A Cross-Level Study on Family Involvement and Job Satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Organizational Behavior
• Family Studies

Background:

• Understanding the interplay between family involvement and job satisfaction is crucial for working couples.
• Previous research has often overlooked the dynamic interactions within couples regarding family responsibilities and their impact on work outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different patterns of family involvement by working couples influence individual job satisfaction.
• To explore the mediating role of family-level positive affect and moderating role of perceived work-to-family enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Polynomial regression and response surface methodology were employed to analyze the complex dynamics of family involvement.
• Multilevel structural equation modeling was utilized to examine cross-level effects.

Main Results:

• A high-high pattern of family involvement negatively affected job satisfaction, whereas a low-low pattern showed a positive relationship.
• High-high family involvement fostered positive family affect, which in turn reduced family-to-work conflict and its negative impact on job satisfaction.
• Perceived work-to-family enhancement moderated the link between spouses' family involvement and family-level positive affect.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the nuanced effects of reciprocal family involvement on job satisfaction in working couples.
• Findings underscore the importance of considering dyadic family dynamics in understanding work-family spillover effects.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing work-to-family enhancement may buffer negative impacts of family involvement on job satisfaction.