Research on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) has focused on the positive aspects of the construct, neglecting the possibility that individuals who engage in OCB may suffer negative consequences. Thus, the present study expands the literature by examining the possibility that OCB is also related to negative individual-level factors, such as work-to-family conflict (WIF). In a replication and extension of Bolino and Turnley's (2005) research, the present study offers an in-depth analysis of the relationship between OCB and WIF, examining two potential mediators (work time and role overload) and two potential moderators (gender and perceptions of OCB as discretionary). Two hundred and ninety-six participants, recruited from the alumni database of a large southeastern university, Craig's List, and a snowball approach, completed surveys. Additionally, supervisor-ratings of OCB were obtained for a sub-sample of 35 participants. Study hypotheses were tested using zero-order correlations and multiple regression analyses. No support was found for a relationship between OCB and WIF, nor was there support for the moderating role of gender and perceptions of OCB as discretionary. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future directions, are discussed.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

This study demonstrates the complex place stress has in the workplace by investigating both positive (eustress) and negative (distress) stress responses. An international sample of 140 individuals was recruited from various industries and organisational levels and these individuals participated in a confidential online survey. A moderated mediation model was proposed in which organisational stressors (person-job fit and role overload) influenced employee affective wellbeing directly and indirectly through stress responses, moderated by individual factors (work-family conflict and self-efficacy). Person-job fit influenced eustress which had positive effects on employee affective wellbeing. Role overload influenced distress which negatively impacted affective wellbeing. Self-efficacy moderated these relationships, with high levels increasing stress responses both negative and positive. Work-family conflict moderated relationships by reducing the positive effect of eustress and increasing the negative effect of distress. The findings not only advance current knowledge but have implications for organisational stress management practices.

This thesis focuses on the relations between job insecurity and its consequences by addressing several specific research aims. The first research aim focused on expanding the range of job insecurity consequences by studying the relation between job insecurity and work–family conflict over time. In Study 3 it was found that job insecurity affected work–family conflict one year later among men. The second research aim addressed mechanisms involved in the job insecurity–outcome relations, focusing on factors that might make employees more vulnerable to, or buffer against the negative effects of job insecurity. Coping styles were investigated as potential moderating factors in Study 1, where it was found that problem-focused coping did not function as a buffer, nor did devaluation or avoidance coping. Avoidance coping was actually a vulnerability factor for men, and related to more negative reactions to job insecurity in terms of well-being. Two forms of job dependence as potential moderating factors of the relations between job insecurity and its outcomes were investigated in Study 2. It was found that the relative contribution to the household income functioned as a vulnerability factor for men. Higher levels of work centrality combined with either quantitative or qualitative job insecurity were related to higher levels of job satisfaction among women. Finally, in Study 3, workload was investigated as a mediating variable of the relation between job insecurity and its outcomes, where workload linked job insecurity to work–family conflict one year later among men. The third research aim of this thesis addressed gender, where differences between men and women were found in all three studies. Overall men seemed to suffer more from job insecurity. The results of the thesis confirm the negative impact of job insecurity, but also provide information regarding important areas for future research to study, such as the investigation of mechanisms and the role of gender. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted. Paper 2: Submitted.

Work-Life Balance (WLB) is defined as the ability to manage both work-life and non-work life successfully. WLB can be evaluated by examining individual’s experience of Work-Family Conflict (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict (FWC), both of which can be assessed by a questionnaire developed by Netemeyer, Boles and McMurrian (1996). The aim of this study was to explore if responses to the questionnaire, the amount of time spent on studies, household chores and sick leave, were gender related or not, among civil-accountants students. The survey included 138 respondents (74 woman and 64 men). The results confirmed previous findings of a gender difference in WFC, but disconfirmed a gender difference in FWC. Additionally, women scored higher in all variables (the amount of time spent on studies, household chores and sick leaves). The result also showed a correlation between time spent on studies and the WFC and FWC, respectively. Finally the result showed a weak correlation between the number of sick days during the semester and WFC and FWC. Thus, results may suggest that gender socialization could be a contributing factor of the observed gender differences. / Work-Life Balance (WLB) definieras som förmågan att balansera arbetslivet och hemmalivet på ett framgångsrikt sätt. WLB kan utvärderas genom att undersöka individens upplevelse av Work-Family Conflict (WFC) och Family-Work Conflict (FWC), som båda mäts i Netemeyers, Boless och McMurrians (1996) enkät. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om det fanns några könsskillnader hos civilekonomsstudenter avseende WFC, FWC, tiden som spenderades på studier, på hushållsarbete samt sjukdagar per termin. Studien omfattade 138 respondenter (74 kvinnor och 64 män). Resultatet bekräftade tidigare upptäckt, att det fanns en könsskillnad i WFC, men motsatte att det skulle finnas en könsskillnad i FWC. Vidare framkom det att kvinnorna hade högre värden i samtliga variabler (antalet studietimmar per dag, hushållstimmar per dag och sjukdagar per termin). Resultatet visade även ett samband mellan antalet studietimmar per dag och WFC samt FWC. Slutligen visade resultatet en svag korrelation mellan sjukdagar per termin och WFC samt FWC. Möjligen kan köns- socialiseringen vara en bidragande faktor till de observerade könsskillnaderna.

