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Workaholism and relationship quality: a spillover-crossover perspective.
Arnold B Bakker1, Evangelia Demerouti, Ronald Burke
1Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. bakker@fsw.eur.nl
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
|February 13, 2009
Summary
Workaholism negatively impacts relationships by increasing work-family conflict and reducing partner support, leading to lower relationship satisfaction for both individuals in dual-earner couples.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Workaholism is a prevalent issue in dual-earner couples.
- Understanding its impact on relationship satisfaction is crucial for relationship well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between workaholism and relationship satisfaction in dual-earner couples.
- To examine the mediating role of work-family conflict and partner support in this relationship.
- To explore the direct crossover of relationship satisfaction between partners.
Main Methods:
- Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from 168 dual-earner couples.
- Matched responses from both partners were utilized to assess the proposed model.
- Statistical analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships.
Main Results:
- Workaholism was positively related to work-family conflict.
- Workaholism led to reduced partner support, mediated by work-family conflict.
- Higher partner support was associated with greater relationship satisfaction.
- A direct crossover of relationship satisfaction between partners was observed.
- Gender did not significantly moderate the tested relationships.
Conclusions:
- Workaholism negatively affects relationship satisfaction in dual-earner couples through increased work-family conflict and reduced partner support.
- Interventions aimed at mitigating workaholism and its consequences are essential for supporting couples.
- Workplace interventions can be beneficial for workaholics and their partners.
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