Retaining professionally employed new mothers: The importance of maternal confidence and workplace support to their intent to stay

• Published in: Human resource management Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 883 - 900
• Main Authors: Ladge, Jamie J., Humberd, Beth K., Eddleston, Kimberly A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.07.2018; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Human resource management; intent to stay; maternal confidence; Mixed methods research; Qualitative research; Work life balance; working mothers; work‐family conflict
• ISSN: 0090-4848; 1099-050X
• DOI: 10.1002/hrm.21889

In this multimethod study, we explore why some new mothers may “opt out” of the workforce while others stay after the birth of their first child. Findings from a qualitative study of 40 professionally employed new mothers revealed the importance of maternal confidence, managerial support, and work hours to their experience of work–family conflict (WFC) and subsequent intent to stay with their organization. We tested these relationships in a follow‐up survey‐based study of 802 professionally employed first‐time mothers and found that the relationship between maternal confidence and intent to stay is mediated by WFC, suggesting that WFC acts as an important cross‐domain mechanism that links confidence in a nonwork role to women's intent to stay with their organization. We also found that for women who work full‐time, those who lack maternal confidence experience significantly greater WFC than those with strong maternal confidence. While we did not find support for managerial support as a moderator in the quantitative study, our analysis revealed that it directly affects WFC and intent to stay. To increase professionally employed new mothers’ intent to stay with their organization, our study therefore emphasizes the importance of nurturing maternal confidence and encouraging managers to display support for working parents.