Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Original Communication

Job Autonomy Buffers the Impact of Work–Life Conflict on Organizational Outcomes

A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study among Employees in Switzerland

Published Online:March 20, 2014https://doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185/a000126

Abstract

This study first examines domain-specific antecedents of work–life conflict (i.e., job demands and home demands); second, it investigates turnover intention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as outcomes of work–life conflict relevant to organizations; and, finally, it studies the role of job autonomy as a buffer between work–life conflict and these organizational outcomes. Data were collected from four large organizations with a total sample of 6,091 employees. High time-related job demands were found to be a major antecedent of work-to-life conflict (WLC), while home demands predicted life-to-work conflict (LWC). Moreover, our analyses showed that WLC, but not LWC, predicts turnover intention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. In addition, the results suggest that job autonomy is a buffer associated with WLC and organizational outcomes, since all two-way interactions were significant, but not with LWC, since the respective interactions were not significant.

References

  • Adams, G. A., King, L. A., King, D. W. (1996). Relationships of job and family involvement, family social support, and work–family conflict with job and life satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 411–420. doi 10.1037/0021-9010.81. 4.411 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ahuja, M. K., Chudoba, K. M., Kacmar, C. J., McKnight, D. H., George, J. F. (2007). IT road warriors: Balancing work–life–family conflict, job autonomy, and work overload to mitigate turnover intentions. MIS Quarterly, 31, 1–17. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Aiken, L. S., West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Allen, T. D., Herst, D. E. L., Bruck, C. S., Sutton, M. (2000). Consequences associated with work-to-family conflict: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5, 278–308. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.5.2.278 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands–resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22, 309–328. doi 10.1108/02683940710733115 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., Euwema, M. C. (2005). Job resources buffer the impact of job demands on burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 170–180. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.10.2.170 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Batt, R., Valcour, P. M. (2003). Human resources practices as predictors of work–family outcomes and employee turnover. Industrial Relations, 42, 189–220. doi 10.1111/1468-232X.00287 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Behson, S. J. (2005). The relative contribution of formal and informal organizational work–family support. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 66, 487–500. doi 10.1016/j.jvb.2004.02.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Blundson, B., Blyton, P., Reed, K., Dasmalchian, A. (2006). Introduction: Work, life and the work–life issue. In B. Blundson, P. Blyton, K. Reed, A. Dasmalchian (Eds.), Work–life integration: International perspectives on the balancing of multiple roles (pp. 1–16). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Boles, J. S., Howard, W. G., Donofrio, H. H. (2001). An investigation into the interrelationships of work–family conflict, family–work conflict and job satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Issues, 13, 376–390. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/40604357 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Brauchli, R., Hämmig, O., Bauer, G. F. (2011). Relationship between time-based work–life conflict and burnout: A cross-sectional study among employees in four large Swiss enterprises. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 70, 165–173. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Byron, K. (2005). A meta-analytic review of work–family conflict and its antecedents. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67, 169–198. doi 10.1016/j.jvb.2004.08.009 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Carlson, D. S., Frone, M. R. (2003). Relation of behavioral and psychological involvement to a new four-factor conceptualization of work–family interference. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17, 515–535. doi 10.1023/A:1023404302295 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., Williams, L. J. (2000). Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional measure of work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 249–276. doi 10.1006/jvbe.1999.1713 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Casper, W. J., Martin, J. A., Buffardi, L. C., Erdwins, C. J. (2002). Work–family conflict, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment among employed mothers. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 7, 99–108. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.7.2.99 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS (3rd ed.). London, UK: Sage. doi 10.1002/bjs.7040 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Frone, M. R., Yardley, J. K., Markel, K. S. (1997). Developing and testing an integrative model of the work–family interface. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50, 145–167. doi 10.1006/jvbe.1996.1577 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Geurts, S. A. E., Taris, T. W., Kompier, M. A. J., Dikkers, J. S. E., Van Hooff, M. L. M., Kinnunen, U. M. (2005). Work–home interaction from a work psychological perspective: Development and validation of a new questionnaire, the SWING. Work and Stress, 19, 319–339. doi 10.1080/02678370500410208 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Goff, S. J., Mount, M. K., Jamison, R. L. (1990). Employer supported child care, work/family conflict, and absenteeism: A field study. Personnel Psychology, 43, 793–809. doi 10.1111/j.1744-6570.1990.tb00683.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gordon, J. R., Whelan-Berry, K. S., Hamilton, E. A. (2007). The relationship among work–family conflict and enhancement, organizational work–family culture, and work outcomes for older working women. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 350–364. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.12.4.350 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Greenhaus, J. H., Allen, T. D. (2010). Work–family balance: A review and extension of the literature. In J. C. Quick, L. E. Tetrick (Eds.), Handbook of occupational health psychology (2nd ed.; pp. 165–183). