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Presentation
Work and Family Conflict: Does Home-Based Telework Make a Difference?
Academy of Management (2005)
  • Susan R. Madsen, Utah Valley University
Abstract
Organizations continually seek to find ways to improve the performance of individuals, groups, and the entire organization. Research has shown that, when employees’ work-family conflict levels are reduced, performance in the workplace can be increased. How to reduce these levels, however, is a complex task. One claim that has been made, but not thoroughly researched, is that teleworking can assist employees in reducing their work-family conflict. This empirical study researched the effects of home-based teleworking on work-family conflict. Its purpose was to investigate the differences in work and family conflict (i.e., overall, forms, directions) between full-time worksite employees and full-time teleworking employees (individuals who teleworked from home at least two days per week). Employees in seven for-profit companies in Minnesota were sampled. Of the 308 surveys distributed, 98 teleworker and 123 non-teleworker surveys were returned for a return rate of 71.7 percent. The findings indicate that teleworkers had lower levels of overall work and family conflict as well as most of the other work-family conflict variables explored (i.e., strain-based, time-based, work interference with family, family interference with work). Relationships were also found between work and family conflict and gender, health, number of hours worked, and number of children.
Keywords
  • Teleworking,
  • Telecommuting,
  • Work-Family Conflict
Publication Date
August, 2005
Citation Information
Susan R. Madsen. "Work and Family Conflict: Does Home-Based Telework Make a Difference?" Academy of Management (2005)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/susan_madsen/47/