Diversity Management
Work-Family Conflict May Be Affecting Your Latino Workers
While the premise of what is termed “work-family conflict” is simple – demands from, and responsibilities to, work and family interfere with each other – the way different populations are affected is more complicated.Work-family conflict explained
There are three major types of work-family conflict:- Time-based conflict – missing a family event due to work responsibility
- Strain-based conflict – mistreating family after a stressful day at work
- Behavior-based conflict – treating family members like subordinates at work
How work-family conflict affects people
There are a number of serious health-related consequences associated with the stress related to work-family conflict: depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. Having to attend to these health-related issues can then cause even greater conflict, due to the increase in demands and time away from both work and family.The missing link
While there is a wealth of knowledge on work-family conflict, a missing link remains on how different populations are affected. The majority of research studying work-family conflict has focused on white, educated, working professionals – and until recently there has been a lack of research focusing on any other ethnic or socioeconomic group. The different cultural and social circumstances surrounding populations may be instrumental in the way they are affected by work-family conflicts.How the Latino population differs
There are some specific ways in which the work-family conflict differs for the Latino population.- Cultural orientation
- Gender expectations
- Job type
Implications for practice
Understanding how different populations may view and be affected by work-family conflicts can assist organizations in creating and promoting policies aimed at mitigating or decreasing the negative effects of work-family conflict. Organizations employing Latino, and particularly immigrant, populations may want to consider how instituting family-friendly policies, such as flex-time or on-site childcare could help mitigate the stress experienced by staff.Interpretation by:
Kathleen Melcher
DeGarmo Group
This was a summary of the research and practice implications from: Grzywacz, J.G., Arcury, T.A., Marin, A., Carrillo, L. Burke, B., Coates, M.L., & Quandt, S.A. (2007). Work-Family Conflict: Experiences and Health Implications Among Immigrant Latinos. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 1119-1130.