption.

Longitudinal Leisure Activity Profiles and Their Associations with Recovery Experiences and Job Performance

ABSTRACT We aimed to identify longitudinal leisure activity profiles among working adults and their links to recovery experiences and job performance. Leisure activities, recovery experiences, and job performance were investigated among 831 employees using survey data collected in spring 2013 (T1) and 2014 (T2). Through latent profile analysis (LPA), four stable longitudinal leisure activity profiles were identified. “Social Sports(wo)men” (46%) engaged in physical and social activities but rarely in creative or cultural activities. “Active Artists” (23%) pursued all leisure activities, particularly creative activities. “Socially & Culturally Inactives” (17%) exercised frequently but seldom engaged in social, cultural or creative activities. “Inactive Soloists” (14%) spent little time on physical activities. “Active Artists” reported most beneficial recovery experiences and job performance. Our results corroborate the importance of leisure activities (particularly diverse and creative activities) in facilitating recovery from work stress and job performance.

Doživljanje stresa in izgorelosti, povezanih z delom z učenci s posebnimi potrebami pri učiteljih v osnovni šoli

Namen raziskave je bil preveriti napovedno vrednost nekaterih znacilnosti delovnega mesta osnovnosolskih uciteljev za doživljanje poklicnega stresa in izgorelosti. Znacilnosti delovnega mesta so bile v raziskavi opredeljene kot zahteve in viri, ki smo jih nadalje delile na splosne in na specificne, vezane na delo z ucenci s posebnimi potrebami. Preverjale smo, ali spremenljivke, povezane z delom z ucenci s posebnimi potrebami, pojasnijo dodaten delež variance v doživljanju stresa in izgorelosti, ki ga ni mogoce pojasniti s splosnimi znacilnostmi delovnega mesta. V raziskavi so sodelovali osnovnosolski ucitelji iz vseh dvanajstih regij v Sloveniji; stevilo sodelujocih variira od 439 do 886. Rezultati kažejo, da specificne znacilnosti delovnega mesta samostojno napovedujejo pomemben del variance stresa, emocionalne izcrpanosti in depersonalizacije. Splosne delovne obremenitve in specificna delovna obremenjenost z ucenci s posebnimi potrebami predstavljata najbolj stabilna napovednika vseh treh proucevanih kriterijev. Na osnovi ugotovitev predlagamo tudi nekatere ukrepe za zmanjsanje stopnje doživljanja stresa ter za ucinkovitejse spoprijemanje z njim.