The purpose of this study was to examine the development of work and family plans in young adults, and to clarify the long-term stability, prevalence, and consequences of anticipated work-family conflict. The study utilizes Super’s model of career development and social cognitive career theory, as well as research on current work-family interface, as a framework for understanding the period of anticipating and planning for multiple role integration that occurs between adolescence and adulthood. A sample of 48 male and 52 female college students assessed two years prior completed self-report questionnaires measuring work, marriage, and parenting experience; anticipated work-family conflict; and multiple-role planning. Results of this study suggest that students desire both a career and a family, and recognize potential challenges of a multiple-role lifestyle. Such recognition of anticipated work-family conflict varies by conflict domains and measurement methods, but remains stable over two years. Results also suggest that anticipated work-family conflict does not mediate the relationship between experience and planning; instead, marriage experience predicts planning directly. Implications for the findings are discussed as are suggestions for directions of new research concerning anticipated work-family conflict and planning for multiple roles.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / To some extent all families experience family conflict; however, the concern is when it has an effect on preadolescents (age 10-12), behaviorally and psychologically. Preadolescence is a period marked by pubertal, emotional and behavioural changes. Family conflict may intensify preadolescents' experience of managing difficult situations. Self-determination theorists suggest that in order to have good mental health, basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) need to be met. Literature suggests that family conflict shapes behaviour and thus plays a pivotal role in externalizing behaviour (aggressive and antisocial behaviours). This study aimed to determine the effects of family conflict on preadolescents' basic psychological needs and externalizing behaviour. A quantitative approach and a crosssectional research design were employed in this study. A probability random sample was selected from two low socio-economic communities in Hout Bay, Cape Town. The sample consisted of N =128 preadolescents in grades 4, 5 and 6. The data for the study was obtained using self-report questionnaires that included - demographics, Family Environment Scale (FES), Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), Youth Self Report (YSR) and Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Participants could choose whether they preferred responding in English or Afrikaans. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) V23. The results were provided using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between family conflict and preadolescents psychological needs, antisocial behaviour and aggression (with the exception of verbal aggression). The results, yielded by regression analysis, indicated that physical aggression (β = 0.31, p = 0.01) and need frustration, significantly predicted antisocial behaviour (β = 0.28, p = 0.00); need frustration (β = 0.28, p = 0.00) and antisocial behaviour significantly predicted physical aggression (β = 0.30, p = 0.00); antisocial behaviour (β = 0.24, p = 0.01) significantly predicted verbal aggression; need frustration (β = 0.35, p = 0.00) significantly predicted anger and need frustration (β = 0.26, p = 0.01) significantly predicting hostility. The assumptions of this study were confirmed - family conflict frustrates the basic psychological needs of preadolescents, and family conflict is related to the externalizing behaviour of preadolescents. The researcher ensured that confidentiality, anonymity and respect were adhered to throughout the study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between female counselors’ work-family conflict and their demographic (i.e., ethnicity, age, educational level, and annual household income), occupational (i.e., ethnicity, age, educational level, and annual household income), and family (i.e., marital/partner status; number of children at home under the age of 18; age of youngest child; care of elderly, ill, or disabled family members; source of support; and support) characteristics. Super’s (1990) Life-Space Life-Span theory provided a framework to understand female counselors’ engagement in multiple roles in work and family and the conflict that can result in two directions: work interfering with family (WIF), and family interfering with work (FIW) (Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1992). Female counselors were contacted through electronic email communication in which they received a link to access the online survey that totaled 51 questions. Female counselors from the state of Louisiana and Alabama participated in the survey for a sample size of 266. Pearson’s correlation indicated significant relationships for WIF and the following variables: (a) annual household income, (b) hours per week spent in employment, (c) counseling license, (d) workplace flexibility, (e) autonomy, (f) marital/partner status, and (g) source of support. For FIW, significant relationships were found for the following variables: (a) autonomy; (b) number of children at home under the age of 18; (c) age of the youngest child; (d) care of elderly, ill, or disabled family members; (e) hours per week spent in home chores and errands; and (f) support. Autonomy and hours per week spent in employment significantly predicted female counselors’ WIF scores. Autonomy; age of the youngest child; care of elderly, ill, or disabled family members; and support predicted female counselors’ FIW scores.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities School of Human and Community Development 0216845j mulaudzit@highveldmail.co.za / The aim of the present study was to explore how women general practitioners experience work-family conflict, their sense of coherence, coping resources as well as implications of these on their level of job satisfaction. This involved investigating the bi-dimensional model of the work-family conflict and measuring them against other investigated variables like coping resources, sense of coherence and job satisfaction. The research was conceptualized based on the stress and coping models. Literature review based mostly on international level revealed that women doctors do experience work-family conflict and that it does impact on their level of well-being. The sample, which consisted of women general practitioners residing in the Gauteng province, was obtained using snowballing method and non-probability sampling method. A hundred and fourteen questionnaires were distributed by mail and within a period of three months only 28 questionnaires had been returned of which 22 were used for statistical procedures. Statistical analysis involved a number of procedures including Pearson correlation, t-test procedures and partial correlation methods. The results revealed that women general practitioners do experience work-family conflict especially one aspect of it known as the family interference with work (F→W). Furthermore results indicated that the experience of work-family conflict, specifically the F→W amongst these women does affect their level of job satisfaction in a significantly negative way. Demographics on the other hand proved to have no significant impact on the level of job satisfaction amongst these women. Lastly, it was noted that even though these women employed a wide variety of coping resources none of them proved to have any significant effect on their level of job satisfaction.