[pt] Este estudo teve a intenção de descrever as experiências de mulheres profissionais que tiveram que interromper suas carreiras devido ao conflito trabalho-família. A pesquisa teve como foco mulheres que são mães e que possuem formação superior. Seu objetivo foi entender os motivos que as levaram a interromper suas carreiras profissionais, bem como descrever suas vivências atuais, afastadas do mercado de trabalho e dedicadas integralmente à maternidade. A metodologia de pesquisa escolhida para o estudo foi de natureza qualitativa, tendo sido entrevistadas 10 mulheres, com profissões variadas, que interromperam a carreira devido à maternidade. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que as entrevistadas, em sua maioria, se recusaram a terceirizar a criação e educação dos filhos e que a obrigação em cumprir longas jornadas de trabalho foi determinante na sua decisão de parar de trabalhar. Além disso, o apoio dos maridos, tanto emocional como financeiro, foi imprescindível para que elas pudessem tomar a decisão de se dedicarem à maternidade, integralmente. As vivências, após a interrupção da carreira, revelam sentimentos de inutilidade, baixa autoestima e preconceitos vividos por muitas das entrevistadas. Planos profissionais para o futuro são relatados, mas a maioria deseja mudar de profissão ou diminuir as horas de trabalho, pois buscam a flexibilidade de horário por acreditarem que, ao terem maior controle sobre seu horário de trabalho será possível a conciliação dos papéis profissional e materno. / [en] This study was intended to describe the experiences of professional women who had to interrupt their careers due to the work-family conflict. The research focused on women who are mothers and who have higher education. Its purpose was to understand the reasons that led to them to interrupt their professional careers, as well as to describe their current experiences, away from the job market and fully dedicated to motherhood. The research methodology chosen for the study was qualitative, with 10 women interviewed of several professions, who interrupted the career due to maternity. The results of this research suggest that interviewees, in the majority, refused to outsource the raising and education of children and the obligation to undertake long working hours was decisive in their decision to stop working. In addition, the husband s support, both emotional and financial, was imperative so that they could make the decision to dedicate themselves to motherhood, in its entirety. The experiences, after the interruption of the career, reveal feelings of uselessness, low self-esteem and prejudices experienced by many of the women interviewed. Professional plans for the future are reported, but most want to change their carreer or shorten working hours, because they seek flexibility in scheduling due to the belief that by having control over their working hours it will be possible to reconcile professional and maternal roles.

The purpose of this study was to explore working single mothers’ work-life balance in order to better understand how employers can assist them. Role theory, role conflict theory, and spillover theory were utilized to examine how working single mothers experience work-life balance and how they perceive it. In this study, the researcher sought to discover, analyze, and report work-life balance experiences of working single mothers through extended narrative accounts, which answer the following research questions: 1. In what ways do working single mothers strive to attain work-life balance? 2. What challenges do working single mothers encounter that affect their ability to obtain work-life balance? 3. How do working single mothers believe their employers’ policies, practices, and attitudes impact their ability to balance work and family responsibilities? Narrative inquiry was the best research approach for this study because it allowed the individuals to narrate their own stories. The methods of collecting data for this study consisted of a basic demographic questionnaire and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data analysis revealed four main themes and several subthemes highlighting the strategies, challenges, and employers’ contributions to the work-life balance of working single mothers.

