Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T12:58:01.198Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An integrative model of perceived available support, work–family conflict and support mobilisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Sandra A Lawrence*
Affiliation:
Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Brisbane QLD, Australia

Abstract

Work–family conflict is impacting on increasingly larger numbers of employees. It is therefore important to identify ways in which the negative effects of this stressor can be ameliorated. In this paper an integrative model of perceived available support, work–family conflict and support mobilisation is developed to explore how perceptions of support availability can help employees to cope with work–family conflict. This model is an explicit reflection of the theory of stress-buffering during secondary appraisal, and extends existing theory by incorporating the principles of both the stress-matching and source of support frameworks. The theoretical model enables a more comprehensive examination of the conditions under which stress-buffering is effective in countering the demands of work–family conflict. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdel-Halim, AA (1982) Social support and managerial affective responses to job stress, Journal of Occupational Behaviour 3: 281295.Google Scholar
Aldwin, CM and Revenson, TA (1987) Does coping help? A reexamination of the relation between coping and mental health, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 53(2): 337348.Google Scholar
Anderson, SE and Williams, LJ (1996) Interpersonal, job, and individual factors related to helping processes at work, Journal of Applied Psychology 81(3): 282296.Google Scholar
Ashford, SJ (1988) Individual strategies for coping with stress during organizational transitions, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 24(1): 1936.Google Scholar
Ashkanasy, NM, Ashton-James, CE and Jordan, PJ (2004) Performance impacts of appraisal and coping with stress in workplace settings: The role of affect and emotional intelligence, in Perrewe, P and Ganster, G (Eds) Research in occupational stress and well being, pp 143, JAI Press, Greenwich CT.Google Scholar
Baron, RM and Kenny, DA (1986) The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51: 11731182.Google Scholar
Beehr, TA (1995) Psychological stress in the workplace, Routledge, New York.Google Scholar
Brough, P and O'Driscoll, M (2005) Work–family conflict and stress, in Antoniou, A-SG and Cooper, CL (Eds) Research companion to organizational health psychology, pp 346365, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham UK.Google Scholar
Buunk, BP (1990) Affiliation and helping interactions within organizations: A critical analysis of the role of social support with regard to occupational stress, in Stroebe Wand Hewstone, M (Eds) European review of social psychology, 1: 293322. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Byron, K (2005) A meta-analytic review of work– family conflict and its antecedents, Journal of Vocational Behavior 67: 169198.Google Scholar
Callister, RR, Kramer, MW and Turnam, DB (1999) Feedback seeking following career transitions, Academy of Management Journal 42(4): 429438.Google Scholar
Carver, CS, Scheier, MF and Weintraub, JK (1989) Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 56:267283.Google Scholar
Coates, D and Wortman, CB (1980) Depression maintenance and interpersonal control, in Baum, A and Singer, JE (Eds) Advances in environmental psychology, 2: 149181. Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cohen, S, Gottlieb, BH and Underwood, LG (2000) Social relationships and health, in Cohen, S, Underwood, LG and Gottlieb, BH (Eds) Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists pp 325, University Press, London.Google Scholar
Cohen, S and McKay, G (1984) Social support, stress, and the buffering hypothesis: A theoretical analysis, in Baum, A, Singer, GE and Taylor, SE (Eds) Handbook of psychology and health, 4: 253268. Erlbaum, Hillsdale NJ.Google Scholar
Cohen, S and Wills, TA (1985) Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis, Psychological Bulletin 98(2): 310357.Google Scholar
Cooper, CL, Dewe, PJ and O'Driscoll, MP (2001) Organizational stress: A review and critique of theory, research, and applications, Sage, Thousand Oaks.Google Scholar
Cutrona, CE and Russell, DW (1990) Type of social support and specific stress: Toward a theory of optimal matching, in Sarason, IG, Sarason, BR and Pierce, GR (Eds) Social support: An interactional view, pp 319366, Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Cutrona, CE, Suhr, JA and MacFarlance, R (1990) Interpersonal transactions and the psychological sense of support, in Duck, S and Silver, RC (Eds) Personal relationships and social support pp 3045, Sage, Newbury Park.Google Scholar
Daniels, K and Guppy, A (1995) Stress, social support and psychological well-being in British accountants, Work & Stress 9(4): 423447.Google Scholar
Deeter-Schmelz, DR and Ramsey, RP (1997) Considering sources and types of social support: A psychometric evaluation of the House and Wells (1978) instrument, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 17(1): 4961.Google Scholar
DePaulo, BM (1982) Social psychological processes in informal help seeking, in Wills, TA (Ed) Basic processes in helping relations pp 255279. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Dunseath, J, Beehr, TA, and King, DW (1995) Job stress-social support buffering effects across gender education and occupational groups in a municipal workforce: Implications for EAP's and further research, Review of Public Personnel Administration 15(1): 6083.Google Scholar
