Time-Based Work-Family Conflict: Myth or Reality?

The present study examined a time-based model of work-family conflict for a sample of 176 working women with childcare responsibilities. Building on the work of Edwards and Rothbard (2000) and role theory, a model was proposed to test the specific variables that define time-based work-family conflict. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Contrary to assumptions about time-based conflict, the results suggest that role time has a very limited impact on work-family conflict. Variables that were related to role performance and satisfaction included traditional gender role expectations, family involvement, family instrumental support, leader-member exchange, role overload, and organizational family-friendliness. The current research also presented two new variables labeled work and family distractions. Work distractions appear to have a very harmful impact on work outcomes and warrant further investigation. Although time-based conflict was not supported in the present study, the current data offered credence for a number of alternative explanations