Examining the Relationship Between Work-to-Family Conflict and Parenting Behavior

Although work-family conflict (WFC) has been of particular interest to work-family researchers, little attention has been paid to the consequences of WFC that reside in the family domain. Research on WFC and child outcomes is especially scant. The current study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating the relationship between work-interfere-with-family (WIF) and three forms of parent-child interaction behavior (PB): physical and recreational PB (PRPB), cognitive and academic-oriented PB (CAPB), and passive and maintenance-oriented PB (PMPB). The mechanism by which WIF relates to PB was further investigated by examining negative emotion as a mediator and trait guilt as a moderator of the relationship. Employed parents of early school-aged children (n = 201) participated in the survey. Results indicated that both time- and strain-based WIF were negatively related to two types of active PB, PRPB and CAPB. However, negative emotion did not mediate the relationship between WIF and PB. With regard to the moderating role of trait guilt, support was found for PRPB. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future directions, are discussed