Eby, LT, Casper, WJ, Lockwood, A, Bordeaux, C and Brinley, A (2005). Work and family research in IO/OB: Content analysis ad review of the literature (1980-2002), Journal of Vocational Behavior 66: 124197.Google Scholar
Festinger, L (1954) A theory of social comparison processes, Human Relations 7: 117140.Google Scholar
Folkman, S, Chesney, M, McKusick, L, Ironson, G, Johnson, DS and Coates, TJ (1991) Translating coping theory into an intervention, in Eckenrode, J (Ed) The social context of coping pp 239260, Plenum Press, New York.Google Scholar
Folkman, S and Lazarus, RS (1980) An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample, Journal of Health and Social Behavior 22: 457459.Google Scholar
Folkman, S and Lazarus, RS (1985) If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 48 (1): 150170.Google Scholar
Frone, MR (2003) Work–family balance, in Quick, JC and Tetrick, LE (Eds) Handbook of occupational health psychology pp 143162, APA, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Frone, MR, Russell, M and Cooper, ML (1992) Antecedents and outcomes of work–family conflict: Testing a model of the work–family interface, Journal of Applied Psychology 77: 6578.Google Scholar
Frone, MR, Russell, M and Cooper, ML (1995) Relationship of work and family stressors to psychological distress: The independent moderating influence of social support, mastery, active coping and self-focused attention, in Crandall, R and Perrewe, PL(Eds) Occupational stress: A handbook pp 129150, Taylor & Francis, London.Google Scholar
Gilbreath, B (2004) Creating healthy workplaces: The supervisor's role, in Cooper, CL and Robertson, IT (Eds) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 19: 93118. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester England.Google Scholar
Ganster, DC, Fusilier, MR and Mayes, BT (1986) The role of social support in the experience of stress at work, Journal of Applied Psychology 71: 102110.Google Scholar
Goldberg, DP, Gater, R, Sartorius, N and Ustun, TB (1997) The validity of two versions of the GHQ in the WHO study of mental illness in general health care, Psychological Medicine 27: 191197.Google Scholar
Gore, S (1985) Social support and styles of coping with stress, in Cohen, S and Syme, SL(Eds) Social support and health pp 263278, Academic Press, Orlando.Google Scholar
Greenglass, ER, Fiksenbaum, L and Burke, R J (1996) Components of social support, buffering effects and burnout: Implications for psychological functioning, Anxiety, Stress, and Coping: An International Journal 9: 185197.Google Scholar
Greenhaus, JH and Beutell, NJ (1985) Sources of conflict between work and family roles, Academy of Management Review 10: 7688.Google Scholar
Hammer, LB, Colton, CL, Caubet, S and Brockwood, KJ (2002) The unbalanced life: work and family conflict, in Thomas, L and Hersen, M (Eds) Organizational interventions for stress and work– life conflict, pp 83101, Sage, Thousand Oaks.Google Scholar
Heaney, CA, House, JS, Israel, BA and Mero, RP (1995) The relationship of organizational and social coping resources to employee coping behaviour: a longitudinal analysis, Work & Stress 9(4): 416431.Google Scholar
House, JS (1981) Work stress and social support, Addison-Wesley, Sydney.Google Scholar
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (2005) Striking the balance: Women, men, work and family, Sydney, NSW, Australia.Google Scholar
Jones, F and Kinman, G (2001) Approaches to studying stress, in Jones, F and Bright, J (Eds) Stress: Myth, theory and research, pp 1745, Prentice Hall, London.Google Scholar
Kahn, RL and Byosiere, P (1992) Stress in organizations, in Dunnette, MD and Hough, L (Eds) Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (2nd Edn), pp 571650, Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto CA.Google Scholar
Kinman, G and Jones, F (2005) Lay representations of workplace stress: What do people really mean when they say they are stressed? Work & Stress 19(2), 101120.Google Scholar
Koleck, M, Bruchon-Schweitzer, M, Thiebaut, E, Dumartin, N and Sifakis, Y. (200). Stress, coping, and burnout among French general practitioners, European Review of Applied Psychology 50: 309–14.Google Scholar
Lakey, B and Cohen, S (2000) Social support theory and measurement, in Cohen, S, Underwood, LG and Gottlieb, BH (Eds) Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists, pp 2952, Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Lawrence, SA, Pisarski, A and Callan, VJ (2005a) An integrative model of the role of perceived available support in coping with organisational interpersonal conflict. Paper presented at the British Academy of Management 2005 Meeting, Oxford, United Kingdom.Google Scholar
Lawrence, SA, Pisarski, A and Callan, VJ (2005b) Support mobilisation: Facilitators and barriers in a nursing context. Paper presented at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2005 Conference, Canberra, Australia.Google Scholar
Lazarus, RS (1999) Stress and emotion: A synthesis, Springer, New York.Google Scholar
Lazarus, RS and Folkman, S (1984) Stress, appraisal and coping, Springer, New York.Google Scholar
MacEwen, KE and Barling, J (1994) Daily consequences of work interference with family and family interference with work, Work & Stress 8: 244254.Google Scholar
Morrison, EW (1993) Newcomer information seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources and outcomes, Academy of Management Journal 36(3): 557589.Google Scholar
