Flexible work arrangements, work-family conflict, and gender-role beliefs

Abstract

As the world of work continues to change and evolve, organisations have increasingly adopted flexible work arrangements which have affected the way in which many do their work. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between different types of flexible work arrangements and work-family conflict and the relationships between gender-role beliefs at home and at work and work-family conflict, as well as whether gender-role beliefs at home and at work moderated the relationships between flexible work arrangements and work-family conflict. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional research design was used in the study. The sample consisted of 85 individuals employed in South African organisations who filled out an online survey consisting of several questionnaires. Flexible work arrangements were assessed using a self-developed Flexible Work Arrangements Scale that included the Workplace Flexibility Scale (Halinski & Duxbury, 2020). Work-family conflict was assessed using the Work-Family Conflict Scale that was developed by Carlson et al. (2000). Gendered domestic roles were assessed using a sub-scale of the patriarchal Beliefs Scale that was developed by Yoon et al. (2015), which was used to measure gender-role beliefs in the home environment. Beliefs about women at work were measured using an adapted version of the Stereotype Beliefs about Women Managers that was developed by Moore et al. (2004). Analyses included Cronbach Alpha coefficients, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical moderated multiple regression. The results revealed that overall work-family conflict was not significantly related to and was not significantly predicted by flexi-time and flexi-place flexibility, but it was significantly and negatively related to and was significantly predicted by both proactive flexibility and reactive flexibility. Overall work-family conflict was not significantly related to and was not significantly predicted by either gendered domestic role beliefs or beliefs about women in the workplace. Gendered domestic role beliefs did not significantly moderate the relationship between flexi-time and flexi-place flexibility and work-family conflict or the relationship between proactive flexibility and work-family conflict, but they did significantly moderate the relationship between reactive flexibility and work-family conflict. Beliefs about women in the workplace did not moderate any of the relationships between flexible work arrangements and work-family conflict. The implication of these findings is that individuals' perceptions of their ability to manage family emergencies is related to their experiences of work-family conflict.