The role of perception in the intention to change the family financial situation

The study investigates factors associated with the individual intentions to change the family financial situation of 337 farm respondents. The hypotheses are that intentions to change are influenced by (a) resource flexibility or constraints existing at the time of the decision situation, including off-farm employment, education, age, and household size, and (b) perceptual factors of perceived income adequacy, locus of control, degree of discrepancy between standard and level of the family financial situation, and dissatisfaction or satisfaction with the discrepancy. Older respondents and those experiencing more external control are less likely to intend to change. Younger respondents and those who perceive their incomes as more adequate are more likely to perceive that they have control over their situation. The lower the perceived income adequacy, the greater the discrepancy between standard and level of the family financial situation and the lower the satisfaction with the discrepancy. Significant indirect effects were consistent with theoretical expectations.Research was supported by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Projects 52-055, 52-054, and 52-058 and the Minnesota Extension Service. The authors wish to thank Jean W. Bauer, Ph.D., for research collaboration and Susan Keskinen and Cathy Schultz for research assistance.Her research interests include social, economic, and technical decision processes, discrepancies between standards and levels, and the interrelationship of work and family roles, particularly for farm women. Her Ph.D. is from Iowa State University.Her research interests in family resource management theory include social decision making processes and social decision rules, family life quality, and the economic consequences of divorce. Her Ph.D. is from Michigan State University.     

Effects of relative advantage on time use in farm families

An assumption of comparative advantage (CA) is that all members in efficient households specialize in market or household work. The CA for Oregon farm households was measured by differences between husbands and wives in wages and schooling for nonfarm work, and in farm decision-making responsibility and years lived on a farm for farm work. The spouse with the advantage is assumed to spend more time in that work sector and less time in household work than his (her) spouse. The hypothesis is supported for market work. For farm decision making, results are consistent with the hypothesis but not significant. Years lived on a farm is consistent for husbands, but wives who have the CA do significantly less farm work than wives of men who hold the CA. Experience may not be a good measure of CA, or perhaps farm work provides process satisfaction to farm men (and their wives) who work longer hours.She directs the Family Resource Management Graduate Program. Her research interests center on concepts and measures of management, household work, and well-being in the United States and across cultures.His current research interests include family saving and investing behavior. He received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 1992. This research was funded by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Midwestern Women’s Farm Business Roles and Farm Business Financial Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study

The roles of women have been and remain central to the functioning of the family farm business. However, a gap in recent literature on farm women, in general, exists and research is limited regarding women’s farm business roles and their satisfaction with their farm business financial situation. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that impact farm women’s perceptions of farm business financial satisfaction. Results indicated that the importance of financial solvency and satisfaction with one’s farm role were positively associated with women’s farm business financial satisfaction. Holding a primary decision-making role was negatively associated with farm business financial satisfaction. Implications for educators, professionals who work with farm women, and researchers are discussed.     

Domains explaining the life quality of dairy farm couples

The purpose of the study reported here is to identify domains which explain the life quality of dairy farm husbands and wives. A further purpose is to identify domains which would explain life quality when the domain unique to farming is deleted. One hundred sixteen dairy farm couples were interviewed in 1986, when a financial crisis in agriculture had reached the western states. The analysis is done by stepwise regression. Satisfaction with farm work is an important explanation of husbands' and wives' life quality. When farm work is omitted from the equations, satisfaction with self is among important domains explaining life quality.Research reported in this paper was partially funded by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT.Norleen M. Ackerman received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She is an Assistant Professor, Department of Home Economics and Consumer Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-2910. Her research interests include the well being of farm families, consumer information, and consumer purchase behavior.Glen O. Jensen received his Ph.D. from Utah State University. He is a Professor in the Department of Family and Human Development, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-2905. His research interests include the rural family, teen pregnancy, and marriage enrichment.DeeVon Bailey received his Ph.D. from Texas A & M. He is an Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-3530. His research interests include economic issues related to farm families, agricultural marketing and farm efficiency.     

