Work-Family Enrichment and Conflict: Additive Effects, Buffering, or Balance?

• Published in: Journal of marriage and family Vol. 71; no. 3; pp. 696 - 707
• Main Authors: Gareis, Karen C., Barnett, Rosalind Chait, Ertel, Karen A., Berkman, Lisa F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2009; National Council on Family Relations; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley
• Subjects: Additive effects; Adults; Affective Behavior; Cognitive models; Comparative Analysis; Comparative studies; Conflict; Development; Educational enrichment; Employment; Enrichment Activities; Families & family life; families and work; Family conflict; Family Needs; Family relations; Family Relationship; Family studies; Family Work Relationship; General studies; Job Enrichment; Job Performance; Life Satisfaction; Marital Satisfaction; Men; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Mental health outcomes; Modeling; National Surveys; Of General Interest; One-parent families; Parent-child relations; Physical Health; Predictor Variables; Program Effectiveness; Quality of Life; Sociology; Sociology of the family. Age groups; State Surveys; Taxonomy; U.S.A; United States of America; Well Being; Wellbeing; work family balance; Work hours; Work-life balance; Working parents; United States Of America; United States > US; Model; Working life; Well-being; Conflict; Family Life
• ISSN: 0022-2445; 1741-3737
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2009.00627.x

We used data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS I) (N = 2,031) to compare three models of how work-family conflict and enrichment might operate to predict well-being (mental health, life satisfaction, affect balance, partner relationship quality). We found no support for a relative-difference model in which the conflict-enrichment balance predicted outcomes. In the work-to-family direction, the additive model fit best: Both work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enrichment were independently linked to outcomes. In the family-to-work direction, the interactive model fit best: Family-to-work enrichment buffered the negative outcomes ordinarily linked to family-to-work conflict. Enrichment is key because with enrichment appeared particularly salient for well-being.