The development and test of a framework examining the associations between gambling behavior, strain-based gambling interference with work and nonwork, cognitive disengagement, and role performance

ABSTRACT

Despite considerable advances, existing work–family conflict research tends to ignore the possibility that some behaviors may transcend work and nonwork, potentially causing interference in both domains. One such experience is gambling, which involves staking something of material value (often money) on an event with an uncertain outcome in an attempt to win additional goods of material values. The current study builds on and extends recent research by examining gambling behavior as a potential source of strain-based interference with both work and nonwork within a sample of 259 working adults who gamble at least weekly. A framework is developed and tested that links gambling behavior to strain-based gambling interference with both work and nonwork, and then links gambling interference to reduced role performance in each respective domain. We also investigate whether reduced cognitive engagement in each domain serves as a partial explanatory mechanism for the deleterious effects of gambling interference. These links are tested controlling for the effects of overall strain-based work interference with family and family interference with work, in order to isolate the effects of gambling interference and provide a rigorous test of the study predictions. Strong support was found for the proposed framework.

RESUMEN

A pesar de bastante progreso las estudios de conflicto entre trabajo y familia, hay tendencia a desconocer la posibilidad que alguna conducta puede sobresalir trabajo y no trabajo que causa conflicto con las dos. Jugar par dinero, par ejemplo, supone el uso de alga, (dinero, a menudo) en una situation cpor examinar la conducta de 259 adultos que trabajan quienes juegan par dinero par lo menos una vez la semana . Par el uso de armadua creada para examinar su efecto en situaciones de trabajo y no trabajo especialmente la conducta influida par tension. Tambien investigamos si menos dedicacion en las dos puede explicarse coma causa de un efecto muy deletereo quando el juego de dinero se presenta. Tambien, examinamos efectos de la tension de trabajo y no trabajo para isolar las efectos del jugar. Se encontró un fuerte apoyo para el marco propuesto.

KEYWORDS:

• Work–family
• gambling
• work-nonwork
• role performance
• engagement

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Trabajo-familia
• el juego de dinero
• trabajo vs no trabajo
• function de rolllo y motivacion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Lillian T. Eby is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research at the University of Georgia. Her research interests are in the area of occupational health psychology with a particular emphasis on relationships at work and the work–family interface.

Melissa E. Robertson received her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Georgia. Her research interests center on the work-life interface, dyadic and relational processes in work and family life, and occupational health.

Rachel L. Williamson received her Ph.D. in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include personality and employee well-being, with emphasis on the integrity of data in terms of measurement and methods.

Cynthia K. Maupin is a doctoral candiate in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include the study of leadership, leadership development, teams, and social networks.

Notes

1 Participants confirmed that gambling was a cross-domain activity. On average participants reported that 9% of their time spent gambling was done at work, although there was substantial variability in this estimate (SD = 20%, range = 0–100%).

2 The parameter estimates associated with work interference with nonwork and nonwork interference with work are available upon request from the first author. We also tested the structural model excluding nonwork and work interference. The pattern of significant findings was identical both with and without nonwork and work interference controls.