The relationship between the use of flexible workplace arrangements and satisfaction with work-family balance amongst working fathers

• Main Author: Manne, Dina
• Other Authors: Bagraim, Jeffrey
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2015
• Subjects: Organisational Psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13796

This study examined the relationship between the use of flexible work arrangements and satisfaction with work-family balance amongst working fathers in South Africa. Two types of flexible work arrangements were examined. Formal flexible work arrangements included flextime, flexplace and paternity leave. Informal flexibility was examined as job control. Survey responses were collected online via Qualtrics (2014). Based on the data from a sample of working fathers employed on a full-time basis in South Africa (N = 371), hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the use of flexible work arrangements was not significantly related to satisfaction with work-family balance. This finding was inconsistent with conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) whereby it was expected that using flexible work arrangements would generate employee resources required to effectively manage multiple role responsibilities, therefore facilitating satisfaction with work-family balance. Interestingly however, job control was found to explain a significant proportion of variance in satisfaction with work-family balance over and above work hours, commute time, neuroticism and number of children living at home. Moderated multiple regression analysis indicated that commute time moderated the relationship between job control and satisfaction with work-family balance such that as job control increased, employees with high and low commute time experienced greater satisfaction with work-family balance. The results of this study encourage greater attention to employee characteristics, such as job control, that represent resources useful for the effective management of work and family roles. Suggestions for future research and management implications are discussed.