Abstract
With the lasting impact of the shift to telework due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that organizations understand the effects of teleworking and family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSBs) on important work-family outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal implications that formal vs. informal telework arrangements and FSSBs have on anticipated work-family conflict (AWFC) and workplace telepressure. A sample of undergraduate students read two vignettes manipulating telework arrangements (formal/informal) and amount of FSSBs (high/low), then responded to outcome measures through a survey. The informal teleworking arrangement was hypothesized to result in higher AWFC and workplace telepressure than the formal teleworking arrangement. The high FSSBs condition was posited to result in lower AWFC and workplace telepressure than the low FSSBs condition. An interaction was expected in both dependent variables, such that ratings would be particularly high when teleworking was informal and FSSBs were low. In our sample, we found no main effect of formal vs. informal teleworking arrangement, partial evidence for the hypothesized main effect of FSSBs, and some evidence for the interaction between the two. Implications for managerial training and organizational teleworking policies are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Data and materials are available upon request to the first author.
Notes
We tried to devise two highly similar (i.e., equivalent) scenarios with the only major differences being the manipulated text tied to our two independent variables. We used differences in the scenarios (e.g., name of company, gender of child) as the basis for our memory questions that served as our manipulation checks that student read and comprehended the scenarios. We did not want to use the exact same scenario twice as this would make the manipulation of our two independent variables extremely obvious.
References
Aguinis, H., & Bradley, K. J. (2014). Best practice recommendations for designing and implementing experimental vignette methodology studies. Organizational Research Methods, 17(4), 351–371. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114547952
Anderson, L., Washington, C., Kreider, R. M., & Gryn, T. (2023). Share of one-person households more than tripled from 1940 to 2020. U.S. Census. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/06/more-than-a-quarter-all-households-have-one-person.html#:~:text=Over%20a%20quarter%20(27.6%25),to%202020%20(Figure%201)
Barber, L. K., Conlin, A. L., & Santuzzi, A. M. (2019). Workplace telepressure and work–life balance outcomes: The role of work recovery experiences. Stress & Health, 35(3), 350–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2864
Barber, L. K., & Santuzzi, A. M. (2015). Please respond ASAP: Workplace telepressure and employee recovery. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 20(2), 172–189. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038278
Boswell, W. R., & Olson-Buchanan, J. B. (2007). The use of communication technologies after hours: The role of work attitudes and work-life conflict. Journal of Management, 33(4), 592–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307302552
Boumans, N. P., De Jong, A. H., & Janssen, S. M. (2011). Age-differences in work motivation and job satisfaction. The influence of age on the relationships between work characteristics and workers’ outcomes. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 73(4), 331–350. https://doi.org/10.2190/AG.73.4.d
Casper, W. J., Eby, L. T., Bordeaux, C., Lockwood, A., & Lambert, D. (2007). A review of research methods in IO/OB work-family research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 28–43. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.28
Casper, W. J., Vaziri, H., Wayne, J. H., DeHauw, S., & Greenhaus, J. (2018). The jingle-jangle of work-nonwork balance: A comprehensive and meta-analyatic review of its meaning and measurement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(2), 182–214. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000256
Chambliss, D. F., & Schutt, R. K. (2018). Making sense of the social world: Methods of investigation. Sage Publications.
