Negative Spillover effect of Work-Family/Family-Work interface

among service employees

By

Dr. Elizabeth George Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies

Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology (ASIET), Kalady,Ernakulam Dist., Kerala, India Pin: 683574

Ph: 09846043420E-mail: elizabethgeorge04@gmail.com elizabethgeorge.socsams@gmail.com

Corresponding Author:

Dr. Elizabeth George Cheriyanirappel House,Near Cochin Bank Jn, Edayappuram RoadAluva, Kerala, India PIN: 683101e-mail: elizabethgeorge04@gmail.comPh: +919846043420

Negative Spillover effect of Work-Family/Family-Work interface

among service employees

Abstract:

Employees in the service organization have extensive interaction with customers. The quality of

service and satisfaction of customers depends on the efficiency of service employees. So it is the

responsibility of the organization to consider the work-family balance of its employees for the

smooth running of the organization. The negative spillover from work to family and family to

work has been rising in the last couple of years and it is expected to increase in the years to

come. Few among the various reasons are high paid jobs which demand more commitment, long

working hours, unachievable targets, more number of dependents, more family demands etc.

This paper has adopted a holistic approach in reviewing consequence of work-family interface. It

focuses on the negative spillover of work-family, family- work interface and strategies to avoid

the spillover effect.

Key Words: Spillover, Work-Family Interface, Family –Work Interface,

Secrvice Sector

Negative Spillover effect of Work-Family/Family-Work interface

among service employees

In this highly competitive world where there are two bread winners in family it is very difficult

to manage the interface between professional life and personal/family life. The employees have

to juggle with their job and home. The attainment of better work-family and family -work

balance can result in motivated, productive and less stressed workforce who can work effectively

in organizations and can have a content family life. Hence the family-work interface and work-

family interface has emerged as a pivotal topic of discussion for not only academicians but also

management practitioners.

Spillover

Spillover conceptually means process by which behaviors, moods, stress, and emotions from one

domain of social life affect those in another domain and vice versa (Frone, Yardley, and Markel

1997). Spillover is the process by which experience of one role affect the other role. Edwards

and Rothbard (2000) opines that the spillover of values, skills, and behaviours learned in one role

might influence other roles. Spillover can be positive or negative According to Hanson, Hammer

and Colton (2006) work–family positive spillover as the transfer of positively valenced affect,

skills, behaviors, and values from the originating domain to the receiving domain. Negative

spillover occurs when demands from the two domains of job and family compete for an

individual’s time, energy, and attention (Small and Riley 1990).

.

Work-Family/Family-Work interface

Work-family research has its roots in role theory (Merton, 1957) and hence role conflict is of

concern to work-family researchers. Research has indicated that role conflict affect the attitudes

and behaviours of employees in different work settings (Boles et al., 1997).Based on role conflict

Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) put forward three categories of work-family conflict: time based,

strain based and behavior-based. Time based conflict occurs when time spent in one role affects

the other role. Strain based conflict arise when stress occurring from one role lead to difficulty in

execution of other role. Behavior-based emerges when behavioral expectations of one role is

irreconcilable with that of behavioral expectations of other role

Family problems may spillover to the workplace of employees. This kind of conflict is called

Family-work conflict. Similarly problems at work place can affect the family life. This kind of

conflict is called Work –family conflict. This paper looks into the spillover of both work-family

and family-work interface.

Spillover of Work-Family interface

Various empirical research found several reasons for the spillover of work- family interface.

Greater work demand is one reason for negative spillover of work to family. People working in

high-pressure jobs, professional jobs, those having relentless demands from employers or those

working on long hours often experience greater work to family spillover than other workers

(Gutek et al. 1991; Frone et al. 1992; Duxbury and Higgins 1994). Well paid jobs also demand

more commitment from the employees. Following were identified as spillover of work –family

interface were identified:

Physical and Mental Health

Allen et al. (2000) found out that there is a correlation between physical health and work-family

conflict. Bellavia and Frone (2005) also states that work family conflict negatively affects

physical and mental health. Frone et al. (1997) and Frone, Russell, and Barnes (1996) in their

studies confirmed that work family conflict is related to high levels of depression, poor physical

health and hypertension. Major et al. (2002) also found significant correlations between work-

family conflict and somatic complaints. High level Depression is also associated with work

family conflict (Major et al., 2002; Frone et al., 1997). This also leads to low physical stamina

(van Steenbergen and Ellemers, 2009). Increased emotional exhaustion was associated with

increased WFC (Brotheridge& Lee, 2005;Espnes, Falkum, &Aasland, 2008)

Alcohol Abuse

In a study among two community samples of employed parents, Frone et al. (1996) found that

work family conflict was positively related to heavy drinking among men and women. . Geurts

et al., 1999 and Frone et al., 1997 reported alcohol abuse as one of the spillover effect of work

family conflict. Another study by Bromet and colleagues (1990) also testified that work family

conflict was positively related to daily alcohol consumption among a sample of blue collar

working women.

