“It’s Not the Same for Mom and Dad” – Work-Family Integration of Indian Dual Working Parents in Covid19

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Munmun Goswami

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the work-to-family interface of Indian dual-working parents’ and highlights the gender differences therein. Specifically, the mediating role of work-to-family conflict on role conflict and life satisfaction, and work-to-family enrichment on self-esteem and life satisfaction were observed. Additionally, the moderating effect of resilient coping on the relation between work-to-family conflict and life satisfaction was observed.


Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on the Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 2002) and the Work-Home Resources Model (ten Brummelhuis and Bakker, 2012). Structural Equation Modelling using SPSS AMOS (v.23) was conducted on online data collected from Indian dual-earning parents working-from-home (n=264, male=149, female=115). 75% resided in nuclear family and had one child (68%), and 78% of their spouses worked-from-home. 


Findings: Overall, empirical data provided mixed results. The mediating role of work-to-family conflict between role conflict and life satisfaction was unsupported. However, the mediating effect on work-to-family enrichment between self-esteem and life satisfaction was supported, and the positive impact of enrichment was established. Resilient coping acted as a moderator between work-to-life conflict and life satisfaction, in such a way that high resilient coping decreased the negative impact of work-to-life conflict on life satisfaction. In addition, gender, age, and spouse’s work-from-home status influenced the model. Respondents whose spouses worked from home experienced lesser conflict. The model also varied due to gender, with the women experiencing more conflict than men.


Originality: No prior study explored the impact of both work-to-family interfaces in unison on the relationships mentioned earlier of role conflict, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, exclusively in the Indian context. Hence, the study is uniquely contributing to academicians and practitioners alike.

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