Gender differences in the importance of Work and Family roles: Implications for work-family conflict

• Published in: Sex roles Vol. 47; no. 11-12; pp. 531 - 541
• Main Authors: RACHEL GALI CINAMON, RICH, Yisrael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.12.2002; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Career Planning; Conflict; Families & family life; Family Role; Family Roles; Family Work Relationship; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Gender Differences; Importance; Israel; Married couples; Occupational Roles; Predictors; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Role Conflict; Sex Differences; Social psychology; Social role. Sex role; Tel Aviv, Israel; Work roles; Work-Family conflict; Workers; Social environment; Human; Occupational environment; Sex role; Attitude; Sex; Family environment; Social role; Attribution
• ISSN: 0360-0025; 1573-2762
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1022021804846

In this study we explored between- and within-gender differences in the importance of life roles and their implications for work-family conflict. In earlier research (Cinamon & Rich, 2002) we found 3 profiles of workers who differ in attributions of importance to work and family roles: persons who assigned high importance to both the work role and the family role ("Dual" profile); participants who ascribed high importance to the work role and low importance to the family role ("Work" profile); and participants who attributed high importance to the family role and low importance to the work role ("Family" profile). We used these profiles to clarify the relationship between gender and work-family conflict. Participants were 126 married men and 87 married women who were employed in computer or law firms. Significant between- and within-gender differences were found in the distribution of participants to profiles. Men were equally distributed throughout the profiles, whereas women were underrepresented in the Work category. More women than men fit the Family profile, and more men than women fit the Work profile. No gender differences were found for the Dual profile. Women reported higher parenting and work values than men did. Between-gender differences in work-family conflict were apparent, as were within-gender differences across profiles. Results demonstrate the value of examining both between- and within-gender variation in studies of gender and work-family conflict.