Work and family role salience as mediating variables in a work-family conflict model: A model test

The aim of this study was to test a proposed work-family conflict model where gender, parental status, economic status, organizational support of family (OSF), and family support of work (FSW) were antecedent variables; work role salience (WRS) and family role salience (FRS) were mediating variables; and work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and general work-family conflict were dependent variables. A total of 122 men and women from the Midwest participated in this research. The overall findings did not support the model. Gender was related to WRS and FRS: men reported significantly higher levels of WRS than women while women reported significantly higher levels of FRS than men. It was also found that participants in the lower economic status levels reported significantly higher levels of WRS than those in middle and upper economic status levels; however, economic status did not significantly affect FRS. Non-parents reported higher levels of WRS, but parental status did not affect levels of FRS. OSF did not significantly impact the levels of FRS or WRS. FSW did contribute to higher levels of WRS; however, it did not affect FRS. WRS did not appear to have a direct relationship with work-to-family conflict and FRS did not affect ratings of family-to-work conflict. Finally, role balance did not determine the level of general work-family conflict.