Developing and testing an integrative model of the work-family interface

An integrative model of the work-family interface was developed and tested. This model extends prior work by Frone, Russell, and Cooper (1992a). Although the present model adopts the distinction between work-to-family and family-to-work conflict, several important changes have been incorporated. First, a more explicit attempt is made to model the reciprocal (i.e., feedback) relations between work and family life. Second, a distinction is drawn between proximal and distal predictors of work-family conflict. Third, the relations between work-family conflict and role-related affect have been differentiated into predictive and outcome relations. Finally, role-related behavior and behavioral intentions have been explicitly incorporated into the model. Data were obtained from a sample of 372 employed adults who were married and/or parents. The model was tested with structural equation modeling techniques and the results were supportive. The present model provides a general framework to help organize past research and guide future research on the work-family interface.