A study of a multidimensional model of work–family conflict among Iranian employees

The majority of studies of the work–family interface have been carried out in Western societies. They also have some limitations in measuring conflict between work and family domains. This paper reports on a study of 387 male and female Iranian employees from a variety of organizations, using a six-dimensional model of work–family conflict (Carlson, Kacmar, & Williams, 2000) to assess both the nature and construct of conflict. The study used a questionnaire based on existing measures, translated from English to Persian and then back-translated to English. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) the validity and cross validity of the model on employees and across gender was assessed. The final results of the analysis support the generalizability of the six-dimensional model of work–family conflict to the Iranian employees and across gender.     

When does part-time work relate to less work-life conflict for parents? Moderating influences of workplace support and gender in the Netherlands,Sweden and the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT

Working part-time can potentially be a great means of reducing work-life conflict for parents of young children. However, research has not univocally found this attenuating relation, suggesting it may not be universal, but rather contingent on other factors. This study investigates whether the relation between part-time work and work-life conflict is contingent on workplace support and gender. Results show that short part-time work (<25?h) relates to lower levels of work-life conflict for both women and men. We find some evidence that workplace support affects this relation: short part-time working women in an organization with a family supportive organizational culture had lower levels of work-life conflict than short part-time working women in organizations with an unsupportive organizational culture. For men working short part-time we find tendencies in the same direction, although this falls short of conventional statistical significance. In addition, long part-time work (25–35?h) is not significantly related to (lower) work-life conflict for either women or men. In line with previous research, managerial support is found to be linked to lower levels of work-life conflict, irrespective of whether one works full-time or part-time. Notably, the relation between working part-time and work-life conflict does not differ for mothers and fathers, suggesting that this work-family policy could help both men and women reduce work-life conflict.     

Acculturation attitudes and affective workgroup commitment: evidence from professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace

The Australian workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and it is important to understand the role of individuals’ acculturation attitudes in the workplace. The appreciation of the relationship between acculturation attitudes and affective workgroup commitment is critical for mangers to facilitate the performance of employees with diverse backgrounds. To gain a better understanding of this relationship, we assessed the acculturation attitudes of professional Chinese immigrants and the relationship between these attitudes and affective workgroup commitment in the Australian workplace. Our survey of a sample of 220 professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace revealed that, even though many of them favor integration, the majority adopt separation and marginalization, which were found to be related with low affective workgroup commitment. This study underscored the importance of acculturation attitudes to cultivate positive job-related outcomes, and provided useful information for organizations to manage immigrant employees via effective acculturation programs.     

Dutch top managers and work-life arrangements in times of economic crisis

This paper investigates the considerations of top managers regarding work-life arrangements. A dynamic and contextual approach is taken, using data from 26 semi-structured interviews with top managers from 13 organizations in 2008, before the economic crisis began, and again in 2011, when the ensuing recessions were well under way. Analysis shows that work-life arrangements are increasingly perceived by top managers as integrated into their organizations. However, they indicate that such arrangements should benefit both the employees and the organization. If the consequences of work-life arrangements are perceived by top managers to be negative for their organization, they establish conditions for their use by employees so as to reduce the effect on the organization, rather than refrain from providing the arrangements altogether. During the economic crisis, top managers grew more cost-aware and expressed more concern about negative consequences for their organization. Government regulations are perceived as ‘only normal,’ but in the end top managers wish to remain in control of arrangements. If the law leaves room for interpretation, the Dutch top managers in this study used this freedom to bend the arrangements to suit their own ideas.     

