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The effects of a family-supportive work environment on work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and emotional exhaustion. Does income level matter

Posted on:2004-03-25Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:Michigan State UniversityCandidate:Ozeki, CynthiaFull Text:PDF
GTID:1469390011971656Subject:Sociology
Abstract/Summary:
Drawing on the conservation of resources model, this study investigates the impact of a family-supportive work environment on work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and emotional exhaustion in the context of other important personal and work-related demands and resources in a national sample of 2,877 employees. The study finds that working in organizations with environments that are more supportive is associated with less work-to-family and family-to-work conflict, as well as lower levels of emotional exhaustion. Part of the impact of a supportive work environment on emotional exhaustion was mediated by conflict between work and family. The relationship between the outcomes and working in a supportive environment appeared particularly strong for workers from lower-income households, who have fewer alternative resources to draw on. Access to more dependent care benefits was associated with less work-to-family conflict among less affluent workers. Supportive supervisors and cultural norms that don't penalize workers for putting family first were related to lower levels of family-to-work conflict, with the effects being stronger for lower income workers than those with more financial power. For all workers, informal support was more closely associated with reduced conflict and exhaustion than the availability of formal work/life benefits.
Keywords/Search Tags:Conflict, Work, Exhaustion, Supportive
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