Employee work-to-family role boundary management in the family business

ABSTRACT

Family-owned organizations present a unique opportunity to study work-to-family boundary management. Boundary theory suggests that work-to-family boundary dynamics may be different in family businesses, and that family businesses are not a neutral ground for individual employees’ segmentation preferences. The present study draws on the sociocognitive processes underlying boundary theory to explain how the family business context may affect family and nonfamily employees’ work-to-family role management differently. The study examines the work-to-family role boundary configurations of 149 family and non-family employees in family businesses. Results suggest that family employee status buffers against undesirable effects of segmentation preferences in the family business context. For family employees, segmentation preferences were associated with lower work-to-family conflict and unassociated with turnover intentions. For non-family employees, segmentation preferences were associated with higher work-to-family conflict and turnover intentions. Implications for work–family theory and family business successorship and work–family policy are discussed.

RESUMEN

Las organizaciones familiares ofrecen una oportunidad única para estudiar la gestión de límites de trabajo-a-familia. La teoría de límites sugiere que la dinámica de límites de trabajo-a-familia puede ser diferente en las empresas familiares y que las empresas familiares no son un terreno neutral para las preferencias de segmentación de los empleados individuales. El presente estudio se basa en los procesos socio-cognitivos que subyacen en la teoría de límites para explicar cómo el contexto de la empresa familiar puede afectar de manera diferente al manejo de roles de trabajo-a-familia de los empleados familiares y no familiares. El estudio examina las configuraciones de límite del papel de trabajo-a-familia de 149 empleados familiares y no familiares en las empresas familiares. Los resultados sugieren que el estado familiar de los empleados protege contra los efectos indeseables de las preferencias de segmentación en el contexto familiar. Para los empleados familiares, las preferencias de segmentación se asociaron con menores conflictos entre el trabajo y la familia y no estaban asociados con las intenciones de volumen de negocios. Para los empleados no familiares, las preferencias de segmentación se asociaron con mayores conflictos de trabajo-a-familia e intenciones de rotación. Se analizan las implicaciones para la teoría trabajo-a-familia y la sucesión de empresas familiares y la política laboral-familiar.

KEYWORDS:

• Family business
• role boundaries
• work–family conflict
• turnover

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Negocio familiar
• límites de roles
• conflictos trabajo-familia
• volumen de negocios

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Matthew M. Piszczek is an Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and Human Resources at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. His research is focused on the individual and organizational effects of family-friendly human resource management policies and institutional factors that affect their enactment.

Dr Sarah DeArmond is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management and Human Resources at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Dr DeArmond’s research interests are in occupational safety, recruitment, and employee well-being.

Dr Dale Feinauer is a Professor in the Department of Management and Human Resources and Director MBA Programs, and Faculty Liaison Wisconsin Family Business Forum at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. His research interests currently include the dynamics of family businesses and family business succession planning.

ORCID

Matthew M. Piszczek http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6089-1843