A mediational model of workplace flexibility,work–family conflict,and perceived stress among caregivers of older adults

As an increasing number of employees become caregivers, the role of workplace resources in supporting caregivers has attracted the attention of researchers, employers, and policy-makers. Workplace flexibility is one type of resource that has attracted particular interest, with research exploring whether flexibility (that is, giving employees some control over when and/or where work gets done) is related to important outcomes for both employees and employers. This investigation develops and tests a mediational model explicating the process through which workplace flexibility – operationalized in three distinct ways – impacts caregiver stress among US employees. Using a sample of 211 caregivers from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (2008), results show that work-to-family conflict mediates the relationship between perceived workplace flexibility and caregiver stress as well as the relationship between access to flexible work options and caregivers stress. However, the mediational model is not supported when flexibility is operationalized as respondents’ formal use of flexible work options. Implications for employers and future research are discussed.     

Work-life balance for sustainable human development: Cultural intelligence as enabler

It is proposed that sustainable human development can occur only when there is a reasonable work-life balance for humans. Developmental work for humans is mostly achieved through high performing organizations, and the performance of organizations, in turn, depend on the commitment and engagement of their employees. While societies organize themselves though groups which come together to form an organization, the individual continues to play a key role in success of these organizations. This article explores the impact of an individual’s work-life balance on his/her role—related engagement, thereby contributing to the sustainable human development. Since culture drives behavior for all three, that is, the individual, the organizations, and the society, it is suggested that if we create a culture that supports work-life balance, it is likely to promote sustainable human development though higher role-related engagement of individuals. Further, it is suggested that cultural intelligence plays an important role in achieving both work-life balance and sustainable human development.     

Employee work-to-family role boundary management in the family business

Family-owned organizations present a unique opportunity to study work-to-family boundary management. Boundary theory suggests that work-to-family boundary dynamics may be different in family businesses, and that family businesses are not a neutral ground for individual employees’ segmentation preferences. The present study draws on the sociocognitive processes underlying boundary theory to explain how the family business context may affect family and nonfamily employees’ work-to-family role management differently. The study examines the work-to-family role boundary configurations of 149 family and non-family employees in family businesses. Results suggest that family employee status buffers against undesirable effects of segmentation preferences in the family business context. For family employees, segmentation preferences were associated with lower work-to-family conflict and unassociated with turnover intentions. For non-family employees, segmentation preferences were associated with higher work-to-family conflict and turnover intentions. Implications for work–family theory and family business successorship and work–family policy are discussed.     

Collaboration and conflict between agencies and clients

Public relations agencies are an important part of the public relations industry, but their relations with client organizations are rarely studied. There is more literature and studies in agency-client relations in advertising than in public relations. This paper reviews literature and reports results of an empirical study into perceptions of public relations agencies and their clients on the reasons for their cooperation and sources of conflict between them. Results show that agencies misperceive reasons for which they are hired and the sources of conflict in the relationship. The paper offers several suggestions about how to tackle the problem: notwithstanding rebranding into consultancies and firms, public relations agencies-client relations should be studied as a particular example of a broader family of agency-client relations. Also agencies should study and strategically manage relations with their clients, while being realistic about client organization’s needs – sometimes they just need additional arms and legs.     

The role of appraisal distortion, contempt, and morality in couple conflict: a grounded theory

A common goal of couples' therapy is to help individuals modify their view of each other and the relationship. Distorted views and appraisals contribute to conflict, and these can be manifest by use of rationalization or denial. This study explored appraisal distortion as an evaluative and moral process that occurs during partner conflict, particularly when it becomes contemptuous and aggressive. Using a philosophical base that is grounded in the ethical relationship, a model of appraisal distortion and couple conflict was created using constructivist grounded theory methods. The theoretical concepts derived from the data show relationships between one's relational stance, appraisal distortion, and verbal and physical aggression. This model implies that helping individuals take responsibility for appraisals is important in treating conflict.     

Navigating change in the era of COVID-19: The role of top leaders’ charismatic rhetoric and employees’ organizational identification

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had tremendous and swift effects on organizational change. This study examined how organizations can leverage leadership and employee resources to facilitate positive change outcomes. Drawing from the self-concept based motivational theory of charismatic leadership and substitutes for leadership theory, the current study proposed a theoretical model connecting top leaders’ charismatic rhetoric, employees’ affective commitment to change, and employees’ turnover intention. Furthermore, the study investigated contingencies that may modify the relationship between leadership communication and followers’ outcomes. Results from an online panel of 417 U.S. employees showed that top leaders’ use of charismatic rhetoric during change led to followers’ affective commitment to change, which decreased their turnover intention. Furthermore, employees’ organizational identification moderated this relationship. When employees have low identification with their organizations, top leaders’ charismatic rhetoric to address the immediate change is more needed.     

Tuning in to the rhythm: The role of coping in strategic management of work-life conflicts in the public relations profession

How public relations practitioners cope with work-life conflict was studied through a national survey of a random sample of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) members. These active practitioners reported strong preferences in using more proactive conflict coping strategies, such as rational action and positive thinking. Women and those with a graduate degree tend to report more coping behaviors than others. Three types of stressors are identified as sources of work-life conflict: behavior-driven, work-driven, and life-driven.     

When publics collide: Developing the dual orientation conflict model in inter-public conflict

Inter-public conflict has largely been neglected in PR research. When left to fester, such conflict may perpetuate prejudice, injustice, inequality, and other societal ills. From a PR standpoint, organizations may find it increasingly difficult to operate in the resulting climate of hostility. This piece aims to shift focus from managing direct, organization-public conflict to navigating indirect, inter-public conflict, thus broadening conflict management perspectives. Based on contingency and social identity theories, we test the dual orientation conflict model (DOCM) in the field of government public relations. The model posits two dimensions (embracing/excluding and in-group/out-group) and categorizes four types of conflict orientation (adaptation, in-group adoption, out-group adoption, and avoidance). The proposed four-factor model, comprised of 16 items, was found to be reliable and valid in an online survey of 2498 South Korean citizens across different conflictual problems. Theoretical and strategic implications are discussed.     

The value of internal communication in enhancing employees’ health information disclosure intentions in the workplace

This study explores organizations’ communication practice as the antecedent of employees’ health-related perceptions and intentions to disclose their health information in the workplace. In particular, this study tests the impact of transparent internal communication and the quality of employee-organization relationship (EOR) on employees’ perceived risks and benefits of information disclosure for their health information. The results of an online survey with full-time employees in the United States showed that a positive EOR influenced by transparent communication increased the employees’ perceived benefits and decreased the employees’ perceived risks for disclosing their health information to their supervisor. Perceived risks and benefits were both significantly associated with employees’ intentions to disclose their physical health problems, while perceived benefits were significantly related to their intentions to disclose mental health problems. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and health communication were discussed in this study.     

From Role Conflict to Job Burnout: A Mediation Model Moderated by Mindfulness

This study examined the moderated mediating effect of mindfulness as an emotional resource on the relationship between role conflict and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy) via negative affect. Participants were 481 adult employees in South Korea who provided self-report data 2 times with a 2-week interval. The results indicated that mindfulness moderated the relationship between role conflict and negative affect such that the effect of role conflict on negative affect was reduced when mindfulness was high. Furthermore, Time 1 role conflict had conditional indirect effects on 3 facets of burnout measured at Time 2 through Time 1 negative affect depending on the levels of Time 1 mindfulness. The findings suggest that mindfulness may prevent the development of negative affect from role conflict, ultimately reducing the impact of role conflict on burnout. Practitioners should introduce workplace mindfulness programs to help employees cope with burnout more effectively.     

Participant and observer attribution of affect in interpersonal conflict: An examination of noncontent verbal behavior

This investigation explored the relationship between observer and participant attribution of affect intensity in interpersonal conflict interaction and the occurrance of verbal behavior. It was predicted that observer's judgments of affect intensity would account for more variation in verbal behavior that represents conflict than would participant's judgments of affect intensity. Videotapes of 37 dyadic conflict interactions were examined. The results indicate that one observer's judgment of affect intensity was a much better predictor of verbal behavior than were the other observer's judgment of affect intensity or either of the two participant's judgments of affect intensity. While some evidence was yielded to suggest that observers are more likely to be sensitive to behavior in their attribution of affect intensity than are participants, these results imply significant differences in the attribution of affect between some observers.     

