A Cross-National Study on the Antecedents of Work–Life Balance from the Fit and Balance Perspective

TLDR: This article investigated demands and resources as antecedents of work-life balance (WLB) across four countries (New Zealand, France, Italy, and Spain) to provide empirical cross-national evidence.

Abstract: Drawing on the perceived work–family fit and balance perspective, this study investigates demands and resources as antecedents of work–life balance (WLB) across four countries (New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain), so as to provide empirical cross-national evidence. Using structural equation modelling analysis on a sample of 870 full time employees, we found that work demands, hours worked and family demands were negatively related to WLB, while job autonomy and supervisor support were positively related to WLB. We also found evidence that resources (job autonomy and supervisor support) moderated the relationships between demands and work–life balance, with high resources consistently buffering any detrimental influence of demands on WLB. Furthermore, our study identified additional predictors of WLB that were unique to some national contexts. For example, in France and Italy, overtime hours worked were negatively associated with WLB, while parental status was positively associated with WLB. Overall, the implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Figures

Table 4. Final Structural Model Path Results

Table 3. Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations of Model Variables

Figure 3. Interaction Plots, Demands and Job Autonomy to WLB

Table 2. Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Study Variables

Figure 2. Interaction Plots, Demands and Supervisor Support to WLB

Table 1. Overall Study Demographics

Full text

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Haar, J.M., Sune, A., Russo, M. et al. A Cross-National Study on the
Antecedents of Work–Life Balance from the Fit and Balance
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TITLE:
A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY ON THE ANTECEDENTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE FROM THE FIT AND
BALANCE PERSPECTIVE
AUTHORS:
JARROD M. HAAR
1
Faculty of Business
Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
email: jarrod.haar@aut.ac.nz
ORCID: 0000-0001-8935-4953
ALBERT SUNE
1
*
Department of Management
Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
ESEIAAT, C. Colom 11, 08222, Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain
email: albert.sune@upc.edu
ORCID: 0000-0003-0154-4811
MARCELLO RUSSO
Department of Management
University of Bologna
Via Capo di Lucca, 34
40126 Bologna Italy
email: marcello.russo2@unibo.it
and
KEDGE Business School
680 Cours de la Liberation, 33405, Talence cedex (Bordeaux), France
ARIANE OLLIER-MALATERRE
School of Management (ESG)
Université du Québec A Montréal (UQAM)
Case postale 6192, succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal (Québec), Canada H3C 4R2
email: ollier.ariane@uqam.ca
1
Denotes shared first authorship
* Corresponding author

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A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY ON THE ANTECEDENTS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE FROM THE FIT
AND BALANCE PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
Drawing on the perceived work-family fit and balance perspective, this study investigates demands and resources as
antecedents of work-life balance (WLB) across four countries (New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain), so as to
provide empirical cross-national evidence. Using structural equation modelling analysis on a sample of 870 full time
employees, we found that work demands, hours worked and family demands were negatively related to WLB, while
job autonomy and supervisor support were positively related to WLB. We also found evidence that resources (job
autonomy and supervisor support) moderated the relationships between demands and work-life balance, with high
resources consistently buffering any detrimental influence of demands on WLB. Furthermore, our study identified
additional predictors of WLB that were unique to some national contexts. For example, in France and Italy, overtime
hours worked were negatively associated with WLB, while parental status was positively associated with WLB.
Overall, the implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Keywords
Work-life balance, Job autonomy, Supervisor support, Work demands, Family demands, Cross-national research.

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1. INTRODUCTION
Work-life balance (WLB) refers to individuals’ perceptions of how well work and non-work roles fit together and are
managed in accordance with their personal system of life values, goals, and aspirations (Casper, de Hauw, Wayne
and Greenhaus 2017; Greenhaus and Allen 2011; Haar 2013; Valcour 2007). WLB is a concept that is gaining
momentum in work-life research, alongside work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE)
(Casper et al. 2017; Greenhaus and Allen 2011). Despite this growing interest, research on WLB needs further
development (Frone 2003; Greenhaus and Allen 2011; Greenhaus, Collins and Shaw 2003; Pichler 2009; Kossek,
Baltes and Matthews 2011).
One area in which research on WLB is still at the early stages of development is cross-national comparative
research. A recent review estimates that WLB is examined in only 10% of cross-cultural work-family research
(Shockley, Douek, Smith, Yu, Dumani and French 2017). Broadening the cross-national scope of work-life research
is important because individuals' work-life experiences, including WLB, are embedded in national structural and
cultural contexts (Kossek and Ollier-Malaterre 2013; Greenhaus and Powell 2017; Poelmans 2005; Ollier-Malaterre
and Foucreault 2017; Ollier-Malaterre, Valcour, Den Dulk and Kossek 2013).
In this study, we focus on antecedents of WLB in four countries on which there is still to date little work-
family research (Shockley et al. 2017): New Zealand, France, Italy, and Spain. We examine whether work-related
antecedents— work demands, number of hours worked per week, overtime, job autonomy and supervisor support
and family-related antecedents—family demands, family size and parental status, are likely to increase or decrease
individuals’ perception of WLB in these four countries.
Overall, this paper makes two important contributions to the work-life literature. Firstly, this study provides
empirical evidence of the positive and direct influence that job autonomy and supervisor support may have on WLB,
as well as evidence of the negative and direct effects that work demands and family demands may have on WLB in
different countries. Our study thus provides cross-national empirical validation of relationships that have been tested
primarily in the United States and in a limited number of other countries (Ollier-Malaterre 2015; Shockley et al.
2017). Secondly, we provide empirical evidence that the relationship between the above-mentioned antecedents and
WLB is not direct but rather more complex. For instance, our results demonstrate that the relationships between work
and family demands and WLB are moderated by job autonomy and supervisor support. These findings contribute to
advancing our understanding of how resources and demands present in an individual's workplace are likely to shape

