Over the last decades the state and employers have acknowledged the importance of dealing with the work-family interface. In order to guide legislation and employers it is crucial to know which kind of initiatives are effective in helping employees fulfill the demands of work and family. This and other reasons have lead to a required increase of scholar interest in the work-family interface.
This thesis integrates research findings concerning the characteristics of organizational culture that help to reduce work-family conflicts and investigates some variables possibly influencing the relationship between characteristics of the organizational culture and work-family conflict. However only the impact of supportive supervision and flexible work arrangements on work-family conflicts are elaborated.
The thesis is structured as follows. Firstly, the relevant concepts are defined and it is explained how work-family conflicts arise including the underlying most common theories. Afterwards, a comprehensive and qualitative review of the state of research concerning the impact of characteristics of organizational culture on work-family conflicts in 2016 s given. Finally, the findings and limitations of this thesis are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Relevance for Research and Practice
1.2 Research Question and Objectives
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 Definitions
2.1.1 Organizational Culture
2.1.2 Work-family Conflict
2.2 The Emergence of Work-family Conflicts
3. The Impact of Organizational Culture on Work-family Conflicts
3.1 The Current State of Research concerning Supportive Supervision
3.2 The Current State of Research concerning Flexible Work Arrangements
3.3 The Current State of Research concerning Variables possibly influencing the established Relationships
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
This thesis investigates the characteristics of organizational culture that contribute to the reduction of work-family conflicts. The central research question explores how specific cultural factors, such as supportive supervision and flexible work arrangements, can be integrated to mitigate these conflicts, while also examining the moderating roles of demographic variables like gender and family structure.
- Theoretical foundations of work-family conflict (Role Theory and Conservation of Resources).
- The role of supportive supervision as an informal organizational practice.
- The impact of formal flexible work arrangements (FWA) on work-family balance.
- Mediating variables, specifically employee perception of control.
- Moderating effects of gender and family structure on conflict reduction.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Current State of Research concerning Supportive Supervision
According to Allen (2001), “the family-supportive supervisor is one who is sympathetic to the employee’s desire to seek balance between work and family and who engages in efforts to help the employee accommodate his or her work and family responsibilities” (p. 417). Examples for supportive supervision are: permitting short personal phone calls or allowing employees to take advantage of formal organizational policies and programs, such as flexible work schedules (Greenhaus, Ziegert, & Allen, 2012; Thomas & Ganster, 1995; Thompson & Prottas, 2006).
Most researchers classify supportive supervision as an independent direct antecedent to work-family conflict. Nevertheless there is some difference in the constructs examined. Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) suggest that supportive supervision may directly reduce role pressures and thus the three different forms of work-family conflict (time-, strain and behavior-based conflict). For example, the supervisor can reduce time-based work-family conflict by allowing the employee to occasionally leave work early to pick up a child from school or bring an elderly person to the doctor (Lapierre & Allen, 2006). Strain-based work-family conflict could be mitigated through the supervisor by decreasing the employees work related concerns, as making a bad impression on the supervisor when attending to family demands, and thus making it easier for the employee to participate in the family domain as desired (Lapierre & Allen, 2006). Finally, the supervisor could have more flexible expectations about appropriate behavior and in this way reduce behavior-based conflict (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the rising relevance of the work-family interface due to workforce changes and outlines the thesis objectives regarding conflict reduction.
2. Theoretical Background: Defines organizational culture and work-family conflict, providing conceptual frameworks like Role Theory and the Model of Conservation of Resources.
3. The Impact of Organizational Culture on Work-family Conflicts: Reviews existing research on how supportive supervision and flexible work arrangements influence work-family conflict, including potential moderating factors.
4. Discussion: Synthesizes research findings, suggesting that supportive supervision is generally more effective than formal FWA, and calls for more nuanced, longitudinal research.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the key takeaway that informal workplace practices are crucial, while acknowledging the need for better theoretical and empirical consistency in future studies.
Keywords
Work-family conflict, Organizational culture, Supportive supervision, Flexible work arrangements, Role theory, Conservation of resources, Work-to-family conflict, Family-to-work conflict, Gender differences, Family structure, Perception of control, Employee well-being, Role salience, Mediators, Moderators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The thesis examines the relationship between characteristics of organizational culture—specifically supportive supervision and flexible work arrangements—and the reduction of work-family conflicts.
What are the primary thematic areas?
The study focuses on defining work-family conflict, analyzing the impact of supervisor behavior, evaluating formal work policies, and identifying variables that moderate these relationships.
What is the main objective of the research?
The goal is to determine which cultural characteristics effectively reduce work-family conflicts and to integrate findings to understand how mediators and moderators influence this outcome.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The work is a qualitative review and integration of existing scientific literature and meta-analyses to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section covers the conceptual definitions, the specific impacts of supportive supervision, the complexities of flexible work arrangements, and the influence of demographic and psychological variables.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include work-family conflict, organizational culture, supportive supervision, flexible work arrangements, and resource conservation theory.
How does supportive supervision affect work-family conflict?
Research indicates that supportive supervision is negatively correlated with work-family conflict, as it acts as a coping resource that helps employees manage role pressures effectively.
Why are flexible work arrangements (FWA) sometimes inconsistent in their results?
Inconsistencies arise because FWA availability and actual use are influenced by manager attitudes, perceived career consequences, and individual family structures.
What role does the 'perception of control' play?
Evidence suggests that an employee's perception of control over their work and family demands likely mediates the relationship between supportive supervision and reduced conflict.
What are the limitations of the current research?
Most studies rely on cross-sectional and self-reported data, which limits causal inference and the generalizability of findings across different cultures and industries.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Hannah Baier (Autor:in), 2016, Work-family Conflicts and Organizational Culture, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/448521