Definitions of conflict and the legitimation of resources: The case of environmental risk

This paper examines the social construction of conflict over environmental health and safety issues (i.e., environmental risk). Four explanations for such conflict are commonly offered in the environmental policy literature. We examine the interests served by each. We hypothesize that environmental policy professionals hold definitions of conflict consistent with the values and interests of the organizations for which they work and the professions of which they are members. These definitions enhance the legitimacy of the resources those groups possess in relative abundance. Data from a survey of risk professionals are generally consistent with these hypotheses. We conclude by generalizing beyond environmental conflict to identify ways in which disputes about the nature of a social problem or conflict are often at the same time struggles to determine the value of the resources available to social movements and their opponents.An earlier version of the paper was presented at the 1984 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of George Mason University, George Washington University, or the National Research Council or any of its constituent units.     

Employee communication,job engagement,and organizational commitment: A study of members of the Millennial Generation

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between job engagement and two key components of employee-organization relationships (EOR). Findings from a survey of members of the Millennial Generation (N = 539) in the United States indicate that job engagement mediates the relationship between employee communication and organizational commitment. It is concluded that when employees are engaged in their work, their commitment to the organization is strengthened and the likelihood of them leaving the organization decreases. Furthermore, an argument is made in light of the study’s findings that engagement and commitment work in concert to strengthen EORs overall. To foster engagement, organizations should remove obstacles to internal information flow and provide ongoing feedback to employees about individual and organizational issues.     

Tuning into performance and satisfaction in nonprofit orchestras: One link between transformational leadership and satisfaction is through reduction in conflict

In this study, we tested hypotheses concerning volunteers' not‐for‐profit work, specifically the relations of transformational leadership with performance and satisfaction as well as the question of how task and relationship conflict fit into these relations. We argue that conflicts are detrimental to satisfaction and performance and that the frequency of conflict can be reduced through transformational leadership. We analyzed data from a large sample of lay orchestra musicians (N = 1,535) and found that musicians' perceptions of their conductors' transformational leadership style were positively related to both the performance and satisfaction of the musicians. Furthermore, we found that conflict mediated the relation between transformational leadership and satisfaction to some extent. The mediation occurred via the frequencies of both task and relationship conflicts even though the frequency of conflict was quite low in this sample in general.     

Social work for critical peace: a comparative approach to understanding social work and political conflict

ABSTRACT

This paper uses a case study approach to explore issues of social work policy and practice in three sites of political conflict in Europe: Northern Ireland; Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Cyprus. It begins with a review of the international literature on social work and political conflict and then discusses the strengths and limitations in engaging with comparative case study approaches. The authors explain how they view the writing of the paper as an intellectual encounter that helped establish the beginning stages of their comparative analysis. This starts with an analysis of the existing knowledge base about the three case studies that each share similar patterns of colonial histories, political and community conflict and the social work response. The second part of the paper extends this analysis to a critique of the impact of neo-liberal social and economic policies that often adversely impact upon the role of social workers in resolving conflict and building peace. The paper concludes with an appeal for social work to rediscover its rights-based role in working with victims and survivors of political conflict, what the authors describe as: ‘social work for critical peace’.     

Mothers and fathers’ experiences of high conflict past two years post separation: A systematic review of the qualitative literature

Abstract

Within a child custody context, this article systematically reviewed the available qualitative research of post separation, high conflict, co-parenting relationships. Separated parents’ experiences of high conflict were reportedly embedded in pervasive mistrust and disdain, and underpinned by concerns over differing parenting styles, or the other parent’s ability to adequately care for the child. The factors that potentially maintained conflict were parental concerns regarding the child’s safety and well-being when in the care of the other parent. The factor that potentially escalated conflict was disdain directed at the other parent’s concerns. Recommendations for future research and implications for social policy for these families are discussed.