Blurred Boundaries: Gender and Work–Family Interference in Cross-National Context. (May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruppanner, Leah; Huffman, Matt L.
• Is Part Of: Work and occupations. Volume 41:Number 2(2014:May)
• Page Start: 210
• Page End: 236
• Publication Date: 2014-05
• Subjects: occupational sex segregation -- labor market outcomes -- work attitudes -- conflict -- worker action; Occupations -- Periodicals; Professions -- Periodicals; 306.36
• DOI: 10.1177/0730888413500679
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0730-8884

Abstract

Although well theorized at the individual level, previous research has neglected the role of national context in shaping overall levels of nonwork–work and work–nonwork interference. This study fills this gap by examining how a national context of gender empowerment affects the likelihood of experiencing nonwork–work and work–nonwork interference at the individual and national levels. Controlling for individual-level differences in the distribution of job demands and resources, results from our multilevel models indicate that women's empowerment has significant net gender and parenthood effects on nonwork–work interference. By contrast, gender empowerment equally structures work–nonwork interference for these groups. Our results highlight the need to investigate interference bidirectionally and in a multilevel context.