abstract: This study investigated work-family conflict and related phenomena reported by female teachers in primary and secondary schools in Kenya. Specifically, it sought to first identify general work and family stressors and profession specific stressors, and how these stressors influenced teachers’ work-family conflict (WFC) and burnout. Second, it investigated whether support from home and work reduced these teachers’ perceived work-family conflict and burnout. Third, it investigated the impact of marital status, number and ages of children, length of teaching experience, and school location (city vs town) on perceived work-family conflict (WFC). In this study, 375 female teachers from Nairobi and three towns completed a survey questionnaire with both closed- and open-ended questions. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive and inferential statistics, and content analyses of qualitative data. There were five primary findings. (1) Teachers clearly identified and described stressors that led to work-family conflict: inability to get reliable support from domestic workers, a sick child, high expectations of a wife at home, high workloads at school and home, low schedule flexibility, and number of days teachers spend at school beyond normal working hours, etc. (2) Work-family conflict experienced was cyclical in nature. Stressors influenced WFC, which led to adverse outcomes. These outcomes later acted as secondary stressors. (3) The culture of the school and school’s resources influenced the level of support that teachers received. The level of WFC support that teachers received depended on the goodwill of supervisors and colleagues. (4) Work-family conflict contributed to emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy. Time and emotional investment in students’ parents was related to emotional exhaustion; time and emotional investment in students’ behavior, the number of years teaching experience, and number of children were related to professional efficacy. Support from teachers’ spouses enabled teachers to cope with cynicism. (5) While marital status did not influence WFC, school location did; teachers in Nairobi experienced more WFC than those in small towns. The study highlighted the importance of culture in studies of work-family conflict, as some of the stressors and WFC experiences identified seemed unique to the Kenyan context. Finally, theoretical implications, policy recommendations, and further research directions are presented. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2015

abstract: In recent years, women have made significant advances in traditionally male occupations. Despite this progress, women are still underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the model of Achievement Related Choices are two widely accepted career development theories. Both theories highlight the importance of self-efficacy and personal factors in career development; yet, neither of them has considered the predictive power of a specific outcome expectation, anticipated work family conflict (AWFC), in relation to the career development of men and women in STEM undergraduate programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the incremental validity of AWFC over and above that of self-efficacy and role salience, in predicting educational and occupational aspirations of undergraduate students in STEM programs at a large southwestern university. The study provides evidence that the factor structure of the AWFC scale does not hold up with the undergraduate population, and this finding was seen as reason to combine the AWFC subscales into one composite score. In a hierarchical multiple regression higher levels of STEM self-efficacy predicted higher intentions to persist in STEM. Role salience, AWFC, and the gender-AWFC interaction were not significantly related to intentions to persist. Although the study does not provide evidence for the incremental validity of AWFC, it does suggest that work-family balance considerations that have been observed in mature STEM populations may not yet be salient for students at the undergraduate level. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Counseling Psychology 2014

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Work and family are the central and salient domains in an individual's life. Juggling work and family life have always been a challenge for many employees and families (Hammer et al., 2005). However, with the increased interest in the construct of workfamily enrichment, more attention was given to the positive influences across the life domains. Grzywacz and Butler (2005) found that work-family enrichment improved mental and physical well-being. The objective of this study was twofold; (i) to explore and add to existing research done on work-family enrichment and (ii) investigate the relationships between workfamily enrichment, psychological health and subjective wellbeing of employees within a financial services organisation in South Africa. Three hundred and forty seven questionnaires were administered and one hundred and sixty eight completed questionnaires were returned. Purposive sampling was used to select employees to participate in the study. Data was collected by a self-developed biographical questionnaire, Calson, Kacmar, Wayne, and Grzywacz's (2006) Enrichment Scale, General Health Questionnaire developed by Kalliath, O'Driscoll and Brough (2004) and the Personal Wellbeing Index developed by the International Wellbeing Group (2006). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data and to interpret the descriptive and inferential statistics. Specifically the Pearson Moment Correlation analysis and the T-Test was used. The results indicated that a relationship between work-to-family enrichment and psychological health exist. There was a significant relationship for family-to-work enrichment and psychological health. Furthermore, results indicated a significant relationship between work-to-family enrichment and subjective wellbeing. A significant relationship between family-to-work enrichment and subjective wellbeing was also found. However, no significant differences were found for gender for both work-to-family and family-to-work enrichment. Future considerations, theoretical implications and recommendations for organisations are discussed.