The moderating role of perceived available support on the work-family conflict - adjustment relationship.

Abstract

Ameliorating the effects of work-family conflict is a topic of increasing interest both for academic researchers and practitioners. The present study investigates the role of perceived available support in moderating the negative effects of work-family conflict on employee adjustment outcomes (job satisfaction, psychological wellbeing). The study provides explicit testing of the principles of the stress-matching and source of support frameworks by assessing a multidimensional conceptualisation of perceived available support: four supportive functions (emotional, informational, instrumental, appraisal) arising from three sources (supervisor, colleagues, non-work people: partner, family, friends). Usable survey data were obtained from 98 public hospital nurses across two time periods. Regression analyses reveal some support for the predictive utility of the stress-matching and source of support frameworks. However, the pattern of findings suggest that the role of perceived available support in aiding adjustment to work-family conflict is complex and highly dependent on the type and source of supportive function examined. Generally, perceived available instrumental and appraisal support from supervisors have direct effects on job satisfaction. Perceived available colleague support moderates the work-family conflict adjustment relationship with regards to emotional, informational and appraisal support. Perceived available appraisal support from non-work sources moderates the work-family conflict psychological wellbeing relationship.