Relationships with Children

Aminah Ahmad (2007) in her study among female workers found that ladies with youngest child

aged less than three years experienced more work-to-family conflict than those with children

above three years of age. Inspite of their busy schedule at work, mothers with young children

will have to find time to take care of sick child, make necessary arrangements for kids before

going to work etc. They do not have a control over the work and family matters and would have

a high level of work-family conflict

Satisfaction with life and family

Marital satisfaction is an important aspect of many adults’ lives. According Theriault (1996),

satisfaction with parenting envisages life satisfaction only till a certain stage of life, marital

satisfaction predicts life satisfaction throughout the lifespan. Studies have shown that WFC are

negatively associated with marital satisfaction (Wayne et al., 2004; Burley, 1995; Rupert et al.,

2012).A similar pattern of work-family conflict and decreased marital satisfaction has been

found among psychologists and other mental health professionals. A study done by Burley

(1995) using members of the American Psychological Association revealed that WFC and

marital satisfaction were significantly related. According to Aryee et al., 1999 increased work

family conflict causes family distress and decreases satisfaction with family.

Spillover of Family-Work interface

The relationship between work-family conflict and employee outcomes like job satisfaction and

health complaints were investigated by Adams &Jex (1999) and found thatemployees

experiencing high levels of family–work interference reported more health complaints and

reduced job satisfaction. Crouter (1984) in her study in a manufacturing plant, suggest that

greater family demands cause high levels of family to job spillover. She found that women with

young children at home are most likely to report high levels of spillover, in contrast to mothers

of older children.  After reviewing various research following spillover of family-work interface

were identified.

Work Related Stress

Bell, Rajendran& Theiler(2012) conducted a study among Australian academic teaching staff

and found out that , high perceived job threat stress would increase work-life conflict and reduce

work-life balance. When academics felt irritated, lacked control, felt pressured, hectic and

agitated due to their work, they experienced less balance between their work and personal lives

and more conflict between their personal and work lives. Mauno S. &Kinnunen U. (1999) tested

a mediational model for explaining the effects of psychosocial job stressors, on marital

satisfaction through job exhaustion and psychosomatic health and found that the job stressors

spilled over into marital satisfaction through the mediators. Studies like Wong and Lin (2007),

Roberts (2007) etc. also indicate that job stress result in work life conflict and lead to work

family imbalance. Wang (2006) asserted that work life imbalance leads to stress of employees.

Work stress and imbalance between work and family lives were independently associated with

mood and anxiety disorders. Fenwick and Tausic (2001) indicated that although nonstandard

shifts did not have much effect on family life and health American workers, lack of scheduling

control had a strong negative effect on them.

Burnout

Burnout is usually defined as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, scepticism, and reduced

professional and personal accomplishment (Maslach et al., 1996). According to Erickson et al.

(2000) if employees had children under the age of six or have difficulty in handling the

arrangements of child care, the high level of burnout they experience will be associated with high

level absenteeism. Peeters et al. (2005) found that job demand and home demand appeared to

have a direct and indirect effect (through Work Home Interference and Home Work Interference

respectively) on burnout specifically exhaustion and cynicism dimensions of burnout. Thus high

job demands are negatively related to Work Home Interference resulting in burnout and high

home demands are negatively related to Home Work Interference resulting in burnout. When

compared with working US adults, physicians had more symptoms of burnout and were more

dissatisfied with work-life balance (Shanafelt et al. 2012). 

Co-Workers’ Outcome

Studies show that it is not the employee alone who is affected by the imbalance in work and life;

their colleagues are also affected. Ten Brummelhuis et al. (2010) in their study determined

whether a co-worker's work outcomes are influenced by Family Work Interference experienced

by an employee. Their result revealed that when the employee had more Family Work

Interference, the co-worker's turnover intention was also high. Similarly when the employee

experienced more FWI co-worker took more days of sick leave. When the employee is

performing in team the consequence is more severe as the job is more interdependent in nature.

