Chapter 11 Work-family interaction
Not being able to separate work from other parts of life and being accessible all the time reduces the time
for rest and recovery. All these changes challenge a healthy balance between work and family. Work-
family interaction can be seen as comprising the combined effects that work and family characteristics
together exert on work, family and individual level outcomes such as well-being, health and performance.
Work-family interaction can best be described through three aspects:
(1) Degree
It refers to the degree of segmentation versus integration of the work and family domains. In
segmentation, the work and family domains are seen as relatively non-influential towards each
other due to strict physical, temporal, functional and psychological boundaries between them. In
integration, work and family domains are tightly intertwined in terms of time, place, people,
behaviour, thoughts and emotions, and there is no clear distinction between work and family.
(2) Direction
Refers to a reciprocal relation between work and family domains: work can affect family life and
family can affect working life.
(3) Valence
The encounter between work and family can be either negative or positive. The combination of
direction and valence implies that there are four kinds of interactions:
a. Negative work-to-family interaction and family-to-work interaction
A form of inter-role conflict in which the role pressures from the work and family
domains are mutually incompatible in some respect. That is, participation in the work
(family) role is made more difficult by virtue of participation in the family (work) role.
Overlapping schedules and time demands between work and family roles may make
it difficult to be present within both roles as expected. This is called the time-based
work-family conflict.
Work- and family-related stressors may produce psycho-emotional strain and/or
physical fatigue, due to which the demands of the other life domain are difficult to
fulfil. This is called the strain-based work-family conflict.
Behaviour-based work-family conflict refers to the different behavioural
expectations within work (being formal and strict) and family (being loving and
tender), and the inability to adjust one’s behaviour according to these expectations
within each life domain.
b. Positive work-to-family interaction and family-to-work interaction
Here it is expected that having multiple roles will not be harmful but beneficial for
individuals. It is been said that success in one role can buffer against a demand in
another role. Here we talk about work-family enrichment, which refers to the extent
to which experiences in one role improve the quality of life in the other role.
Valence
Direction Negative Positive
Work-to-family I am often late to pick up my My work is so rewarding that
children from day care due to my spouse often comments on
my excessive workload and effort spent om my family
deadlines. after a work day.
Family-to-work I often find it difficult to I have applied my skills and
concentrate on my clients’ experience from raising five
Not being able to separate work from other parts of life and being accessible all the time reduces the time
for rest and recovery. All these changes challenge a healthy balance between work and family. Work-
family interaction can be seen as comprising the combined effects that work and family characteristics
together exert on work, family and individual level outcomes such as well-being, health and performance.
Work-family interaction can best be described through three aspects:
(1) Degree
It refers to the degree of segmentation versus integration of the work and family domains. In
segmentation, the work and family domains are seen as relatively non-influential towards each
other due to strict physical, temporal, functional and psychological boundaries between them. In
integration, work and family domains are tightly intertwined in terms of time, place, people,
behaviour, thoughts and emotions, and there is no clear distinction between work and family.
(2) Direction
Refers to a reciprocal relation between work and family domains: work can affect family life and
family can affect working life.
(3) Valence
The encounter between work and family can be either negative or positive. The combination of
direction and valence implies that there are four kinds of interactions:
a. Negative work-to-family interaction and family-to-work interaction
A form of inter-role conflict in which the role pressures from the work and family
domains are mutually incompatible in some respect. That is, participation in the work
(family) role is made more difficult by virtue of participation in the family (work) role.
Overlapping schedules and time demands between work and family roles may make
it difficult to be present within both roles as expected. This is called the time-based
work-family conflict.
Work- and family-related stressors may produce psycho-emotional strain and/or
physical fatigue, due to which the demands of the other life domain are difficult to
fulfil. This is called the strain-based work-family conflict.
Behaviour-based work-family conflict refers to the different behavioural
expectations within work (being formal and strict) and family (being loving and
tender), and the inability to adjust one’s behaviour according to these expectations
within each life domain.
b. Positive work-to-family interaction and family-to-work interaction
Here it is expected that having multiple roles will not be harmful but beneficial for
individuals. It is been said that success in one role can buffer against a demand in
another role. Here we talk about work-family enrichment, which refers to the extent
to which experiences in one role improve the quality of life in the other role.
Valence
Direction Negative Positive
Work-to-family I am often late to pick up my My work is so rewarding that
children from day care due to my spouse often comments on
my excessive workload and effort spent om my family
deadlines. after a work day.
Family-to-work I often find it difficult to I have applied my skills and
concentrate on my clients’ experience from raising five
