How role jugglers maintain relationships at home and at work: A gender comparison

Abstract

We examined how demands and resources in a role relate to the quality of relationships in another role. In Study 1, 26 cohabiting dual-earner couples reported on five consecutive days about their work demands and work resources, emotional support they provided to the spouse, and relationship quality among family members. Dyadic data analysis revealed that husbands' work demands were negatively related to family relationship quality through reduced emotional support provided to their wives. Wives' work resources were positively related family relationship quality through enhanced emotional support provided to their husbands. In Study 2, we explored whether the same gender pattern existed in the home-to-work direction. Sixty-four coworker dyads reported on five days about their home demands and resources, emotional support provided to their coworker, and relationship quality among team members. For male employees, home demands were negatively related to team relationship quality through reduced emotional support they provided to their coworker. For female employees, home resources were positively related to team relationship quality through enhanced emotional support they provided to their coworker. The findings suggest that relative to men, women prevent role demands from reducing the support they provide in another role and use role resources to enhance the support they provide in another role, thereby strengthening relationship quality in that role.