Background
Work-Family Conflict (WFC)
Sources of WFC
Consequences of WIF
Methods
Research design
Instruments
Sociodemographic data of respondents
Work-Family Conflict
Psychosocial work factors and physical and mental health outcome scales (COPSOQ)
Other factors regarding work organisation
vocational training |
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During the last 12 months, did you take part in a vocational training? (no; yes, internal training; yes, external training)
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Who paid your last vocational training? (my superior/employer, I myself, independent sponsors, e.g. industry, research fonds, etc.)
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Was it made possible for you to change your duty for vocational training in the past? (no; yes, partly; yes, completely)
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support at work
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Does your superior acknowledge the efforts and results of your work? (always, often, sometimes, seldom, never/hardly never, I have no superior/no colleagues)
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Do your colleagues acknowledge the efforts and results of your work? (always, often, sometimes, seldom, never/hardly never, I have no superior/no colleagues)
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How often do you experience competitive pressure among your colleagues? (always, often, sometimes, seldom, never/almost never, I have no superior/no colleagues)
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time devoted to a role
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If you worked overtime, would you report it to your superior? (no, partly, yes)
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How often was the duty roster changed on short-notice (i.e., within 1 to 3 days) during the last 3 months? (never, around once/twice a month, around once a week, several times a week)
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If the duty roster was changed on short-notice, how often did you have to work on a day off? (never, less than once a month, more often than once a month)
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If the duty roster was changed on short-notice, how often did you have to work on a weekend off? (never, less than once a month, more often than once a month)
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If the duty roster was changed on short-notice, how often were your family/personal preferences ignored? (never, less than once a month, more often than once a month)
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If the duty roster was changed on short-notice, how often did you have to continue working after your duty? (never, less than once a month, more often than once a month)
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If the duty roster was changed on short-notice, how often did you have to postpone a planned vacation? (never, less than once in 6 months, more often than once in 6 months)
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In the case of a changed duty roster on short-notice, how stressful was it for you to work on a day off? (not at all stressful, a bit stressful, very stressful)
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In the case of a changed duty roster on short-notice, how stressful was it for you to work on a weekend off? (not at all stressful, a bit stressful, very stressful)
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In the case of a changed duty roster on short-notice, how stressful was it for you when family/personal preferences were ignored? (not at all stressful, a bit stressful, very stressful)
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In the case of a changed duty roster on short-notice, how stressful was it for you to continue working after your duty? (not at all stressful, a bit stressful, very stressful)
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In the case of a changed duty roster on short-notice, how stressful was it for you to postpone a planned vacation? (not at all stressful, a bit stressful, very stressful)
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What do you think are the most likely reasons for short-notice changes of the duty roster? (responsibility for too many patients, mismanagement in duty roster planning, personnel shortage, colleagues on parental leave, colleagues on vacation, colleagues on sick leave)
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communication
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How often were team meetings (with colleagues and superiors) used as a platform to discuss criticism and improvement strategies? (never; less than once a month; more often than once a month)
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outcomes