Nadler, A, Mayseless, O, Peri, N and Chemerinski, A (1985) Effects of opportunity to reciprocate and self-esteem on help-seeking behavior, Journal of Personality 53(1): 2335.Google Scholar
Norcross, JC and Prochaska, JO (1986) The psychological distress and self-change of psychologists, counselors, and laypersons, Pyschotherapy 23: 102114.Google Scholar
O'Driscoll, MP and Beehr, T (1994) Supervisor behaviors, role stressors and uncertainty as predictors of personal outcomes for subordinates, Journal of Organizational Behavior 15: 141155.Google Scholar
Pierce, GR, Frone, MR, Cooper, ML and Russell, M (1996) Financial stress, social support, and alcohol involvement: A longitudinal test of the buffering hypothesis in a general population survey, Health Psychology 15: 3847.Google Scholar
Pierce, GR, Sarason, BR and Sarason, IG (1990) Integrating social support perspectives: Working models, personal relationships, and situational factors, in Duck, S and Silver, R (Eds) Personal relationships and social support, pp 173189, Sage, Newbury Park CA.Google Scholar
Pierce, GR, Sarason, BR and Sarason, IG (1992) General and specific expectations and stress as predictors of perceived supportiveness: An experimental study, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 63: 297307.Google Scholar
Pisarski, A and Bohle, P (2001) Effects of supervisor support and coping on shiftwork tolerance, Journal of Human Ergology 30(1): 363369.Google Scholar
Pisarski, A, Bohle, P and Callan, VJ (2002) Short communication: Extended shifts in ambulance work: Influences on health, Stress and Health 18: 119126.Google Scholar
Pisarski, A, Lawrence, SA, Bohle, P, Gallois, C and Watson, BM (2005) An intervention model of shiftwork tolerance. Paper presented at the Academy of Management 2005 Meeting, Hawaii, United States of America.Google Scholar
Reis, HT and Collins, N (2000) Measuring relationship properties and interactions relevant to social support, in Cohen, S, Underwood, LG and Gottlieb, BH (Eds) Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists, pp 136192. Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Relationships Australia (2003) 2003 Relationship Indicators Survey, Canberra.Google Scholar
Sarason, IG, Sarason, BR, Brock, DM and Pierce, GR (1996) Social support: Current status, current issues, in Spielberger, CD and Sarason, IG (Eds) Stress and emotion: Anxiety, anger and curiosity, 16: 328. Taylor & Francis, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Schwarzer, R and Leppin, A (1991) Social support and health: A theoretical and empirical overview, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 8: 99127.Google Scholar
Snow, DL, Swan, SC, Raghavan, C, Connell, CM and Klein, I (2003) The relationship of work stressors, coping and social support to psychological symptoms among female secretarial employees, Work & Stress 17(3): 241263.Google Scholar
Spector, PE (1997) Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences, Sage, Thousand Oaks.Google Scholar
Sutherland, VJ (1995) Stress and the new contract for general practitioners, Journal of Managerial Psychology 10(3): 1728.Google Scholar
Terry, DJ (1991) Coping resources and situational appraisals as predictors of coping behavior, Personality and Individual Differences 12(10): 10311047.Google Scholar
Terry, DJ (1994) The determinants of coping: The role of stable and situational factors, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 66: 895910.Google Scholar
Terry, DJ, Nielsen, M and Perchard, L (1993) Effects of work stress on psychological well-being and job satisfaction: The stress-buffering role of social support, Australian Journal of Psychology 45(3): 168175.Google Scholar
Terry, DJ, Rawle, R and Callan, VJ (1995) The effects of social support on adjustment to stress: The mediating role of coping, Personal Relationships 2: 97124.Google Scholar
Thoits, PA (1986) Social support as coping assistance, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 54(4): 416423.Google Scholar
Tinsley, HEA, de St. Aubin, TM and Brown, MT (1982) College students' help-seeking preferences, Journal of Counseling Psychology 29: 523533.Google Scholar
Torkelson, E and Muhonen, T (2004) The role of gender and job level in coping with occupational stress, Work & Stress 18(3): 267274.Google Scholar
Williams, K and Alliger, GM (1994) Role stressors, mood spillover, and perceptions of work–family conflict in employed parents, Academy of Management Journal 37(4): 837869.Google Scholar
Wills, TA (1991) Social support and interpersonal relationships, in Clark, MS (Ed) Prosocial Behavior, vol 12, Review of personality and social psychology, pp 265289. Sage, Newbury Park.Google Scholar
Wills, TA and DePaulo, BM (1991) Interpersonal analysis of the help-seeking process, in Synder, CR (Ed) Handbook of social and clinical psychology, pp 350375, Peragmon Press, New York.Google Scholar
Wills, TA and Shinar, O (2000) Measuring perceived and received social support, in Cohen, S, Underwood, LG, and Gottlieb, BH (Eds) Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists, pp 86135, Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Winemiller, DR, Mitchell, ME, Sutcliff, J and Cline, DJ (1993) Measurement strategies in social support: A descriptive review of the literature, Journal of Clinical Psychology 49: 639648.Google Scholar
Wortman, CB and Dunkel-Shetter, C (1987) Conceptual and methodological issues in the study of social support, in Baum, A and Singer, JE (Eds) Handbook of psychological and health: Stress, 5: 63108, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale NJ.Google Scholar