In a team level study by Ten Brummelhuis et al.(2012) it was found that the demands from the

side of family of the team members negatively affected the performance level of the team(as

rated by the supervisors).This is because when they are overburdened with family

responsibilities the task work of the team members were reduced.

Absenteeism

There are number of studies that have shown that work-family programs result in less

absenteeism and vice versa. Researchers show that employees take free time away from their job

to balance the work and family. Hughes &Bozionelos (2007) confirmed that there is a relation

between work-life imbalance and non-genuine sick absence. Koslowsky (2000) developed a two

stage model were work life conflict was one of the reason for lateness of the employees. In a

study on employed married parents by Erickson et al. (2000) family demands were found to be

associated with higher absence frequency.

Employee Turnover

Employees tend to leave the organization when they are not able to attain a balance between

work and family. As per the study in 1998 by Abbott et al. the total costs (direct and indirect

cost) associated with the exit (separation, replacement, and training of new employees) of high-

performing women in managerial cadre in a large professional services business is

approximately $75 000 per employee. Johnson (1995) claimed that the tendency for employees

who have work life conflict to quit the job is three times greater than the employees who have

work life balance. He found that work-family programs enhanced the employee morale and

employee retention rates. Grover& Crooker (1995) found that there is a relationship between

different family friendly policies and turnover intention. Hughes and Bozionelos (2007) stated

that there is a clear connection between problems with work-life balance and withdrawal

behaviours like turnover. A study of emotional exhaustion among social welfare workers found

that burnout affected job performance (as judged by managers) and was a strong predictor of

turnover (Wright &Cropanzano, 1998). Thus employees having high level of burnout because of

work-life imbalance may also leave the organization.

Poor Performance

In a study on issues that pertain to work-life balance of male workers it was found that work-life

imbalance was not the only matter of concern, but it was also the major source of dissatisfaction

for employees (Hughes and Bozionelos, 2007) which lead to poor performance. When

employees do not have necessary time to meet their responsibilities both at home and at work, it

affects their performance at work (Greenhaus, and Beutell, 1985). Keene and Reynolds (2005)

stated that among married employees, family demands negatively affected the job performance

of women employees than male employees. This is because of the fact that women employees

made more adjustments in their workloads for the sake of their family like they refuse to do

overtime work or were not willing to do assignments. A study by Meyer et al. (2001) among

working mothers working in 100 Best Companies found that work-life balance practices have a

positive impact on profit or performance but all the work-life balance practices do not have a

positive impact on profit or performance. Thus the study shows that increasing the number of

children in subsidized day care programs, job sharing etc have a negative effect on profitability

where as telecommuting has a positive impact on profits.

Strategies to handle Work - Family and Family -Work

Interface

Various research have shown that there are several strategies to handle the spillover effect of

Work - Family and Family -Work Interface. These studies consistentlydemonstrate that a

supportive workplace culture reduces job-to-home spillover (Warrenand Johnson 1995; Galinsky

et al. 1996; Thompson et al. 1999).Mennino et al (2005)also proved that a family-friendly

workplace culture reduces negative spillover rather than the company policies. According to

them in family-friendly organizational climate male and female employees find it easier to

balance their work andfamily as their employer considers their non-workplace demandsand do

not penalize employees who attend to the personal matters outside of the workplace. Some other

researchers had suggested the strategies like job sharing, flexi work timing ,working at

home,telecommuting,childcare benefits,referral services for child or elder care, cash subsidies,

etc.( Smith and Gardner,2007 ; Galinsky and Stein, 1990; Doherty, 2004; Ferber, O’Farrell, and

Allen 1991) for handling negative spillover of work/family interface and family/work interface.

Conclusion

Employees are the lifeblood of service organizations. It is the responsibility of the organizations

to see that the employees can balance their work and life when they strive hard to take the

organization to new heights. The existence of any service organization depends on their

employees who are effective and efficient. The organization can attain high performance by

reducing the spillover effect of work/ family and family/ work interface of their employees. The

techniques like job sharing, flexi work timing,family friendly work culture, working at home,

telecommuting etc. can be adopted by service organization thus reducing the negative spillover,

which is instrumental in achieving healthy work and family balance.

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