一个工作家庭冲突的双向模型：一个在中国双职工夫妇中的研究

A Dyadic Model of the Work–Family Interface:A Study of Dual-Earner Couples in China

Man Yee Ho

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Xuefei Chen

Chinese Foreign Affairs University

Fanny M.Cheung and Huimin Liu

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Everett L.Worthington,Jr.

Virginia Commonwealth University

This study adopted a spillover–crossover model to examine the roles of personality and perceived social support as antecedents of the work–family interface among dual-earner couples in China.Married couples (N ϭ306)from 2major cities in China (Shanghai and Jinan)completed questionnaires measuring a relationship-oriented personality trait (i.e.,family orientation),perceived family and work support,and work–family conflict and enhancement.The results showed that family orientation and perceived family support was positively associated with family-to-work enhancement and negatively associated with family-to-work conflict for both husbands and wives.Perceived work support was positively associated with family-to-work enhancement for wives and negatively associated with work-to-family conflict for husbands.Similarities in family orientation between partners were positively correlated with the individual’s family-to-work enhancement.This study also illustrated the crossover of the work–family interface between dual-earner couples by using the actor–partner interdependence model.The pattern of associations between personality trait and perceived social support varied by gender.Husbands’family orientation was negatively correlated with work-to-family enhancement experienced by wives,and husbands’perceived work support was positively correlated with work-to-family enhancement experienced by wives.Wives’perceived work support was positively correlated with family-to-work conflict experienced by husbands.

Keywords:work–family enhancement,work–family conflict,actor–partner interdependence model,dual-earner couples

The potential impact of work on employees’personal lives is far reaching,affecting not only the employees but other family mem-bers as well (Edwards &Rothbard,2000).However,work–family research has been overly individual-focused.Existing research has generally lost sight of the fact that individuals do not live in a social vacuum:They affect and are affected by coworkers and family members.Moreover,most studies of the work–family in-terface have relied on single-source,self-report data,and little attention has been given to crossover effects in dual-earner cou-ples.The number of dual-earner families has increased in contem-porary societies,producing the need to understand how individuals meet their work and family responsibilities and how each member of the “dual-earner”dyad affects and is affected by his/her part-ner’s work and family experiences.Evidence suggests,for exam-

ple,that depressive symptoms “cross over”from one working family member to another (Hammer,Cullen,Neal,Sinclair,&Shafiro,2005).Furthermore,most work–family research has taken place in countries that tend toward the individualistic end of the “individualistic–collectivistic”continuum (Hofstede,2001).There is evidence that individuals and couples from different cultures experience work and family differently (F.M.Cheung &Halpern,2010;Spector et al.,2004;Yang,Chen,Choi,&Zou,2000).For instance,family-to-work conflict was positively related to job satisfaction in the United States (representing an individualistic culture),but was negatively related in Singapore (representing a collectivistic culture;Galovan et al.,2010).Consequently,the overarching goal of the present study was to identify important correlates of both positive and negative work–family spillover and crossover on a dyadic level (with couple data)in a collectivistic (i.e.,Chinese)context.

Work and family are intertwined domains of human life.Estab-lishing and maintaining harmony between work and family lives are generally regarded as being of great importance for individuals,families,organizations,and society as a whole.In various con-temporary Chinese societies,about 50%to 75%of women are expected to participate in paid employment at different stages of life (Halpern &Cheung,2008).As a result,the number of dual-earner couples in China is growing rapidly.Research has showed

Man Yee Ho,Department of Psychology,Chinese University of Hong Kong,People’s Republic of China;Xuefei Chen,Department of Diplo-macy,Chinese Foreign Affairs University,Beijing,People’s Republic of China;Fanny M.Cheung and Huimin Liu,Department of Psychology,Chinese University of Hong Kong;Everett L.Worthington,Jr.,Depart-ment of Psychology,Virginia Commonwealth University.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Man Yee Ho,Department of Psychology,Chinese University of Hong Kong,Shatin,N.T.,Hong Kong.E-mail:myho@.hk

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology ©2013American Psychological Association 2013,Vol.18,No.1,53–631076-8998/13/$12.00DOI:10.1037/a0030885

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