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Three studies were conducted with partnered workingwomen with children younger than 18 years old living at home. The first two studies examine relationships among women's identity, career salience, attachment and coping styles, and work-family issues. The final study explores relations among individual differences, organizational variables, and turnover intent. Findings suggest that conflict as an identity element may be more a function of education and income than individual differences. Turnover intent was predicted only by organizational variables as perceived by the individual, not individual differences.
Keywords: identity; attachment; career salience; flexibility; turnover
I'm always feeling guilty and anxious. I'm a lawyer. When I had my second child, I went to 4 days a week. I'm not succeeding at work; my children aren't doing well; my husband feels neglected; and there's no way he can help out with the kids. He works 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. He and I are not in conflict, but something's got to give. I'm not good at my job; I'm a lousy mother; I'm worried that my husband will have an affair. What's wrong with me?
-Linda
We have a great life. My husband works full-time as a mechanic, and I work in a lab. We have three kids, and recently my nephew moved in with us because he was getting in trouble and needed more attention. On the weekends, I volunteer at the church, mostly helping to feed the homeless, but I do other things too. I'm getting my degree part-time. We have a small house, but I'm really proud of what we've done with it. I made all the curtains and pillow covers, and my husband built some of the furniture.
-Christine
Why do these busy mothers feel so differently about their lives? Is one "healthier" than the other? Does Linda need therapy? Is Christine in denial? More important, what are the variables that set these women apart?
Three studies were conducted to determine whether there was a relationship among individual differences, working conditions, and conditions at home in (a) a convenience sample of partnered working mothers and (b) a population of mothers who worked at a nationwide health care company. The purpose of the first study was to determine whether work-family conflict could be...