Family intergenerational stress: Concept exploration and development via coping and identity management

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• The sandwich generation juggles parental and child-rearing duties, leading to significant stress and adverse work outcomes.
• Existing research lacks a deep understanding of the multigenerational needs experienced by this demographic.
• A new concept, family intergenerational stress (FIS), is introduced to capture the integrated stresses of elder care, child-rearing, and self-definition challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the concept of family intergenerational stress (FIS).
• To explore the stress and coping mechanisms of sandwich generation employees facing dual caregiving responsibilities.
• To examine the impact of FIS on employees' work identity and engagement.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory approach was employed.
• Data collection included interviews with 137 sandwich generation employees, secondary network data, and field observations of 21 employees.
• The study analyzed the interaction and integration of stresses from elder caregiving, child-rearing, and self-definition.

Main Results:

• Employees with both elder caregiving and child-rearing responsibilities experience FIS.
• FIS was found to threaten employees' identity as ideal workers, correlating with reduced work engagement.
• Employees utilize various identity-based strategies to cope with FIS.

Conclusions:

• Family intergenerational stress (FIS) is a significant factor affecting the sandwich generation in the workplace.
• Addressing FIS is crucial for supporting employees balancing dual caregiving roles.
• Findings offer theoretical insights and practical strategies for managing work-life integration and employee well-being.