Cinamon, R. G. (2006). Anticipated work-family conflict: Effects of gender, self-efficacy, and family background. The Career Development Quarterly, 54(3), 202–215. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2006.tb00152.x
Conway, J. M., & Lance, C. E. (2010). What reviewers should expect from authors regarding common method bias in organizational research. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25, 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9181-6
Coyle, E. F., Van Leer, E., Schroeder, K. M., & Fulcher, M. (2015). Planning to have it all: Emerging adults’ expectations of future work-family conflict. Sex Roles, 72, 547–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0492-y
de Menezes, L. M., & Kelliher, C. (2011). Flexible working and performance: A systematic review of the evidence for a business case. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13, 452–474. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00301.x
de Menezes, L. M., & Kelliher, C. (2017). Flexible working, individidual performance, and employee attitudes: Comparing formal and informal arrangements. Human Resource Management, 56(6), 1051–1070. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21822
Delanoeije, J., & Verbruggen, M. (2019). The use of work-home practices and work-home conflict: Examining the role of volition and perceived pressure in a multi-method study. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2362. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02362
Edwards, J. R., & Rothbard, N. P. (1999). Work and family stress and well-being: An examination of person-environment fit in the work and family domains. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 77(2), 85–129. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1998.2813
Fogarty, H., Scott, P., & Williams, S. (2011). The half-empty office: Dilemmas in managing locational flexibility. New Technology, Work & Employment, 26(3), 183–195. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-005X.2011.00268.x
Frye, N. K., & Breaugh, J. A. (2004). Family-friendly policies, supervisor support, work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and satisfaction: A test of a conceptual model. Journal of Business and Psychology, 19(2), 197–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-004-0548-4
Grawitch, M. J., Werth, P. M., Palmer, S. N., Erb, K. R., & Lavigne, K. N. (2018). Self-imposed pressure or organizational norms? Further examination of the construct of workplace telepressure. Stress and Health, 34(2), 306–319. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2792
Hammer, L. B., Kossek, E. E., Yragui, N. L., Bodner, T. E., & Hanson, G. C. (2009). Development and validation of a multidimensional measure of family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB). Journal of Management, 35(4), 837–856. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308328510
Hokke, S., Bennetts, S. K., Crawford, S., Leach, L., Hackworth, N., Strazdins, L., ..., & Cooklin, A. (2021). Does flexible work 'work'in Australia? A survey of employed mothers' and fathers' work, family and health. Community, Work, & Family, 24(1), 488–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2019.1704397
Hong, J., & Jex, S. (2022). The conditions of successful telework: Exploring the role of telepressure. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10634. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710634
Hu, X., Santuzzi, A. M., & Barber, L. K. (2019). Disconnecting to detach: The role of impaired recovery in negative consequences of workplace telepressure. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 35(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2019a2
Kooij, D. T., De Lange, A. H., Jansen, P. G., Kanfer, R., & Dikkers, J. S. (2011). Age and work-related motives: Results of a meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(2), 197–225. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.665
Kossek, E. E., Pichler, S., Bodner, T., & Hammer, L. B. (2011). Workplace social support and work–family conflict: A meta-analysis clarifying the influence of general and work–family-specific supervisor and organizational support. Personnel Psychology, 64(2), 289–313. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01211.x
Kossek, E. E., Ruderman, M. N., Braddy, P. W., & Hannum, K. M. (2012). Work–nonwork boundary management profiles: A person-centered approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81(1), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.04.003
Kreiner, E. G., Hollensbe, C. E., & Sheep, L. M. (2009). Balancing borders and bridges: Negotiating the work-home interface via boundary work tactics. The Academy of Management Journal, 52(4), 704–730. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.43669916
Lapierre, L. M., & Allen, T. D. (2006). Work-supportive family, family-supportive supervision, use of organizational benefits, and problem-focused coping: Implications for work-family conflict and employee well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 11(2), 169–181. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.11.2.169
Lapierre, L. M., & McMullan, A. D. (2016). A review of methodological and measurement approaches to the study of work and family. In T. D. Allen & L. T. Eby (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of work and family (pp. 349–361). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199337538.013.4
Lautsch, B. A., Kossek, E. E., & Eaton, S. C. (2009). Supervisory approaches and paradoxes in managing telecommuting implementation. Human Relations, 62(6), 795–827. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726709104543
Leonhardt, M. (2022). COVID isn’t the thing keeping people working from home anymore. Fortune. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from https://fortune.com/2022/04/01/remote-work-from-home-march-jobs-report-covid/
Liu, J. (2023). New grads are already worried about being overworked in their first jobs out of college. CNBC. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/new-college-grads-worried-about-being-overworked-in-their-first-jobs.html
Liu, P., Wang, X., Li, A., & Zhou, L. (2019). Predicting work–family balance: A new perspective on person–environment fit. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1804. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01804
MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, P. M. (2012). Common method bias in marketing: Causes, mechanisms, and procedural remedies. Journal of Retailing, 88(4), 542–555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2012.08.001