Time use satisfaction of wives: Home,farm, and labor force workload

Factors related to time spent in work roles are investigated for a sample of 685 wives living on family farms in seven southern and midwestern states. Data were collected in a comprehensive mail survey. Results show that variables reflecting management are the most important predictors of wife's time use satisfaction. Wife's satisfaction is also significantly related to her education and nonfarm employment. Conclusions indicate that, although wives on family farms experience work-role overload relative to their husbands, they are satisfied with their time contributions to the home/farm situation.Jeanne L. Hafstrom is Associate Professor, Consumer Sciences Division, University of Illinois, 161 Bevier Hall, 905 So. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Her current research interests include economic well-being and the quality of life.MaryAnn Paynter is Assistant Professor and Family Economics Extension Specialist, Consumer Sciences Division, University of Illinois, 547 Bevier Hall, 905 So. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801. She received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. Her current research interests include family resource management strategies.This study was part of S-191 Regional Research Project Farm Wife's External Employment, Family Economic Productivity and Family Functioning, and Project No. 60-0366 supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.     

Employment motivations of farm spouses

In the study reported here, reasons for working off the farm and reasons for not working off the farm are examined as a function of gender and socioeconomic characteristics. Women are significantly less likely than men to work off the farm to supplement farm income, and significantly more likely to work off the farm for personal reasons. A logistic regression analysis finds that men, those employed fulltime off the farm, and those with lower household incomes are most likely to cite economic reasons for working off the farm. Men are nearly twice as likely as women to cite time constraints as the primary reason for not working off the farm, while only women cite family responsibilities. Logistic regression reveals that men, those with higher household incomes, and those with livestock operations are most likely to cite lack of time as the primary reason for not working off the farm.Patricia J. Wozniak is Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental Statistics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Her research interests include family life and family economics, as well as the application of statistics to the social sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee.Kathleen K. Scholl is Senior Coordinator of the Economics Team of the Public Policy Institute at the American Association of Retired Persons, 1909 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20049. She received her Ph.D. from Purdue University.     

Family use of community services in economically stressed rural counties

This study focuses on stresses, coping strategies, and satisfactions of respondents in eight economically distressed rural counties in the state of Washington. An adult sample is divided into two groups: those who indicate specific economic problems and/or are unemployed (n=236) and those who are still employed and do not report specific economic stresses (n=190). Although those with specific economic problems show higher levels of perceived stress and financial dissatisfaction, there are no differences reported in over-all family satisfaction. Results point to the importance of providing specific employment-related community services to family members in these types of communities.Dorothy Z. Price, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-2010. Her research interests include decision making and consumer behavior. She received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University.Lonnie J. Dunlap, M.A., is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2010. Her research interests include work and family interactions and career development.     

The Effects of Resources, Decision Making, and Decision Implementing on Perceived Family Well-Being in Adjusting to an Economic Stressor

This article examines the relationships of personal resources, decision-making, and decision-implementing behaviors that were measured in time one with perceived family well-being that was measured one year later. The sample included 323 farm men and women who had experienced the same economic stressor event. A structural equation model was posited based upon the theoretical frameworks of family resource management. The results indicated the theoretical model fit the data well for both men and women. LISREL analyses revealed strong positive relationships among perceived financial and emotional resources, decision making, and perceived family well-being. A positive relationship was found between decision making and decision implementing, but no relationship was found between decision implementing and perceived family well-being. Gender differences were present only in the measurement model among the indicators of decision implementing and family well-being.     

Lessons from the past,directions for the future

The authors provide a retrospective look at time use research since the turn of the century by identifying shortcomings in previous attempts at measuring time allocation patterns and in the models used to examine time use by individuals and households. Suggestions are offered for improving measurement in future empirical work. Fruitful areas for future time use research are identified.Her research interests include family time use, consumer decision making, adoption, and family policy.His research interests include parental child care and the effects of technical change on time use patterns.Her research interests include valuation of unpaid work in national income accounts.Her research interests include family time use and patterns in time use.     

