Abstract
Welfare states enact a range of policies aimed at reducing work-family conflict. While welfare state policies have been assessed
at the macro-level and work-family conflict at the individual-level, few studies have simultaneously addressed these relationships
in a cross-national multi-level model. This study addresses this void by assessing the relationship between work-family and
family-work conflict and family-friendly policies in 10 countries. Applying a unique multi-level data set that couples country-level
policy data with individual-level data (N = 7,895) from the 2002 International Social Survey Programme, the author analyzes
the relationship between work-family and family-work conflict and four specific policy measures: family leave, work scheduling,
school scheduling, and early childhood education and care. The results demonstrate that mothers and fathers report less family-work
and mothers less work-family conflict in countries with more expansive family leave policies. Also, in countries with longer
school schedules mothers report less and women without children more work-family conflict.
at the macro-level and work-family conflict at the individual-level, few studies have simultaneously addressed these relationships
in a cross-national multi-level model. This study addresses this void by assessing the relationship between work-family and
family-work conflict and family-friendly policies in 10 countries. Applying a unique multi-level data set that couples country-level
policy data with individual-level data (N = 7,895) from the 2002 International Social Survey Programme, the author analyzes
the relationship between work-family and family-work conflict and four specific policy measures: family leave, work scheduling,
school scheduling, and early childhood education and care. The results demonstrate that mothers and fathers report less family-work
and mothers less work-family conflict in countries with more expansive family leave policies. Also, in countries with longer
school schedules mothers report less and women without children more work-family conflict.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-21
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-011-9933-3
- Authors
- Leah Ruppanner, Department of Sociology, University of Hawaii, Hilo, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300