Thesis advisor: Eric Dearing / Recent decades have seen historic increases in maternal employment. The developmental implications of work-family conflict, however, remain poorly understood. Children's (<italic>n</italic>= 1,364) social-emotional problems through early childhood and pre-adolescence were examined as a function of mother's work-family conflict using longitudinal data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD). Hierarchical linear modeling techniques were utilized to examine the lagged and contemporaneous associations between work-family conflict and children's social-emotional outcomes (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems). Furthermore, family stress processes--maternal depression and maternal sensitivity--were examined as mediators of the associations between work-family conflict and social-emotional outcomes. Developmental timing of work-family conflict (i.e., child age) was also examined as a moderator of associations between conflict and social-emotional growth. Results indicated that within-family changes in work-family conflict predicted later within-child changes in children's internalizing problems in lagged models. With regard to between-family differences, average work-family conflict was associated with both average levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. Maternal depression and maternal sensitivity mediated the association between work-family conflict and children's externalizing problems between-families; maternal depression mediated the association between work-family conflict and children's internalizing problems between-families. There was little evidence to suggest, however, that the effects of work-family conflict differed as a function of developmental timing. Results from this research suggest that the developmental consequences of work-family conflict may not be immediate, but rather accrue over time. Moreover, results indicate that the effects of work-family conflict are both direct and indirect via family stress processes. These findings are further discussed regarding their implications for developmental research, policy and practice. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes / The majority of family caregivers of older adults are also working for pay, and many experience work-family role conflict in managing both work and caregiving responsibilities. Work-family role conflict is associated with poorer psychological and physical health, which interferes with their ability to provide optimal care. Informed by role theory, this dissertation uses a randomized national sample of caregivers of older adults (N=465) to address the relationships between workplace characteristics, workplace flexibility, work-family role conflict, and caregiver stress. While much research has explored the work-family interface, few studies have investigated the workplace characteristics and work-family role conflict exclusively among caregivers of older adults. Additionally, the few studies exploring the relationship between workplace flexibility and stress among caregivers of older adults have yielded inconsistent findings. Results indicate that workplace characteristics associated with work-family role conflict among caregivers of older adults include supervisor support, work overload, work hours, and perceptions of a family-supportive work environment. A significant interaction effect between caregiving frequency (weekly vs. intermittent) indicates that while workplace flexibility is associated with decreased work-family conflict among those providing care intermittently, this association is not found for those providing care on a regular, weekly basis. A second set of analyses limited to regular, weekly caregivers (N=211) finds that work-family role conflict mediates the relationship between workplace flexibility and caregiver stress. This suggests that workplace flexibility may only benefit caregivers when work-family conflict is mitigated or reduced. Workplace flexibility is not associated with stress among caregivers in fair or poor health; caregivers struggling with their own health issues may need additional supports to manage work and family demands. These findings can inform the efforts of policymakers and practitioners working to promote the well-being of family caregivers of older adults. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

Given rising work and family demands in our society for both men and women, the experience of work-family conflict is commonplace. Work-family conflict occurs when the demands of work or family make it difficult to meet the demands of the alternate domain. A sizeable body of research has established work-family conflict and its nomological network. Despite decades of research, we have yet to form a precise understanding of when work-family conflicts occur and what happens when a conflict arises. The current research addresses these questions using an experience sampling, episodic approach. Two primary research questions are addressed. First, I used border and boundary theory to identify when work-family conflict episodes are likely to occur. Second, I used stressor-strain and allostatic load theories to examine what happens with regard to psychological, physiological, and behavioral strain following an episodic work-family conflict over time. The results suggest work-family conflict occurs when individuals transition in between work and family domains. Further, family-to-work conflict tends to occur in the morning, while work-to-family conflict tends to occur in the afternoon. Fatigue showed significant reactivity at the time of a family-to-work conflict and recovered in the following time point. Unhealthy eating also showed a sleeper pattern, such that unhealthy eating increased at the end of the day, following a work-to-family conflict. Unexpectedly, fatigue decreased at the time of a family-to-work conflict, indicating family-to-work conflict may be a restorative, rather than taxing. Post-hoc analyses showed some evidence that work-to-family conflict accumulation is associated with increased strain over the course of three days. Again, results suggest family-to-work conflict accumulation may reduce, rather than increase, strain. Implications for the theoretical relationship between work-family conflict and strain, as well as border/boundary theory are discussed. In addition, practical implications for flexible work initiatives and episodic research design are considered.

<p>The project identifies how the female owners of small and medium sized businesses deal with the issue of work and family balance in Vietnam – a developing country in Asia.</p>

The project identifies how the female owners of small and medium sized businesses deal with the issue of work and family balance in Vietnam – a developing country in Asia.

This longitudinal study examines whether family processes (family cohesion and family conflict) mediate the relationship between family separation experiences and the development of peer relationships (quality and conflict). The study includes a sample of 199 early adolescent Latinos from immigrant families. Family conflict mediated the relationship between separation experiences from fathers and peer conflict at year 1 but not year 2 such that more separation from father was associated with higher family conflict and higher peer conflict at year 1. Family cohesion did not mediate associations between mother or father separation and peer relationship outcomes. Family cohesion predicted more positive peer relationship quality at year 1 and family conflict predicted more peer conflict at year 1 indicating some distinction between these characteristics of relationships for families and peers. Mother separation predicted more peer conflict at year 1. This is consistent with qualitative studies of immigration experiences and separation (e.g., Baccallo & Smokowski, 2007; Suarez-Orozco et al., 2002). This study has added empirical quantitative support to show high levels of family conflict associated with family separation. Further, this study has demonstrated that youth who experience greater separation from fathers are likely to experience higher family conflict that is associated with greater peer conflict. In contrast, mother separation has a more direct association with peer conflict. Although family separations are associated with more peer conflict, they do not appear to influence change over time in peer conflict. The different paths of influence for mother separation and father separation warrant further research to explicate the unique associations between each parent‟s separation and family dynamics.