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his or her ability to achieve WLB, which is a remarkable contribution, considering that WLB is an indicator of an
individual’s quality of life (Greenhaus et al. 2003; OECD 2014) and that people spend most of their life at work.
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND HYPOTHESES
The definition of WLB we cited above conceives individuals as subjectively gauging balance between work and the
rest of their life (Guest 2002). This approach stands in contrast with prevailing views that considered WLB to be
equivalent to low role conflict (Duxbury and Higgins 2001), to high role enrichment (Frone 2003) or to an equal
division of time and attention amongst the several roles that compose an individual's eco-system (Marks and
MacDermid, 1996). WLB also differs from other related constructs that only focus on work and family roles, like
work-family conflict (WFC), work-family balance (WFB) or work-family enrichment (WFE). Indeed, WLB captures
individuals’ experiences in a broader set of personal roles, thereby being closer to real life experiences in which
individuals are usually involved in multiple nonwork roles beyond family (Hall et al. 2013). To broaden the scope of
research on balance, Keeney et al. (2013) identified eight non-work domains that are susceptible to be influenced by
work-life dynamics: health, family, household, friendship, education, romantic relationships, community and leisure.
To summarize, scholars now converge on the following points regarding the conceptualization of WLB: it is a
holistic concept that concerns all the meaningful roles in which an individual is engaged. WLB is unique to each
person and its achievement mostly depends upon the fulfilment of personal life values, priorities and aspirations in
accordance with one' social context (Greenhaus and Allen 2011; Pichler 2009; Kossek, Valcour and Lirio 2014).
2.1. The perceived work-family fit and balance perspective
We base our rationale on the perceived work-family fit and balance perspective (Voydanoff 2005). Consistent with
the person-organization fit perspective (Chatman 1991), the work-family fit and balance perspective posits that
individuals tend to experience greater strain and lower balance when they perceive a misfit between the demands
present in their social environment and the resources at their disposal to cope with such demands (Moen, Kelly and
Huang 2008; Voydanoff 2005). Fit is likely to occur when an individual has the resources or abilities needed to meet
the demands of the environment, while strain is expected when demands exceed the individual’s resources or
abilities (Moen et al. 2008). Voydanoff (2005) directly associates the perception of balance to an overall assessment
of fit in work and family domains. Drawing on this theoretical perspective, as well as on the recent work of ten
Brummelhuis and Bakker (2012) who have elucidated the importance of individual and contextual resources to

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What are the contributions in this paper?

Drawing on the perceived work-family fit and balance perspective, this study investigates demands and resources as antecedents of work-life balance ( WLB ) across four countries ( New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain ), so as to provide empirical cross-national evidence. Overall, the implications for theory and practice are discussed. Furthermore, their study identified additional predictors of WLB that were unique to some national contexts. 

Q2. What are the future works in this paper?

Overall, the findings of this cross-national study offer a fresh and nuanced picture of similarities and differences in the antecedents of WLB, which the authors hope will encourage future studies in the growing field of comparative work-life research. Further examination of the link between work-family conflict and physical health. In S. A. Y. Poelmans, J. Greenhaus, & M. Las Heras Maestro ( Eds ), Expanding the Boundaries of Work-Family Research: A Vision for the Future. American Behavioral Scientist, 48 ( 9 ), 1204-1221. 

Q3. What were the significant effects of supervisor support on WLB?

The significant effects from supervisor support were with overtime hours worked (path coefficient = -0.04, p < 0.05) and family demands (path coefficient = 0.05, p < 0.05). 

Q4. What are the structural models that were directly related to WLB?

All structural models included control variables (age, gender, private sector) which were directly related to WLB and correlated with all other constructs. 

Q5. What were the significant effects of job autonomy on the family?

The significant effects from job autonomy were with parental status (path coefficient = 0.11, p < 0.01) and family demands (path coefficient = 0.06, p < 0.10). 

Q6. What is the relationship between work demands and family members?

Family demands involve caring for other family members, most commonly children and older family members (Yang, Chen, Choi and Zou 2000), and they have been linked to higher WFC and lower WFE (Voydanoff 2005). 

Q7. What is the relationship between work demands and family demands?

Using structural equation modelling analysis on a sample of 870 full time employees, the authors found that work demands, hours worked and family demands were negatively related to WLB, while job autonomy and supervisor support were positively related to WLB. 

Q8. What are the main factors that affect WLB?

Based on prior research, the authors identify supervisor support and job autonomy as important resources that can shape an individual’s capacity to achieve WLB. 

Q9. Why did Cheung and Rensvold (2002) use the change in CFI score?

To compare the CFA across countries, the authors used the change in CFI score because Cheung and Rensvold (2002) note this fit statistic can adequately assess metric invariance, stating “value of ∆CFI smaller than or equal to –0.01 indicates that the null hypothesis of invariance should not be rejected” (p. 251). 

Q10. What countries are there on which there is little research on work-family?

In this study, the authors focus on antecedents of WLB in four countries on which there is still to date little work-family research (Shockley et al. 2017): New Zealand, France, Italy, and Spain.