Work-Family Values, Priority Goals and Life Satisfaction: A Seven Year Follow-up of MBA Students

The present research takes a motivational approach to examine the work-family interface and well-being. We report a longitudinal
study which shows that giving priority to family goals over work and leisure goals lead to higher life satisfaction after
7 years from reporting such goals. Additionally, this effect was mediated by family satisfaction. We also found that family
priority goals led to higher life satisfaction in time 1 only when people also reported high levels of family values. This
interaction was not significant when predicting life satisfaction at time 2. Instead, family values uniquely predicted life
satisfaction at time 2. Contrary to our expectations work values did not moderate the work priority goals and life satisfaction
relationship either at time 1 nor time 2. However, results showed that individuals who prioritized and valued work over family
reported lower levels of life satisfaction at time 1. This effect was not found at time 2. We used self-determination theory
to develop our hypothesis.