Gender, education and life-cycle stage: The relationship to work-family conflict.

摘要

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the purpose is to examine the relationship between gender differences and life-cycle stage on work-family conflict. Second, the purpose is to investigate whether or not education level is an important factor in the level of work-family conflict. The results indicate that contrary to much research, the gender roles in the United States may be shifting. Rather than the woman having the majority of the responsibilities for the home and the children, men are now assuming these non-traditional responsibilities as well as suffering for the work-family conflict associated with this role. Contrary to much research indicating the younger the child's life-cycle stage, the higher the level of work-family conflict, this study has determined that the older the children are, the higher the level of work-family conflict. Lastly, although there is little to no research using education level as a variable, this study indicated the higher the level of education, the higher the level of work-family conflict.;One instrument was used in this study. The Job-Family Role Strain Scale/Family Management Scale was used to determine the participant's life-cycle stage, gender and education level, and the work-family conflict dimension of overload, interference from home to work, and interference from work to home.;The population for this study consisted of primarily white-collar workers from various organizations in the Midwest. The current study intended to include only those employees who work full-time and have children under the age of eighteen. The population consisted of a variety of different ethnic and social backgrounds as well as an age range of eighteen to over sixty.