Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment: A longitudinal, multilevel, and multimethod study

Abstract

This study investigated predictors and outcomes of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment. Family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), family-supportive colleagues behaviors (FSCB), work events, and family events were tested as predictors of the daily variation of work-family conflict and enrichment (both directions). As outcomes, this study investigated organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and mindfulness at work. Fifty-two Brazilian workers responded to app-based daily survey measures during 2 workweeks (10 workdays). Ten participants were also interviewed after these 2 weeks. Multilevel analyses showed that family-supportive behaviors were not associated with the longitudinal variation of conflict nor enrichment. However, work events were related to WFC, and family events were related to FWC. As expected, work-family conflict and enrichment predicted mindfulness at work and OCB. Another significant predictor of OCB was awareness at work, a dimension of mindfulness at work. Interestingly, OCB was related to work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enrichment. Interview results suggested that the event system theory propositions are applicable to the work-family field. Furthermore, the participation on the research affected how participants view and deal with work-family issues. Finally, the results emphasized the importance of data collection strategies.