Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Public Health

17-04-2024 | Original Article

A comparative analysis of the challenges to establishing a work–life balance for working fathers and mothers

Authors: Leyin Guo, Ligang Wang, Wenbin Gao, Yuanyuan Jin, Mingzhen Liang

Published in: Journal of Public Health

Login to get access

Abstract

Aim

This study compared and analyzed the relationship between work engagement and parental involvement and perceived work–family and family–work conflicts among working fathers and mothers in China.

Subject and methods

A total of 455 valid questionnaires were collected from a random nationwide sample of urban working parents with children aged 3–18 years. The questionnaire included scales measuring reciprocal work–family conflict, work engagement, and parental involvement and a self-designed background information questionnaire. SPSS version 26 was employed for primary variable correlation analysis and analysis of variance to examine differences in work and family domain characteristics among workplace parents.

Results

The findings indicated a positive correlation between work engagement and parental involvement. Parental involvement was significantly higher for working mothers than for working fathers. No significant gender differences were observed in work engagement. No significant gender differences were observed in either work–family or family–work conflicts. However, gender differences were found in perceptions of parental engagement and family–work conflict and in perceptions of work engagement and work–family conflict.

Conclusion

With the growing need to strike a balance between work and family life, the situation is gradually improving for working mothers, whereas working fathers’ “controllability” urgently needs to be increased.
Literature
Chan XW, Kalliath P, Chan C, Kalliath T (2020) How does family support facilitate job satisfaction? Investigating the chain mediating effects of work-family enrichment and job-related well-being. Stress Health 36:97–104CrossRefPubMed
Chunni Z, Haijun S (2019) Gender concepts, gender contexts, and work family conflicts between genders. J Chin Women’s Stud 3:153
Duxbury LE, Higgins CA (1991) Gender differences in work–family conflict. J Appl Psychol 76:60–74CrossRef
Fagan J, Day R, Lamb ME, Cabrera NJ (2014) Should researchers conceptualize differently the dimensions of parenting for fathers and mothers? J Fam Theor Rev 6:390–405CrossRef
Fen L, Xiaotian F (2021) Work family conflict of young parents under the adjustment of maternity policy. Youth Stud Guangdong 35:73–84
Fen L (2016) The study on working mothers’ career trajectory in the context of two-child policies. Nanjing University: Doctoral Dissertation
Feng R (2023) Preference and willingness to pay for inclusive childcare service of parenting families. Popul Econ 1:57–70
Frone MR (2000) Work-family conflict and employee psychiatric disorders: the national comorbidity survey. J Appl Psychol 85:888–895CrossRefPubMed
Frone MR, Rice RW (1987) Work-family conflict: the effect of job and family involvement. J Organ Behav 8:45–53CrossRef
Greenhaus JH, Beutell NJ (1985) Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Acad Manag Rev 10:76–88CrossRef
Ho MY, Chen X, Cheung FM, Liu H, Worthington EL (2013) A dyadic model of the work-family interface: a study of dual-earner couples in China. J Occup Health Psychol 18:53–63CrossRefPubMed
Hobfoll SE, Shirom A (2001) Conservation of resources theory: applications to stress and management in the workplace. PPA 87:57–80
Hongyun W, Yang Y (2021) The impact of work family gain on individual employee prosperity. Res Financ Econ Issues 6:137–144
Huafeng W, Shenghua J, Shengxiao L (2009) The mediating effect between gender and work-family conflict. Psychol Sci 35:1221–1223
Julan X, Hongyu M, Hanying T, Chuangang S (2015) Effects mechanism of gender on work-to-family conflict: an empirical study based on the social role theory. Psychol Sci 1:191–195
Kahn RL, Wolfe DM, Quinn RP, Snoek JD, Rosenthal RA (1964) Organizational stress: studies in role conflict and ambiguity. Wiley, New York