The effects of perceived locus of control and perceived income adequacy on satisfaction with financial status of rural households

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among selected socioeconomic variables — perceived locus of control, perceived income adequacy, and satisfaction with financial status. Results of the study indicate that age, household income, household net worth, perceived locus of control, and perceived income adequacy are significantly related to satisfaction with financial status. Household income and household net worth have indirect effects on satisfaction through perceived locus of control and perceived income adequacy. Perceived locus of control also has an indirect effect on satisfaction through perceived income adequacy. These findings suggest that counselors and educators should emphasize the importance of perceptions of income adequacy and control over financial aspect in their courses and programs.Journal Paper No. J-14499 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 2809.His research interests include consumer credit and family resource management. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1993.Her research interests include family financial management and consumer bankruptcy. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.     

The relation of economic factors to perceived stress in mobile families

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between objective and subjective measures of economic well-being, amount of and satisfaction with control, and perceived stress level of subjects, who have relocated with their families within the past year. Both males and females indicate more stress if their financial condition is worse following the move than before, if their employment status is not satisfying, and when they have little control over their lives and are not satisfied with their level of control. Stress is negatively related to satisfaction with the specific aspects of economic situation studied for both males and females with limited exception.Peggy S. Berger received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Consumer Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include socioeconomic issues related to geographic mobility and to gender, and work and family issues.Judith Powell received her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. She is a Professor of Child and Family Studies, and Head of the Department of Home Economics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. Her research interests include parent-child relations and effects of relocation on families.Alicia Skinner Cook received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include grief and loss issues, family stress, and adjustment to relocation.     

Stress in two-generation farm and ranch families

Family relations and economic issues may predict stress in two-generation farm families. Marital adjustment, length of time married, income satisfaction, and number of household dependents are examined as predictors of stress for each family member (i.e., separately for each member) using multiple regression analyses. The model is significant for fathers with marital adjustment, length of time married, and income satisfaction significantly contributing to fathers' stress. The model is not significant for mothers, sons, or daughters-in-law; but income satisfaction is significantly related to stress for mothers. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.Support for this research was provided by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station Grant No. MONB00266 and is part of the AES Western Regional Project W-167.Stephan M. Wilson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies and is the Director of the Center for Kentucky Children & Families Research, University of Kentucky, 107 Erikson Hall, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0050. His research interests include family stress, rural families, parent-adolescent relations, and adolescent development. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1985.Ramona Marotz-Baden is a Professor, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Herrick Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717. Her research interests include family stress, work and the family, retirement and succession in family-owned business, and dual-earner families. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1970.David Holloway is the Outreach Coordinator for Aspen Crest Hospital, 1970 East 17th Street, Suite 119, Idaho Falls, ID 83404. His interests include marriage and family therapy, parent-child relations, and family development through the lifespan. He received his M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Montana State University in 1987 and M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Idaho in 1985.     

Self-Other Orientation and Sex-Roles Orientation of Men and Women Who Remarry

Remarried men and women were more oriented to a balance between self interests and the other's interest in the remarriage decision than in the first marriage decision. In-depth interviews showed that these men and women used a similar balance when making the remarriage decision but that they arrived there by different avenues. The balance came from the women beginning to include self interests more and the men beginning to include the other's interest more. These remarried men and women also perceived themselves to be more nontraditional in sex-role orientation at the remarriage decision. Gilligan's Ethic of Care, a cogtnitive theory, was used to explain the change in self-other and sex-role orientation. Recommendations were made for using this theoretical framework in marital therapy.     

Family policy and critical science research: Facilitating change

The principles of critical science for policy research are outlined and one research project is used as a case study. The study was intentionally designed to facilitate changes that would positively influence the economic well-being of children from divorced families. The project uses the critical science processes of public dialogue about child support guidelines for purposes of collaborative problem solving. The normative theories of procedural and distributive justice are used to guide the research reporting. The project contributes to changes in the practices of estimating the income needs of children, changes in estimating the relative monetary contributions of their parents, and proposed legislation and modifications in the state child support guidelines. She received her Ph.D. in family ecology from Michigan State University. Her research interests include the valuing issues of family life quality, family decision making, divorce,and the economic adjustments of families to economic stressors. She received her M.A. degree in Family Education from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include decision making and parenting. She received her Ph.D. degree in anthropology from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include social and cultural change and the integration of research findings into public policy decision making.     

