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A Longitudinal Examination of Work–Family Balance among Working Mothers in the United States: Testing Bioecological Theory

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Abstract

The current study used a bioecological framework to examine three moderated-mediation models testing the mediating effects of positive work-to-family spillover and positive family-to-work spillover in the relationship between a nonstandard work schedule and work–family balance as well as between relationship quality and work-to-family balance. The moderating effects of education, family–friendly workplace policies, and race in the aforementioned models also were tested. Path analyses were used with longitudinal data from four-time periods to test the models. Results showed family-to-work spillover mediated the relationship between relationship quality and work–family balance in two models, whereas the availability of family–friendly policies significantly moderated these relationships. Relationship quality was one of the most consistently significant variables across all models, suggesting its role in helping establish work-family balance is particularly influential regardless of context. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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Funding

The funding was supported by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant No. R01HD056360).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Childhood Education and Family Studies, Missouri State University, Springfield, USA

    Hassan Raza

  2. Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

    Joseph G. Grzywacz

  3. Department of Family Science and Human Development, Montclair State University, Montclair, USA

    Miriam Linver, Brad van Eeden-Moorefield & Soyoung Lee

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  1. Hassan Raza
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  2. Joseph G. Grzywacz
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Correspondence to Hassan Raza.

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Raza, H., Grzywacz, J.G., Linver, M. et al. A Longitudinal Examination of Work–Family Balance among Working Mothers in the United States: Testing Bioecological Theory. J Fam Econ Iss 42, 601–615 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-020-09747-z

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