Studying "working fathers": comparing fathers' and mothers' work-family sonflict, fit, and adaptive strategies in a global high-tech company

Fathering, Oct, 2003 by E. Jeffrey Hill, Alan J. Hawkins, Vjollca Martinson, Maria Ferris

R5. WHICH WORK-FAMILY ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES PREDICT GREATER WORK-FAMILY FIT?

Next, we examined which of four Work-Family Adaptive Strategies predicted improved Work-Family Fit after controlling for Work and Family Characteristics and Work-Family Conflict. As mentioned, fathers were less likely to report that they had ever used company work-family programs. Moreover, the use of such programs added almost nothing to the prediction of greater Work-Family Fit ([beta] = .060, p < .001, [DELTA] [R.sup.2] = .003). The Use Any Work-Family Programs was a stronger predictor of Work-Family Fit for mothers ([beta] = .089, p < .001, [DELTA] [R.sup.2] = .008). Fathers, however, reported that more Flexi-time ([beta] = .141, p < .001, [DELTA] [R.sup.2] = .021) and Flexi-place ([beta] = .178, p < .001, [DELTA] [R.sup.2] = .033) contributed to better Work-Family Fit, and these predictors were slightly stronger for fathers than mothers. Spouse Caregiver did not contribute to significantly greater Work-Family Fit for working fathers (though it did for mothers who had husbands as primary caregivers).

R6. WHICH WORK-FAMILY ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES MODERATE WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT?

To answer this research question, we created eight interaction terms combining the four Work-Family Adaptive Strategies by Work-to-Family Conflict and by Family-to-Work Conflict. We added these eight interaction terms to the regression equations in Table 3 predicting Work-Family Fit for fathers and mothers. Though we found no significant interactions for mothers, we found two significant interactions for fathers. First, Flexi-time as a Work-Family Adaptive Strategy moderated the negative relationship between Work-to-Family Conflict and Work-Family Fit (p < .05). That is, those fathers with more flexibility in hours they work maintained higher levels of work-family fit in the face of higher levels of work-to-family conflict than those with lower levels of this flexibility. Second, Spouse Caregiver proved to be a Work-Family Adaptive Strategy that moderated the negative relationship between Family-to-Work Conflict and Work-Family Fit (p < .05). That is, those fathers with wives caring for their children during working hours maintained higher levels of Work-Family Fit in the face of higher levels of Family-to-Work Conflict.

R7. GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT, FIT, AND CHILDCARE RESPONSIBILITY

In this last set of analyses (see Table 4), we return to essentially descriptive analyses to explore global similarities and differences in experiences of work-family issues.

Work-to-Family Conflict (WFC). We found no meaningful differences in reported WFC between working fathers and working mothers in any region of the world. It should be noted that Asian fathers (and mothers) by far reported the highest levels of WFC of any region in the world. Fathers (and mothers) in Scandinavia reported the least WFC.

Family-to-Work Conflict. In all geographic regions, except for Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, fathers reported significantly less FWC than mothers. Working fathers (and mothers) from Asia also reported the highest levels of FWC. Working fathers (but not mothers) from Eastern Europe reported the least FWC.