The Impact of a Multilevel Intervention on Work-Family

Conflict in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Presenter: Alyssa Westring, PhD

with:Joint Principal Investigators:

Jeane Ann Grisso MD MSc & Stephanie Abbuhl MD

Emily Conant MD, Mary Sammel ScD, Rebecca Speck PhD MPH, Patricia Scott, Lucy Tuton PhD

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Background

• “Beyond Bias & Barriers” report noted importance of “unrecognized features of the organizational culture that affect men & women differently”

• Led to 2008 NIH RFA “Research on causal factors and interventions that affect the careers of women in science”

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Our Goal:To create an environment where women can succeed fully in their careers, maximizing their contributions to academic medicine and improving workplace for all faculty

Overview

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Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Culture conduciv

e to Women’s Academi

c Success

Women Faculty

Proximal Outcomes

Women Faculty

Distal Outcomes

Department/

Division Outcomes

3-Tiered Interventi

on

- Job satisfaction

- Job commitment

- Work self-efficacy

- Work-family conflict

SeniorLeadership

Department/Division

Task Forces

Women Assistant Professors

Theoretical Model

- Implement Task Force recs

- Culture change

- Publications

- Grants

- Intention to leave

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Research Design Baseline Survey

Cluster Randomizatio

n

Intervention

Follow-up Survey

N = 133

N = 130

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Key Research Questions

1.What is the impact of the intervention on work-family conflict?

2.How does department/division culture affect these relationships?

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Research Question 1

• Work-Family Conflict• Time-based and Strain-based WIF and

FIW• Carlson, Kacmar, & Williams (2000)• Good reliability at baseline and

follow-up

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Research Question 1

% decrease over time

p-value

TWIF SWIF TFIW SFIW

2.4%6.8%3.0%1.2%

0.1680.0060.2560.559

*controlling for baseline conflict levels

Changes in Conflict over Time

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Research Question 1

Conflict change

Intervention vs control difference (d)

p-value

TWIF SWIF TFIW SFIW

- 0.054 0.024 0.058 - 0.138

0.704 0.879 0.690 0.129

*controlling for baseline conflict levels

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Research Question 2:Does culture matter?Culture Conducive to Women’s Academic Success (CCWAS)

Culture Conducive to Women’s

Academic Success

Freedom from

Gender Bias

Support for

Work-Life Balance

Equal Access to Opportunities

Chair Support

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Research Question 2:Culture Matters at Baseline

TW

IF

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Research Question 2:Culture Matters at Baseline

SW

IF

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Research Question 2

•Understanding changes in WFC as a result of unit culture• Analyses collapsed across intervention/control groups •Model for culture validated at Time 2

Culture Conducive to Women’s

Academic Success

Freedom from

Gender Bias

Support for

Work-Life Balance

Equal Access to Opportunities

Chair Support

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Research Question 2

Culture Scores over Time• Across conditions, culture improved significantly over time• t = 2.61, p = .007

•No significant differences between intervention and control conditions• t = .55, p > .05

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Research Question 2:

Coefficient

P-value

Baseline Unit CCWAS

-.44 .059

CCWAS Change -.40 .051

Baseline TWIF -.41 .001

Constant 2.69 .003

Predicting changes in TWIF

*adjusting for baseline levels of TWIF and clustering within units by culture

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Research Question 2:

Coefficient

P-value

Baseline Unit CCWAS

-.18 .232

CCWAS Change -.45 .037

Baseline SWIF -.44 .001

Constant 1.85 .001

Predicting changes in SWIF

*adjusting for baseline levels of SWIF and clustering within units by culture

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Research Question 2:

Coefficient

P-value

Baseline Unit CCWAS

-.53 .001

CCWAS Change -.35 .083

Baseline TFIW -.41 .001

Constant 2.85 .001

Predicting changes in TFIW

*adjusting for baseline levels of TFIW and clustering within units by culture

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Research Question 2:

Coefficient

P-value

Baseline Unit CCWAS

-.19 .185

CCWAS Change -.08 .734

Baseline SFIW -.45 .001

Constant 1.53 .001

Predicting changes in SFIW

*adjusting for baseline levels of SFIW and clustering within units by culture

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Conclusions•Strain-based work-interference-with-family decreased for intervention and control units. •Culture matters for work-family conflict over time•More supportive cultures at baseline are associated with lower conflict over time• Greater improvements in culture are associated with lower conflict over time

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Limitations

• Interventions were not directly targeted to address work-family issues• Post-intervention outcomes are measured only 2 months after 3-year intervention• Variable levels of engagement at individual & department levels• Contamination & Co-intervention

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Discussion

•What have we learned so far?•Where do we go next?

We appreciate your insights and suggestions!

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