Kreiner GE (2006) Consequences of work-home segmentation or integration: a person-environment fit perspective. J Organ Behavior 27:485–507CrossRef
Lamb ME, Pleck JH, Charnov EL, Levine JA (1987) A biosocial perspective on paternal behavior and involvement. In: Lancaster JB, Altmann J, Rossi AS, Sherrod LR (eds) Parenting across the lifespan: biosocial perspectives. Aldine, Hawthorne, pp 111–142
Min Y, Tongquan Z, Yidan T (2020) The changes of family relationship under the background of comprehensive two-child policy: based on 105 cases through fsQCA. Popul Econ 6:48–60
Moreira H, Fonseca A, Caiado B, Canavarro MC (2019) Work-family conflict and mindful parenting: the mediating role of parental psychopathology symptoms and parenting stress in a sample of Portuguese employed parents. Front Psychol 10:635CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Nan Y et al (2014) The family work conflict and job involvement of gender differences in work values. Labor Econ Rev 2:128–146
Nan S (2011) The impact of work engagement, organizational citizenship behavior, and sense of responsibility on work family conflict among state-owned enterprise employees. Master’s thesis. Shaanxi Normal University
Netemeyer RG, Boles JS, Mcmurrian R (1996) Development and validation of work-family conflict and family-work conflict scales. J Appl Psychol 81:400–410CrossRef
Rofcanin Y, de Jong JP, Las Heras ML, Kim S (2018) The moderating role of prosocial motivation on the association between family-supportive supervisor behaviours and employee outcomes. J Vocat Behav 107:153–167CrossRef
Schaufeli WB, Bakker AB, Salanova M (2006) The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: a cross-national study. Educ Psychol Meas 66:701–716CrossRef
Schaufeli WB, Salanova M, VicenteGonzález-romá, Bakker AB (2002) The measurement of engagement and burnout: a two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. J Happiness Stud 3(1):71–92
Sullivan C, Lewis S (2001) Home-based telework, gender, and the synchronization of work and family: perspectives of teleworkers and their co-residents. Gender Work Org 8:123–145CrossRef
Tresi DG, Mihelic KK (2018) The roles of self-efficacy and leader – member exchange in the relationship between job crafting and work – self facilitation: a moderated mediation model. Pers Rev 47:1362–1384CrossRef
Xiaoli X, Liangliang L, Xianwei L, Yan L (2021) New progress in firm-level family-friendly benefits study: a review of its antecedents and consequences from social perspective. Human Resour Dev China 38(2):113–129
Xinchun W, Chang L, Yanrui H, Suran G, Lingling C, Youqi G (2015) Development and validation of the father involvement questionnaire. Chin J Clin Psychol 4:476–579
Xinchun W, Lingling C, Chang L, Xuewei X (2014) The characteristics of father involvement and its related influencing factors. J South China Normal Univ 12:88–95
Xiujuan G (2021) The practice of participation in childcare of “new father” and its reflection. Youth Study 4:85–96
Xudong NI, Zining Z, Chengkai P (2022) The double-edged sword effect of thriving at work on the family domain. Human Resour Dev China 39:39–49
Yap ST, Baharudin R (2016) The relationship between adolescents’ perceived parental involvement, self-efficacy beliefs, and subjective well-being: a multiple mediator model. Soc Indic Res 126:257–278CrossRef
Yiwen Z, Yiqun G (2005) The Chinese version of Utrecht work engagement scale: an examination of reliability and validity. Chin J Clin Psychol 3:268–281
Yuanyuan G, Huagang Y, Jinting T, Jiayuan Y (2011) Reliability of the Chinese version of Utrecht work engagement scale: based on the multivariate generalizability theory and the investigation to 310 teachers. J Hunan Agric Univ: Social Sci 12:62–65
Metadata
Title
A comparative analysis of the challenges to establishing a work–life balance for working fathers and mothers
Authors
Leyin Guo
Ligang Wang
Wenbin Gao
Yuanyuan Jin
Mingzhen Liang
Publication date
17-04-2024
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Journal of Public Health
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-024-02249-4