Gender, polychronicity, and the work–family interface: is a preference for multitasking beneficial?

ABSTRACT

This study examined how polychronicity, or the preference to do several things concurrently, was related to work and family overload, work–family conflict, and outcomes in the work, family, and life domains (i.e. turnover intent, family, and life satisfaction). Using conservation of resources theory as a framework, polychronicity was conceptualized as a resource that could be used to reduce work and family overload. The participants were 553 employed parents from Canada and the US. Results indicated that polychronicity was related to lower work overload. Lower work overload was related to lower work interference with family conflict, lower turnover intent, and higher family and life satisfaction. We also examined gender differences and found that, although women scored significantly higher than men on family overload and family satisfaction, and significantly lower than men on life satisfaction, there was no mean gender difference on polychronicity. In addition, the path coefficients in the model were not significantly different for men and women.

RÉSUMÉ

Cette étude a examiné comment la préférence de multitâche est lié au travail et a la surcharge de la famille, le travaille et les conflits familiale, les résultats de travaille ainsi que les domaines de la famille et de la vie (par exemple, l’intention de trouver un nouveau emploi, et la satisfaction familiale et de vie). En utilisant la théorie,«Conservation of Resources», les multitâches on été conceptualisée comme une ressource qui pourrait être utilisé afin de réduire le travail et la surcharge de la famille. Les participants incluent 553 parents qui travaillent au Canada et aux États-Unis. Les résultats indiquent que les multitâches sont liées à la réduction de surcharge de travail. Une surcharge de travail inferieure est liée à une diminution d’interférence de travail avec les conflits familiale, un taux inférieure d’intention de trouver un nouveau emploi et des taux élevé de satisfaction dans le domaine de la famille et la vie. Nous avons également examiné les différences entre les sexes et nous avons constaté que tandis que les femmes ont obtenue des résultats plus élevé que les hommes au niveau de la surcharge de la famille et la satisfaction familiale, elles était inférieure au homme au niveau de la satisfaction de vie. Il n’y avait aucune différence moyenne entre les sexes au niveau des multitâches. En outre, les coefficients dans le modèle n’étaient pas différents entre les femmes et les hommes de façon significative.

KEYWORDS:

• Work–family
• polychronicity
• multitasking
• gender
• role overload

MOTS-CLÉS:

• Travaille familiale
• multitâches
• sexes
• surcharge des rôles

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the members of the Project 3535 research team including Dr. Zeynep Aycan, Dr. Anne Bardoel, Dr. Anat Drach-Zahavy, Dr. Artiawati, Dr. Ting-Pang Huang, Dr. Tripti Pande-Desai, Dr. Steven Poelmans, Dr. Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Dr. Anit Somech, and Dr. Li Zhang for their contribution to the theoretical and empirical foundation of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Karen Korabik received her Ph.D. in Evaluative/Applied Psychology from St. Louis University. She is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Guelph where she is affiliated with the faculty of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Centre for Families, Work, and Well-Being. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She has carried out research in a wide variety of public and private sector organizational settings both in Canada and internationally. She has published more than 50 book chapters and scientific articles on topics such as work–family balance; leadership and conflict management; stress, coping, and social support; job change; gender issues; acculturation; and program evaluation.

Tricia van Rhijn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Studies and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She is an expert on statistical analysis. Her research program is focused on the work–family interface, particularly as it applies to student parents.

Roya Ayman obtained her Ph.D. in Cross-Cultural, Social, and Organizational Psychology from the University of Utah. She is a Professor and the director of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology program at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is also a Fellow of the Leadership Trust. Dr Ayman is the author of numerous articles and chapters on leadership, culture and diversity in the workplace.

Donna S. Lero received her Ph.D. from Purdue University. She is a Professor at the University of Guelph where she holds the Jarislowsky Chair in Families and Work at the Centre for Families, Work, and Well-Being. Her research interests are in social policies, including the integration of work and care across the lifespan. She has published more than 50 book chapters, articles, and government reports on topics such as parental leave policies, child care policies and services, work–family conflict, supports for parents of children with disabilities, and policies affecting father involvement.

Leslie B. Hammer received her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Bowling Green State University. She is a Professor in the Psychology department and the Director of Center for Work-Family Stress, Safety, and Health at Portland State University. Her research focuses on ways in which organizations can help reduce work and family stress and improve positive spillover among employees by facilitating both formal and informal workplace supports, such as Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors training. She is a Past Founding President of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, as well as a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She has authored more than 50 book chapters and referred journal articles.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities research Council of Canada: [410-2004-0204].