Maloni, M. J., Gligor, D. M., Cheramie, R. A., & Boyd, E. M. (2019). Supervisor and mentoring effects on work-family conflict in logistics. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 49(6), 644–661. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPDLM-12-2017-0389
Martin, B. H., & MacDonnell, R. (2012). Is telework effective for organizations? A meta-analysis of empirical research on perceptions of telework and organizational outcomes. Management Research Review, 35(7), 602–616. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211238820
Maurer, R. (2022). The class of 2022 is ready to work – on their terms. Society for Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/the-class-of-2022-is-ready-to-work-icims-report.aspx
Minkin, R. (2021). Even in industries where majorities can telework, some face challenges working from home during pandemic. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/25/even-in-industries-where-majorities-can-telework-some-face-challenges-working-from-home-during-pandemic/
Nakrošienė, A., Bučiūnienė, I., & Goštautaitė, B. (2019). Working from home: Characteristics and outcomes of telework. International Journal of Manpower, 40(1), 87–101. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-07-2017-0172
Park, S., & Cho, Y. J. (2020). Does telework status affect the behavior and perception of supervisors? Examining task behavior and perception in the telework context. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(7), 1326–1351. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1777183
Park, Y., Fritz, C., & Jex, S. M. (2011). Relationships between work-home segmentation and psychological detachment from work: The role of communication technology use at home. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(4), 457–467. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023594
Parker, K., Horowitz, J. M., & Minkin R. (2022). COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape work in America. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/02/16/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america/
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Rainsford, E., Maloney, W. A., & Popa, S. A. (2019). The effect of unemployment and low-quality work conditions on work values: Exploring the experiences of young Europeans. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 682(1), 172–185. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716219830378
Smith, C. E., Huang, S., Horan, K. A., & Barratt, C. L. (2021). The “what”, “why” and “whom” of interrole interference among home-based teleworkers. Occupational Health Science, 5, 519–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-021-00084-7
Spector, P. E. (2006). Method variance in organizational research: Truth or urban legend? Organizational Research Methods, 9(2), 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428105284955
Terry, B. (2022). Average reading speed (WPM) by age and grade level. Scholar Within. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://scholarwithin.com/average-reading-speed
Troup, C., & Rose, J. (2012). Working from home: Do formal or informal telework arrangements provide better work–family outcomes? Community, Work & Family, 15(4), 471–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2012.724220
Waples, E. P., & Baskin, M. E. B. (2021). Not your parents’ organization? Human resource development practices for sustainable flex work environments. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 23(2), 153–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422320982933
Westring, A. F., & Ryan, A. M. (2011). Anticipated work–family conflict: A construct investigation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(2), 596–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2011.02.004
Wilder, E., Aziz, S., & Wuensch, K. (in press). Working 9 to always: Relationships among workplace telepressure, ICT boundary creation, and workaholism. Health Psychology Report. https://doi.org/10.5114/hpr/165873
Funding
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All three authors contributed to the conceptualization and writing of this manuscript. Data collection and analysis was performed by Tiffany Huynh and Janet McDonald. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tiffany Huynh and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical approval and consent to participate
Approval for this study was granted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Louisiana State University. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Consent for publication
All authors consent with the publication of the submitted manuscript. The submitted manuscript has not been published in any other journals.
Human and animal ethics
The human subjects who participated in this study were treated in accordance with ethical standards as the institutional review board approval was obtained at the first author’s institution (IRBAM-21–0998).
Competing interests
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix: family scenarios
Appendix: family scenarios
Family Scenario 1
Imagine yourself 10 years in the future. You live in a town called Magnolia. You are currently married with one child, a 5-year-old son named Andrew. While at home, you are typically responsible for making Andrew’s after-school snack, checking his homework, and cooking dinner. You have been married for a little over 6 years. Your spouse’s name is Jessie. Both you and Jessie work for a living. Jessie works full-time as the manager of the local bakery in town while you are working in the job described below.
Family Scenario 2
Imagine yourself 10 years in the future. You live in a town called Hillwood. You are currently married with one child, a 5-year-old daughter named Isabella. While at home, you are typically responsible for making Isabella’s after-school snack, checking her homework, and making dinner. You have been married for around 7 years. Your spouse’s name is Alex. Both you and Alex work for a living. Alex works full-time as the manager of a local bank in town while you are working in the job described below.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huynh, T., McDonald, J.L. & Smith, R.W. The effect of anticipated telework conditions and family-supportive supervisor behaviors on work-family outcomes. Curr Psychol 43, 17065–17078 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05675-5
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05675-5