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During the last 12 months, how often did you go to work despite own illness? (× times)
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Statistical analyses
Sample
absolute (n) | relative (%) | |
---|---|---|
Hospital | ||
A | 110 | 37.2 |
B | 186 | 62.8 |
Age cohort
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up to 34 years | 126 | 42.6 |
35 – 44 years | 98 | 33.1 |
45 – 54 years | 44 | 14.9 |
55 years and older | 21 | 7.1 |
Gender
| ||
male | 178 | 60.1 |
female | 114 | 38.5 |
Professional status
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resident | 128 | 43.2 |
board certified specialist | 72 | 24.3 |
attending | 76 | 25.7 |
head of department | 16 | 5.4 |
Area of specialisation
| ||
surgery | 57 | 19.3 |
internal medicine | 53 | 17.9 |
anesthesiology | 48 | 16.2 |
pediatrics | 46 | 15.5 |
small surgical specialities | 31 | 10.5 |
patient-distant specialities | 36 | 12.2 |
neurological-dermatological | 20 | 6.8 |
others/no answer | 5 | 1.7 |
Cultural background
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Germany | 277 | 93.6 |
foreign country | 18 | 6.1 |
Family status
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living with a partner | 221 | 74.7 |
living with a child under 15 yrs | 114 | 38.5 |
Work contract
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part-time | 35 | 11.8 |
full-time | 261 | 88.2 |
temporary | 139 | 47.0 |
permanent | 155 | 52.4 |
Results
Work-Family Conflict
Prevalence of WIF
Comparison of WIF to German population
Sociodemographic predictors of WIF
COPSOQ data
Predictors for Work-Family Conflict: bivariate and multivariate analysis
characteristics of work organisation |
F
|
p
| eta | eta2
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
number of days gone to work despite own illness | + | 16.296 | < .001 | .386 | .146 |
planned vacations postponed (frequency) | + | 13.074 | < .001 | .291 | .085 |
staff shortage as presumed reasons for changes in duty roster | + | 23.098 | < .001 | .270 | .073 |
strain due to a lost weekend off | + | 10.413 | < .001 | .264 | .070 |
strain due to changes in duty roster ignoring personal requests | + | 9.335 | < .001 | .252 | .063 |
colleagues on vacation as presumed reasons for changes in duty roster | + | 14.230 | < .001 | .215 | .046 |
exemption from duty during training | + | 7.688 | .001 | .225 | .051 |
personal requests ignored at changes in duty roster (frequency) | + | 7.374 | .001 | .221 | .049 |
strain due to being called on duty out of a day off | + | 7.063 | .001 | .221 | .049 |
strain due to having to continue to work after shift | + | 6.144 | .002 | .205 | .042 |
competitive pressure in department | + | 4.072 | .003 | .232 | .054 |
colleagues on maternity/parental leave as presumed reasons for changes in duty roster | + | 8.776 | .003 | .171 | .029 |
general frequency changes in duty roster on short notice | + | 4.754 | .003 | .218 | .047 |
appreciation of work by superiors | - | 3.502 | .008 | .216 | .047 |
continue working after shift (frequency) | + | 3.922 | .021 | .164 | .027 |
cumul. r
2
| stand. beta | significance | |
---|---|---|---|
quantitative demands | .32 | .46 |
p < .001 |
number of days gone to work despite own illness | .39 | .22 |
p < .001 |
age group | .42 | -.19 |
p < .001 |
frequency to postpone vacation due to changes on duty roster | .44 | .16 |
p < .01 |
sense of community | .45 | -.10 |
p < .05 |
Gender difference in sources of WIF
mean |
n
| sd |
F
|
p
| eta | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Work-Family Conflict (WIF) | female | 73.73 | 114 | 23.099 | .021 | .886 | .01 |
male | 74.15 | 177 | 25.487 | ||||
total | 73.99 | 291 | 24.539 | ||||
predictor for WIF
| |||||||
sense of community | female | 77.67 | 114 | 15.942 | 8.976 | .003 | .17 |
male | 72.05 | 178 | 15.428 | ||||
total | 74.24 | 292 | 15.843 | ||||
outcome variables for WIF
| |||||||
job satisfaction | female | 52.38 | 114 | 15.914 | 4.734 | .030 | .13 |
male | 56.92 | 178 | 18.286 | ||||
total | 55.15 | 292 | 17.511 | ||||
Work Ability Index (WAI) | female | 77.99 | 106 | 13.388 | 5.139 | .024 | .13 |
male | 81.36 | 176 | 11.247 | ||||
total | 80.09 | 282 | 12.183 | ||||
Copenhagen Burnout | female | 51.05 | 114 | 17.712 | 9.731 | .002 | .18 |
Inventory (CBI) | male | 44.25 | 178 | 18.477 | |||
total | 46.90 | 292 | 18.453 |
Comparison of psychosocial work stressors to German population
Outcome factors
outcome scales
| Pearson's r
|
p (two-sided) |
n = |
---|---|---|---|
behavioural stress symptoms | .58 | < .01 | 294 |
Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), personal burnout | .55 | < .01 | 295 |
satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) (5–35) | -.42 | < .01 | 295 |
job satisfaction | -.36 | < .01 | 295 |
intention to leave | .37 | < .01 | 294 |
cognitive stress symptoms | .31 | < .01 | 295 |
Work Ability Index (0–100) | -.30 | < .01 | 285 |
general health status | -.26 | < .01 | 294 |