Work-family/family-work conflict: The moderating roles of gender and spousal working status

Abstract

This study investigates the moderating role of gender and spousal working status on between work-family conflict ( WFC)/family-work conflict ( FWC) and affective commitment ( AC). Based on 196 employees from a diverse range of industries in Hong Kong, a structural equation model is employed to examine the influences of WFC and FWC on AC. Multi-group structural equation modelling and a t-test analysis are used to examine whether such influences differ significantly by gender and spousal working group. Results indicate that negative effects of WFC and FWC on AC are stronger among employees with working spouses than non-working spouses. Moreover, females have more negative perceptions of the relationship between WFC and AC than their males. Unexpectedly, the link between FWC and AC is found to be stronger among males than females. This study contributes to the human resource management literature by identifying circumstances that affect the influences of WFC and FWC on AC.