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Greenhaus, J. H., Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. The Academy of Management Review, 10, 76–88. doi 10.5465/AMR.1985.4277352 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grzywacz, J. G., Bass, B. L. (2003). Work, family, and mental health: Testing different models of work–family fit. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 248–261. doi 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00248.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grzywacz, J. G., Marks, N. F. (2000). Reconceptualizing the work–family interface: An ecological perspective on the correlates of positive and negative spillover between work and family. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5, 111–126. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.5.1.111 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gutek, B., Searle, S., Klepa, L. (1991). Rational versus gender role explanations for work–family conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 560–568. doi 10.1037/0021-9010.76.4.560 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hämmig, O., Knecht, M., Läubli, T., Bauer, G. F. (2011). Work–life conflict and musculoskeletal disorders: A cross-sectional study of an unexplored association. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 12, 60. doi 10.1186/1471-2474-12-60 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Jansen, N. W. H. M., Kant, I. P., Kristensen, T. S. P., Nijhuis, F. J. N. P. (2003). Antecedents and consequences of work–family conflict: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45, 479–491. doi 10.1097/01.jom.0000063626.37065.e8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Jones, F., Burke, R. J., Westman, M. (2006). Work–life balance: Key issues. In F. Jones, R. J. Burke, M. Westman (Eds.), Work–life balance: A psychological perspective (pp. 1–9). New York: Psychology Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Judge, T., Colquitt, J. (2004). Organizational justice and stress: The mediating role of work–family conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 395–404. doi 10.1037/0021-9010.89.3.395 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job design. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 285–308. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/2392498 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Karasek, R. A. (1998). Demand/control model: A social, emotional, and physiological approach to stress risk and active behavior development. In J. M. Stellman (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of occupational health and safety (pp. 34.6–34.14). Geneva, Switzerland: International Labor Organization. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kristensen, T. S., Hannerz, H., Hogh, A., Borg, V. (2005). The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire: A tool for the assessment and improvement of the psychosocial work environment. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 31, 438–449. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/40967527 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Marchand, A., Demers, A., Durand, P. (2005). Does work really cause distress? The contribution of occupational structure and work organization to the experience of psychological distress. Social Science & Medicine, 61, 1–14. doi 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.11.037 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Meijman, T. F., Mulder, G. (1998). Psychological aspects of workload. In P. J. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, C. J. de Wolff (Eds.), Handbook of work and organizational psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 5–33). Hove, UK: Psychology Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mowday, R. T., Steers, R. M., Porter, L. W. (1979). The measurement of organizational commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14, 224–247. doi 10.1016/0001-8791(79)90072-1 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Peeters, M. C. W., Montgomery, A. J., Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B. (2005). Balancing work and home: How job and home demands are related to burnout. International Journal of Stress Management, 1, 43–61. doi 10.1037/1072-5245.12.1.43 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879–903. doi 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Premeaux, S. F., Adkins, C. L., Mossholder, K. W. (2007). Balancing work and family: A field study of multidimensional, multirole work–family conflict. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28, 705–727. doi 10.1002/job.439 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Richter, G. (1999). Innere Kündigung: Modellentwicklung und empirische Befunde aus einer Untersuchung im Bereich der öffentlichen Verwaltung [Inner resignation: Model design and empirical findings of a study in the area of civil service administration]. Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 2, 113–138. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Schaufeli, W. B., Taris, T. W. (2014). A critical review of the job demands–resources model: Implications for improving work and health. In G. F. Bauer, O. Hämmig (Eds.), Bridging occupational, organizational, and public health (pp. 43–68). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Shaffer, M. A., Harrison, D. A., Gilley, K. M., Luk, D. M. (2001). Struggling for balance amid turbulence on international assignments: Work–family conflict, support and commitment. Journal of Management, 27, 99–121. doi 10.1177/014920630102700106 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Taris, T. W., Beckers, D. G. J., Verhoeven, L. C., Geurts, S. A. E., Kompier, M. A. J., van der Linden, D. (2006). Recovery opportunities, work–home interference, and well-being among managers. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15, 139–157. doi 10.1080/13594320500513889 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Thompson, C. A., Prottas, D. J. (2005). Relationships among organizational family support, job autonomy, perceived control, and employee well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10, 100–118. doi 10.1037/1076-8998.10.4.100 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Wanous, J. P., Reichers, A. E., Hudy, M. J. (1997). Overall job satisfaction: How good are single-item measures?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 247–252. doi 10.1037/0021-9010.82.2.247 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar