Chapter 4: A Qualitative Exploration of Reactions to Work-Life Conflict Events

Work-life conflict occurs when expectations from various life roles are incompatible with one another (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Research has provided a great deal of evidence that conflict is related to important outcomes in both work and nonwork domains (e.g., life satisfaction, turnover intentions; Allen, Herst, Bruck, & Sutton, 2000; Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux, & Brinley, 2005; Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1992). The relationship between work-life conflict and negative occupational outcomes has led researchers to theorize that work-family conflict and career satisfaction may be negatively related (Carlson, Kacmar, & Williams, 2000; Martins, Eddleston, & Veiga, 2002; Schneer & Reitman, 1993). However, empirical support for this assertion has thus far been weak (Allen et al., 2000). As a result, we propose that focusing on reactions to conflict as it occurs rather than overall impressions of conflict as is typically measured by work-family conflict assessments may prove beneficial. In this study we will discuss the relationship between work-life conflict and careers from the perspective of Super’s (1980) life-span, life-space theory. We will argue that reactions to conflict events as they occur over time may shape entry, participation, and attrition decisions within career paths. We will then present a preliminary qualitative study describing individuals’ reactions to work-life conflict events.