Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Introducing Theoretical Approaches to Work-Life Balance and Testing a New Typology Among Professionals

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Creating Balance?

Abstract

Clark (2000) defines work-family balance as “satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict” (p. 751). In this chapter, we examine how professionals have succeeded in achieving work-life balance in their lives. First, we examine classic and current approaches to multiple roles and then introduce a typology of work-life balance based on the synthesis of the presented theoretical foundation. We propose four types of work-life balance; beneficial, harmful, active, and passive. The employees belonging to each type are expected to differ qualitatively from each other in relation to psychological functioning and role engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aryee S, Srinivas ES, Tan HH (2005) Rhythms of life: antecedents and outcomes of work-family balance in employed parents. J Appl Psychol 90:132–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakker AB, Geurts SAE (2004) Toward a dual-process model of work-home interference. Work Occup 31:345–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett RC, Baruch GK (1985) Women’s involvement in multiple roles and psychological distress. J Pers Soc Psychol 49:135–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett RC, Hyde JS (2001) Women, men, work, and family. Am Psychol 56:781–796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellavia GM, Frone MR (2005) Work-family conflict. In Barling J, Kelloway EK, Frone MR (eds) Handbook of work stress. Sage, Thousand Oaks CA, pp 113–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergman LR, Magnusson D, El-Khouri BM (2003) Studying individual development in an interindividual context: a person-oriented approach. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Byron K (2005) A meta-analytic review of work-family conflict and its antecedents. J Vocat Behav 67:169–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson DS, Kacmar MK, Williams LJ (2000) Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional measure of work-family conflict. J Vocat Behav 56:249–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson DS, Kacmar MK, Wayne JH, Grzywacz JG (2006) Measuring the positive side of the work-family interface. Development and validation of a work-family enrichment scale. J Vocat Behav 68:131–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caspi A, Roberts BW, Shiner RL (2005) Personality development: Stability and change. Ann Rev Psychol 56:453–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Central Intelligence Agency (2008) The world fact book: distribution of family income – Gini index. https://http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html. Accessed 24 Nov 2008

  • Clark SC (2000) Work/family border theory: a new theory of work/family balance. Hum Relat 53:747–770

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke MC, Koch LC, Hill EJ (2004) The work-family interface: differentiating balance and fit. Fam Consum Sci Res J 33:121–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeNeve KM, Cooper H (1998) The happy personality: a meta-analysis of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychol Bull 124:197–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards JR, Bagozzi RP (2000) On the nature and direction of relationships between constructs and measures. Psychol Methods 5:155–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frone MR (2003) Work-family balance. In Quick JC, Tetrick LE (eds) Handbook of occupational health psychology. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp 143–162

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Frone MR, Russell M, Cooper ML (1992) Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict: testing a model of the work-family interface. J Appl Psychol 77:65–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geurts SAE, Taris TW, Kompier MAJ, Dikkers JSE, van Hooff MLM, Kinnunen UM (2005) Work-home interaction from a work psychological perspective: development and validation of a new questionnaire, the SWING. Work Stress 19:319–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goode WJ (1960) A theory of role strain. Am Sociol Rev 25:483–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenhaus JH, Beutell NJ (1985) Sources and conflict between work and family roles. Acad Manage Rev 10:76–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenhaus JH, Collins KM, Shaw JD (2003) The relation between work-family balance and quality of life. J Vocat Behav 63:510–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grzywacz JG, Bass BL (2003) Work, family, and mental health: testing different models of work-family fit. J Marriage Fam 65:248–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grzywacz JG, Carlson DS (2007) Conceptualizing work-family balance: implications for practice and research. Adv Dev Hum Resour 9:455–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grzywacz JG, Marks NF (2000) Reconceptualizing the work-family interface: an ecological perspective on the correlates of positive and negative spillover between work and family. J Occup Health Psychol 5:111–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones F, Burke RJ, Westman M (2006) Work-life balance: a psychological perspective. Psychology Press, New York, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Judge TA, Locke EA, Durham CC (1997) The dispositional causes of job satisfaction: a core evaluations approach. Res Organ Behav 19:151–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Judge TA, Bono JE, Ilies R, Gerhardt MW (2002) Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. J Appl Psychol 87:765–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahn RL, Wolfe DM, Quinn RP, Snoek JD, Rosenthal RA (1964) Organizational stress: studies in role conflict and ambiguity. Wiley, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinnunen U, Feldt T, Mäkikangas A (2008) Testing the effort-reward imbalance model among Finnish managers: the role of perceived organizational support. J Occup Health Psychol 13:114–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnunen U, Feldt T, Geurts S, Pulkkinen L (2006) Types of work-family interface: well-being correlates of negative and positive spillover between work and family. Scand J Psychol 47:149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnunen U, Mauno S, Geurts S, Dikkers J (2005) Work-family culture in organizations: theoretical and empirical approaches. In Poelmans SAY (ed) Work and family: an international research perspective. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah NJ, pp 87–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchmeyer C (1992) Perceptions of nonwork-to-work spillover: challenging the common view of conflict-ridden domain relationships. Basic Appl Soc Psychol 13:231–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg U, Frankenhaeuser M (1999) Stress and workload of men and women in high-ranking positions. J Occup Health Psychol 4:142–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks SR (1977) Multiple roles and role strain: some notes on human energy, time and commitment. Am Sociol Rev 42:921–936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks SR, MacDermid SM (1996) Multiple roles and the self: a theory of role balance. J Marriage Fam 58:417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rantanen J (2008). Work-family interface and psychological well-being: a personality and longitudinal perspective. Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research 346. University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä

    Google Scholar 

  • Sieber SD (1974) Toward a theory of role accumulation. Am Sociol Rev 39:567–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiedje LB, Wortman CB, Downey G, Emmons C, Biernat M, Lang E (1990) Women with multiple roles: role-compatibility perceptions, satisfaction, and mental health. J Marriage Fam 52:63–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokar DM, Fischer AR, Subich LM (1998) Personality and vocational behavior: a selective review of the literature, 1993–1997. J Vocat Behav 53:115–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voydanoff P (2005) Toward a conceptualization of perceived work-family fit and balance: a demands and resources approach. J Marriage Fam 67:822–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wayne JH, Musisca N, Fleeson W (2004) Considering the role of personality in the work-family experience: relationships of the big five to work-family conflict and facilitation. J Vocat Behav 64:108–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wayne JH, Grzywacz JG, Carlson DS, Kacmar KM (2007) Work-family facilitation: a theoretical explanation and model of primary antecedents and consequences. Hum Res Manage Rev 17:63–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Johanna Rantanen & Saija Mauno

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Ulla Kinnunen

  3. Estonian Business School, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

    Kati Tillemann

Authors
  1. Johanna Rantanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ulla Kinnunen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Saija Mauno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kati Tillemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johanna Rantanen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universität der Bundeswehr München, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, Neubiberg, 85577, Germany

    Stephan Kaiser

  2. Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingols, Auf der Schanz 49, Ingolstadt, 85049, Germany

    Max Josef Ringlstetter

  3. , Institute for Socio-Management, Stirling Management School, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom

    Doris Ruth Eikhof

  4. University Nova of Lisboa, Campus de Campolide, Lisboa, 1099-032, Portugal

    Miguel Pina e Cunha

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rantanen, J., Kinnunen, U., Mauno, S., Tillemann, K. (2011). Introducing Theoretical Approaches to Work-Life Balance and Testing a New Typology Among Professionals. In: Kaiser, S., Ringlstetter, M., Eikhof, D., Pina e Cunha, M. (eds) Creating Balance?. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16199-5_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation