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Inequity in work and intimate relationships: a Spillover-Crossover model
Arnold B Bakker1, Paraskevas Petrou, Ioannis Tsaousis
1Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. bakker@fsw.eur.nl
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping
|November 9, 2011
Summary
Work stress spills over into personal lives, impacting relationships and well-being. This study shows how teacher work engagement, relationship equity, and partner well-being are interconnected, affecting mental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Occupational Health
Background:
- The Spillover-Crossover Model (SCM) explains how work-life experiences influence partners.
- Equity theory addresses relationship dynamics and exchanges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test and expand the SCM of well-being among Greek teachers and their partners.
- To integrate equity theory into the SCM framework.
- To examine the influence of work engagement and relationship equity on partner well-being.
Main Methods:
- Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze data from 267 Greek teachers and their partners.
- The study investigated spillover from work to home and crossover effects between partners.
- Hypotheses regarding interpersonal relationship exchanges were formulated and tested.
Main Results:
- The spillover hypothesis was supported: lower work engagement due to inequitable student relationships led to reduced investment in the partner relationship.
- The crossover hypothesis was supported: teachers' relationship investments negatively correlated with perceived intimate relationship inequity by their partners.
- Intimate relationship inequity was found to contribute to partner depression.
Conclusions:
- The study provides empirical support for the expanded SCM, highlighting the role of equity in work and intimate relationships.
- Findings underscore the interconnectedness of work experiences, relationship dynamics, and individual well-being.
- The research emphasizes the detrimental impact of inequity on both relationship investment and partner mental health.
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