Regular Article
Family-Supportive Work Environments: The Role of Organizational Perceptions

https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2000.1774Get rights and content

Abstract

The present study examines global employee perceptions regarding the extent their work organization is family-supportive (FSOP). Data gathered from 522 participants employed in a variety of occupations and organizations indicated that FSOP responses related significantly to the number of family-friendly benefits offered by the organization, benefit usage, and perceived family support from supervisors. FSOP responses also explained a significant amount of unique variance associated with work–family conflict, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions above and beyond the variance explained by the number of family-friendly benefits available by the organization and supervisor support. Results indicated that FSOP mediates the relationship between family-friendly benefits available and the dependent variables of work–family conflict, affective commitment, and job satisfaction. FSOP also mediated the relationship between supervisor support and work–family conflict. The results underscore the important role that perceptions of the overall work environment play in determining employee reactions to family-friendly benefit policies.

References (56)

  • C. Cammann et al.

    The Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire.

    (1979)
  • K.E. Christensen et al.

    Flextime: A viable solution to work/family conflict?

    Journal of Family Issues

    (1990)
  • J. Cohen et al.

    Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences.

    (1982)
  • R. Cropanzano et al.

    Dispositional affectivity as a predictor of work attitudes and job performance

    Journal of Organizational Behavior

    (1993)
  • M.A. Donovan et al.

    The perceptions of fair interpersonal treatment scale: Development and validation of a measure of interpersonal treatment in the workplace

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    (1998)
  • R. Eisenberger et al.

    Perceived organizational support

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    (1986)
  • J. Fierman

    Are companies less family-friendly?

    Fortune

    (1994, March 21)
  • Fletcher, J., & Bailyn, L.1996. Challenging the last boundary: Reconnecting work and family. In M. B. Arthur & D. M....
  • D.E. Friedman

    Work and family: The new strategic plan

    Human Resource Planning

    (1990)
  • Friedman, D. E., & Galinsky, E.1992. Work and family issues: A legitimate business concern. In S. Zedeck Ed., Work,...
  • Friedman, D. E., & Johnson, A. A.1997. Moving from programs to culture change: The next stage for the corporate...
  • E. Galinsky et al.

    The impact of human resource policies on employees

    Journal of Family Issues

    (1990)
  • Gilbert, L. A., Hallett, M., & Eldridge, N. S.1994. Gender and dual-career families: Implications and applications for...
  • J. Glass et al.

    Employer characteristics and the provision of family responsive policies

    Work and Occupations

    (1995)
  • S.J. Goff et al.

    Employer supported child care, work/family conflict, and absenteeism: A field study

    Personnel Psychology

    (1990)
  • S.L. Grover et al.

    Who appreciates family-responsive human resource policies: The impact of family-friendly policies on the organizational attachment of parents and non-parents

    Personnel Psychology

    (1995)
  • L.R. James et al.

    Mediators, moderators, and tests for mediation

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    (1984)
  • Cited by (1234)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text