The factors affecting a family's plan to change its financial situation

This study investigates the factors involved in changing a family's financial situation for 485 Midwestern households. High income families and those with high home equity levels have a smaller gap between their standards and levels of consumption. High income families are more satisfied with their financial situations than low income families. Those families with a large gap between their standards and levels of consumption are more dissatisfied with their financial situations. Older heads of households have higher satisfaction with their financial situations and are less likely to plan to change them. Large families are less satisfied with their financial situations than small families and are more likely to plan to change them.Sharon M. Danes is Assistant Professor and Family Resource Management Extension Specialist, Family Social Science Department, University of Minnesota, 275F McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108. Dr. Danes received her Ph.D. from Iowa State University and her current research interests include family management and family financial management.Earl W. Morris is Associate Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel, University of Minnesota, 368B McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108. Dr. Morris received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. His current research interests include rural housing.     

Use of time and preferences for time allocation among urban,employed, married women

This study examines the relationship between employed wives' preferences for household production time, employment time, leisure, and their actual time use. A random sample of 235 employed, married women estimate their time use on an average weekday and weekend day in 13 activities and indicate their preferences for time in those activities. Hierarchical multiple regression procedures are used to examine the relationships between actual and preferred time use. Weekday employment time is not related to preferences for more or less time in household production but wives allocating more time to employment want to spend less time at that employment and more time in leisure. Weekend employment time is related to preferences for more time in leisure, child care, and other household work. Time spent performing household work is not related to preferences for more or less time in any activity except the desire for more leisure time on weekends.Ann Renigar Hiatt is Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Services, College of Education and Allied Professions at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223. Her research interests include employed women's time allocation, time pressures, and use of time management strategies. She received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.Deborah D. Godwin is Associate Professor in the Department of Housing and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Her research has focused on husbands' and wives' time allocation to household production, the effects of women's employment on family economic functioning, and family financial management. She received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensbore.     

Retirement and marital decision making: Effects on retirement satisfaction

This study explores how partner's employment and preretirement decision‐making structures affect retirement satisfaction, using pooled data from Waves 1 to 4 of the Health and Retirement Surveys. Based on resource theory, the analyses indicate that retired husbands are least satisfied if their wives remain employed and had more say in decisions prior to the husband's retirement. Retired wives are least satisfied if their husbands remain employed and had more say in decisions prior to the wife's retirement. These results suggest that retirement transitions undermine married retirees’ satisfaction if they enhance the other partner's influence in the relationship. More research should address linkages between work and family realms during transitions such as retirement and explore the negotiation processes surrounding such transitions.     

When Work and Family Merge: Understanding Intragroup Conflict Experiences in Family Farm Businesses

Family farms represent a huge portion of agriculture in the United States today. These family farms may struggle to balance both family relationships and business concerns, which can cause conflict among members. Some of this conflict may be derived from the independent, self-reliant nature of family farmers. These characteristics may influence how family farm members are able to deal with conflict, and how they choose to communicate during conflict interactions. This project used intragroup conflict theory and family communication patterns to explore the impact of everyday conflict on job satisfaction, communication satisfaction, and profitability in family farm businesses. Survey data were collected from family farm members (N = 204). The results of structural equation modeling showed conversation and conformity orientation significantly predicted relational, process, and status conflict in the model, yet only status conflict significantly predicted communication satisfaction. These findings suggested family farm members struggle with communication, which influences status conflict experiences and communication satisfaction.     

Decision-making style: Impact on satisfaction of the commuter couples' lifestyle

The entry of many women into the labor force in recent years has precipitated some changes for families. Commuter marriage is an attempt by some families to integrate work and family life. This article examines the decision-making style that 39 commuter couples use to make a decision if they should commute. The results indicate a more highly planned and systematically structured decision style relates to increased satisfaction with one's decision. Specific family and couple commuter style variables are discussed in relation to desirableness of lifestyle and coping strategies for commuter couples.Special acknowledgment is extended to Jane W. Spruill for her assistance with data collection and computer analysis. Support for computer analysis is acknowledged to the University of Maryland Computer Center. This research was supported in part by a Graduate Research Board Grant and a Divisional Small Grant Award, The University of Maryland, College Park, MD. This article benefited greatly from the suggestions of Charles Hennon and two anonymous reviewers.Her research interests include family policy issues, and work and families. She received her Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.