Influences on employee perceptions of organizational work–life support: Signals and resources,☆☆

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Abstract

This study examined predictors of employee perceptions of organizational work–life support. Using organizational support theory and conservation of resources theory, we reasoned that workplace demands and resources shape employees' perceptions of work–life support through two mechanisms: signaling that the organization cares about their work–life balance and helping them develop and conserve resources needed to meet work and nonwork responsibilities. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that higher demands (work hours and work overload) were associated with reduced perceptions that the organization was supportive of work–life integration. Resources (job security, fit between employees' needs and the flexible work options available to them, supervisor support and work group support) were positively associated with perceptions of organizational work–life support. The results of this study urge further scholarly attention to work-based demands and resources as predictors of perceived organizational work–life support and yield implications for managerial practice.

Section snippets

Perceptions of organizational work–life support

Perceptions of organizational work–life support reflect employees' global assessment of the extent to which their employer respects and supports their desire to successfully combine work and nonwork roles and intends to help them do so. Perceptions of organizational work–life support add value above and beyond other components of work–life support, for example, by facilitating the effective implementation of flexible work options. Research has found that employee perceptions of organizational

Theoretical framework

We draw on two theories, organizational support theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, to develop arguments that workplace factors affect employees' perceptions of organizational work–life support through two primary mechanisms: (a) by leading employees to interpret aspects of the organizational environment as signals of organizational supportiveness and (b) by helping employees to develop and conserve resources that are useful in meeting work and nonwork demands. Organizational

Work hours

The number of hours an employee works constitutes a primary demand of any job, and long work hours are a reality in many contemporary workplaces. In the terms of COR theory, time is among the most highly valued personal resources. The greater the number of hours a person works, the less of this precious resource he or she has to devote to family and personal life. In addition, long work hours can drain other vital resources, such as energy, that are needed in nonwork roles. Consistent with this

Data and sample

We used data from the Age & Generations Study, a study conducted by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College in 2007–2008, to test our hypotheses. The 2025 respondents worked in 13 departments (with an average response rate of 55.3%) within the nine participating organizations, representing multiple industries (education, health care, retail, finance, insurance, and pharmaceuticals). Employees in this sample were 60% female, 40% male, and 41 years old on average. Seventy-three percent

Results

The results of the hierarchical linear models appear in Table 2. With regard to the control variables, those with elder care responsibilities perceived their organizations to be significantly less supportive than those with without elder care responsibilities, while those with a high school degree or less perceived their organizations to be significantly more supportive than those with a graduate degree. Gender, age, marital status, and parental status were nonsignificant.

Hypothesis 1, that

Discussion

Previous research has identified employee perceptions of organizational work–life support as an important predictor of multiple personal, family and job-related outcomes, but has not thoroughly investigated its antecedents; our study helps to fill this gap. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that demands and resources in the work environment contributed to perceptions of organizational work–life support. Employees who worked longer hours were less likely to perceive their organization as

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Cynthia Thompson and Sara Moorman for their thoughtful comments on earlier versions of this article.

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    The research reported here was supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Program on Workplace, Work Force and Working Families to the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College.

    ☆☆

    We would like to thank Cynthia Thompson and Sara Moorman for their thoughtful comments on earlier versions of this article.

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