Do Part-Time Jobs Mitigate Workers’ Work–Family Conflict and Enhance Wellbeing? New Evidence from Four East-Asian Societies

Abstract

Studies in Western countries have shown that part-time work is associated with lower work–family conflict and higher job satisfaction, especially in the case of women. The present study addressed three questions: (1) are part-time workers more likely to report a lower level of work–family conflict and higher levels of job satisfaction and life satisfaction than those who work full-time? (2) Does having children or living with an older person who needs to be cared for affect individuals’ work–family conflict, job satisfaction and life satisfaction? (3) Are gender-role beliefs associated with work–family conflict, job satisfaction and life satisfaction? To answer these questions, joint ordered probit models were estimated using a merged dataset on workers in four East-Asian societies: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The outcome measures used in the analyses were: work–family conflict, family–work conflict, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Controlling for personal and family attributes, part-time work was negatively associated with work–family conflict and job satisfaction, but not with life satisfaction. Although having children was not related to outcome measures, living with a frail elderly person significantly increased work–family and family–work conflicts. Married women who accepted gender-role beliefs were less likely to have work–family conflict.