Culture, Elder-care, Interrole Transitions, and Work-family conflict: A U.S.-Chinese Comparison.

摘要

This study provides an exploratory cross-cultural comparison of the role of culture, elder-care demands, and interrole transitions within the work-family conflict context. The two main research questions were focused on how eldercare demands relate to familial collectivism, and how these two constructs related to interrole transitions. One sample from the U.S. (n= 820) and one sample from China (n= 685) were obtained via online survey panels and compared on the same variables. The findings were for the most part similar for China and America overall, and mediation analyses indicated a relationship between elder-care demands and work-family conflict through family-to-work transitioning in the U.S. and this effect only replicated in China when age and gender were not controlled for. Eldercare demands were much larger and were not significantly related to work-family conflict in China, but the opposite was the case for the U.S. Limitations, future research suggestions, and implications are discussed.