The positive interaction of work and family roles

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the predominant theoretical frameworks used to describe the interaction between work and family roles and present an integrative model of work-family enrichment. The goal is to better understand the psychological processes underlying work-family enrichment and to identify ways in which work-family enrichment can be increased. A conceptual and testable model depicting the direct and indirect relationships involved in work-family enrichment is provided. Design/methodology/approach – A review of past theories describing the work-family interface is provided, followed by the presentation of a theoretical and testable model depicting the relationships between work-family enrichment and need theory. Findings – It is suggested that the basic needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness are presented as important psychological benefits that directly impact affect within a domain and indirectly influence work-family enrichment and quality of life. Research limitations/implications – This paper suggests several future directions that researchers can undertake to advance the understanding of positive linkages between work and family. These future directions include: testing the propositions related to need theory through a daily study approach, examining organizational and personal antecedents and consequences associated with work-family enrichment, and testing the aspects of the presented model to further the new area of research, integrating work-family enrichment and need theory. Practical implications – This paper highlights several practical recommendations for individuals and organizations. These include: the need to focus beyond work-family conflict towards work-family enrichment, incorporating basic psychological need fulfillment into employees' developmental goals, and for employees to seek psychological benefits to buffer any costs within a role when trying to balance work and family. Originality/value – This paper addresses several gaps in the previous work-family literature including: the primary focus on the negative interaction between work and family; the lack of theoretical exploration into how and why multiple roles can lead to work-family enrichment; and specifically, the integration of need theory as an explanation for work-family enrichment.