The impact of balance‐focused attitudes on job stress: Gender differences evidenced in American and Chinese samples

• Published in: International journal of psychology Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 31 - 39
• Main Authors: Li, Chenwei, Wu, Keke (‘Coco’), Johnson, Diane E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.02.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Attitudes; Balance‐focused attitudes; China; Family interference with work (FIW); Family work relationship; Female; Gender; Gender differences; Gender Identity; Gender roles; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Job stress; Male; Meaning; Occupational stress; Occupational Stress - psychology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; United States; Job stress; Gender; Balance-focused attitudes; Family interference with work (FIW)
• ISSN: 0020-7594; 1464-066X
• DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12254

Based on gender role expectations model, we examined how balance‐focused attitudes would affect job stress by influencing individuals' perceptions of family interference with work (FIW), and investigated whether a gender difference would exist in the relationships among balance‐focused attitudes, FIW and job stress. Using two independent samples from the United States and China, we found support for the indirect influence of balance‐focused attitudes on job stress, through FIW. Participants with balance‐focused attitudes experienced lower levels of job stress as they perceived less interference from family to work. As expected, such indirect effect was more pronounce among male participants, meaning that the male participants benefited more from having balance‐focused attitudes. Discussion, theoretical and practical implications are provided.