Description
Scitus Academics Llc The Work-Family Interface in Global Context by Dorothea Horak
Work–life interface is the intersection of work and private life. Work–family conflict
and enrichment are experiences that occur daily and have substantial
consequences for employees, their families, and the organizations that employ
them. The aim of the current review is to make a link between life and career stage,
work and family conditions, and the work–family interface. This interface can be
adverse in nature (e.g., work-life conflict) or can be beneficial (e.g., work-life
enrichment) in nature. Family, work, and health are mentioned by adults as the most
important things in their lives. Ideally work promotes psychological health in the
form of income and the development of a sense of accomplishment; family or home,
in turn, is a place for attaining close relationships, personal happiness, and
recovery. Today’s adults are, however, facing many challenges while trying to find a
satisfying balance between these life domains. Working life in society has
undergone changes during recent decades, a development which is associated
with global competition and the “24/7” service-on-demand society that is also
evident. This has demanded that workers be flexible, expend more effort, and
endure uncertainties in their lives, even at the risk of their mental health and
fulfilling family life. Context of the work-family interface refers to the perspective
from which the work-family interface is studied. In terms of the ecological systems
theory, individual experiences in face-to-face relationships within work and family
domains reflect the micro-systems of the work-family interface. The linkages and
processes occurring between work and family in addition to shared experiences
and reciprocal effects that occur between an individual and his/her role partners
reflect the system of the work-family interface. The influence of the third life
domain, in which an individual is not involved in work-family interface processes
that directly involve him or her, constitutes the exosystem effects. The influence of
broader social contexts, such as subcultures or larger groups with distinctive norms
and rules, on the work-family interface constitutes the macro-system effects.
The Work-Family Interface in a Global Context contains widespread and precise
cross-cultural study of the work-family interface in contemporary society. Just as
work-family conflict is linked with negative consequences for workers,
organizations, and societies, so too can the work and family sphere relate positively
to enhance or enrich one another. It provides narrative knowledge on the topic from
different perspectives, highlighting not only the inherent challenges but also the
positive side of working in a modern globalized world. In addition, the book covers
several different perspectives on the work and personal life interface offering
insights on the areas like adjustment, social support, dual-career issues and
organizational practices. The contributed chapters in this collection explore the
influence of culture on the work-family interface, in order to help researchers and
managers understand the applicability of work-family models.