Transcript Model of Work-Family Conflict in Contemporary China

Work-Family Conflict and its impact
on physical and mental health
Presented by :
Kenneth Ho
Joseph Hui
Stephen Tse
Ivy Hui
Quiny Lai
Susan Yeung
Theories Review and Development on
work-family conflict
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A. Functionalist Theories
B. Psychoanalytic Theories
C. Sociobiological / evolutionary
psychology theories
D. Expansionist Theory
E. American Based Theory
=> Model of Work-Family Conflict in
contemporary China
A. Functionalist Theories
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Talcott Parsons(1949) :
gender-role specialization and complementary
=> marital relationship stability
Parsons and Bales (1955) :
biological fact => asymmetry in marital roles
“generic significance with respect to the
structure and functions of the family”
B. Psychoanalytic Theories
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Freud (1905) : male-female differences
Boy => identification with his father
Girl => both biological and psychological
incomplete => marry and has a child =>like her
primary identification (mother)
Erikson (1968) :
Identity development
“Inappropriate” gender-specific behaviour leads
to serious negative psychological consequences
C. Sociobiogist and Evolutionary
Psychology Theories
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Differential parental investment &
mechanism of sexual selection , male &
female genes => solving the different
reproductive challenges => differentiated
gender roles
Deviations from “natural” behaviour =>
negative mental health consequences
D. Expansionist Theory (Barnet, et al, 2001)
4 basic principles:
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Multiple roles are beneficial for well being
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Processes contributing to beneficial effects of multiple roles:
a. buffering: negative effects of stress in one role ban be buffered by
satisfaction in another role
b. added income: dual earner reduce distress, affect marital disruption
c. social support: beneficial vs stressful, depend on role quality
d. opportunities to experience success: self-confidence/self efficacy vs
failure, depend on role quality
e. expanded frame of reference: more perspectives from other roles
f. increase self complexity: buffered against negative effects of stress
g. similarity of experience: facilitate spouse communication and
marital quality
h. gender role ideology: moderator
iii. Role quality: more important than no. of roles
iv. Psychological gender differences are not large or immutable
E. American Based Model
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(Greenhaus, 1985)
Time based conflict: time pressures & pressures
produce preoccupation
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Strain based conflict: role produce strain
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Work-related: no. of hours worked, inflexibility of work
schedule, personality orientation
Family related: family role
Work-related: ambiguity/conflict within work role, low levels
of leader support & interaction facilitation, work environment
changes, task challenge, task autonomy
Family related: supportive spouses, spouse’s career
orientations and fundamental beliefs
Behavior based conflict: specific patterns of in-role
behaviour may be incompatible with expectations
regarding behaviour in another role
Model of Work-Family Conflict in
Contemporary China
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Beyond American based model
Differences primarily due to :
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greater importance of interpersonal relationship in
China.
greater role that Chinese workers play in the lives
of their elderly parents and vice versa.
societal differences in the impact of some stressors
and availability of social services.
Model of Work-Family Conflict in Contemporary China
Role Demands in works:
•Commitment
•Productivity
•Responsibility
•Reliability
Interpersonal relationship
Demands at Work*
Role Demands in Family :
•Earning money
•Responsibility for children
•Spouse support
•Household responsibilities
•Responsibility for elderly
parents*
Interpersonal relationship
Demands in Family*
Social support in Work
Role from Manager &
Organization
Stressors in Work Domain:
•Full-time employment
•Non-day shift
•Job insecurity*
•Performance anxiety*
•Interpersonal conflict with
other employees*
Stressors in Family Domain:
•Large number of children
•Preschool children
•Occupational status &
commitment of spouse
•Economic pressures
•Absence of household
conveniences*
•Elderly parents as live-ins
and dependants
•Interpersonal conflict with
family members*
Social support in
Family Role from
Spouse, Elderly
parents* & Society*
Coping strategies in
work role
Work-to-Family
Conflict
Physical &
psychological
well-being
Family-to-Work
conflict
Coping strategies in
family role
Critique of the research findings
on Work-family conflict and
identification of the gaps in
knowledge
Critique on researches
Methodological considerations
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Most researches findings were reviewed in the form of
correlation, which was not justified for causal inferences.
The quasi-experimental design had created problems for
scientific inferences
 Women were not randomly assigned to the multiple
groups: full time employed, part time and
homemakers.
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In a study on ‘employment improves women’s health’, some
women were forced to join one particular status by economic
necessity.
Other women who had health problems might have chosen
not to work full time and chosen the group which was falling
into healthy worker effect. In such case, health influences
employment, which is in contrast with the objective of the
study.
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Most studies focused on measuring negative
outcomes such as interrole conflict, depression,
anxiety, neglecting favorable outcomes such as
positive coping, perceived rewards from the
multiple roles, and social support.
Other than gender ideology, many studies had
failed to take into consideration the subjects’
personality traits such as adoption of attitudes in
managing life, their behavior and affect in family
and workplace.
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A person’s expectations and values can shape his or
her role behavior.
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Number of hours is not the good parameter
to measure quality of life . Other factors
such as flexibility in working hours, social
support and good working relationship in
the work place are good predictors.
Most studies did not take into account the
different educational level, social class,
single-parent family, gay and lesbian family,
and even cohabitation
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Taking the dual-earner couples as one
homogenous group may not be correct:
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Crouter and Manke (1994) proposed three
groups
High-status dual-earner family
 Low-stress dual-earner family
 Main-secondary provider family
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Most studies were American based; the
findings might not be relevant to nonAmerican Societies such as China and
Hong Kong.
Cultural norms were not considered in
most studies. In China, interpersonal
relationship plays a significant role in
affecting the stress level at work and family.
Gaps in knowledge
Gap in knowledge
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Multiple roles are beneficial to well-being?
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Unable to test if there might be a curvilinear relationship
between number of roles and mental health
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Additional roles might increase the complexity of self, but
excessive roles would become stress-inducing agents. Overload
and distress might occur beyond the upper limit.
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Other than number of roles, role quality is more important
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How to measure the upper limit?.
Satisfactory experiences in parental, marital, and work roles
benefit psychologically (Jenkins, Repetti and Crouter , 2000)
There is a gap as there is no differentiation in accordance
with marital status or parental status. Single and married
women with multiple roles may have different experience in
the level of depressive symptoms
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There had been rare studies in the interactive
effects of work and family role pressure
- In most studies, differences among samples and
variations in home and work pressure variables had
produced different results in determining the levels
of conflict at different family stages
- Different specific job characteristics have different
impact on work-family conflict. Some job nature has
aroused additional family strains.
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It is required to identify the work and family
pressure that are associated with different career
stages.
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In the contemporary study of family-work
conflict, to what extent do family strains
experienced by male affect his work life?
To what extent do family strains
experienced by female affect her family
life?" ?
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A large gap in the relationship between social support
and physical health
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While social support has buffering effect on relationship
between work-family conflict and psychological well-being;
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to what extent do the social support processes that are enhanced
by holding multiple roles related to physical wellness?
the situations in which these processes are effective and
situations in which they are not.
Which aspects of health are being affected and how?
Which aspects of social environment are perceived as
supportive?
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Different perception of perceived support
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There should be a recognition of the effects
of positive buffers other than social support
that could help reduce the family-work
conflict and have beneficial effect on
physical and psychological well-being.
Further researches on
Work-Family conflict
Further researches on the process of
work-family conflict in other cultures other than
USA context
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Western culture Vs Oriental culture
The factors of intergenerational and interpersonal
relationship in Chinese societies
The concept of family & work in Chinese and Hong Kong
The concept of stress and mental health in Hong Kong
Research on the relationship between
the stress caused by work-family
conflict and mental health
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What kinds of stressors can be identified in the
work-family conflict
Stress level ?
The influence of stress to mental health
Research on the moderators on the stressors
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What about the effect of gender difference
The effect of multiple roles
The effect of family life cycle/developmental stage of the
family
The effect of personality/characters to stress and conflict
The effect of socio-economic status
The personal problem solving capacity
The effect of values/beliefs and perceptions of self
The effect of social support network
Research on the loosen relationship affects on
work-family conflict for cross-boarder
workers in China / overseas
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The work-family conflict of people working across
the boarder in China
The psychological pressure of the members of the
family during the absence of the husband / wife
The well being of the family members such as life
satisfaction, sense of stability and self-identity
Research on effectiveness of social support on
reducing the strain of the workers
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As an exchange of resources between two individuals
Family-support policies developed by government
Family-support manager providing help and
understanding based on the interpersonal relationship
with the subordinate in need
As stress prevention moderating the effect of social
support on the relationship between the role demands and
stressors
How the support network influence the effects of workfamily role conflict
A flexible work schedule helping to make more
manageable
Research on the affects of marital discord
to work-family conflicts
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The multidimensional set of cognitions and
behaviors to tolerate the stress
Provision of emotional support such as esteem,
affection and trust
As a family supportive manager providing the
subordinate need
The spousal support built on a satisfactory marital
relationship and a solid marriage
Research on intergenerational relationships
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Providing the basis for social values
Serving a moderating role in the family-work variables
Being a form of empirical support in work-to-family role
Caring for children and doing household chores
Changing one’s way of viewing the problem and
managing emotional distress aroused by the problem
As a basis for future empirical study in cultural
domain
Research on interpersonal relationship in
family and in work roles
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Building a good relationship to secure favorable treatment
Causing a link between performance and rewards
Playing an important role in resource allocation, promotion
and decisions
Developing culturally appropriate strategies to deal with
work-family conflict and it effects
Emphasizing of collectivism and family
Promoting the susceptibility to the negative consequences of
work-family conflict
References
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Taylor, S.E. (1999). Health psychology (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Barnett, R. C., & Hyde, J. S. (2001). Women, men, work, and family: an
expansionist theory. American Psychologist, 56(10), 781-796
Cohen, S., & Wills, T.A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering
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Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., & Gruen,
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Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work
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