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Family Responsibility Discrimination, Power Distance, and Emotional Exhaustion: When and Why are There Gender Differences in Work–Life Conflict?

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Abstract

As men take on more family responsibilities over time, with women still shouldering considerably more childcare and housework, an important ethical matter facing organizations is that of providing a supportive environment to foster employee well-being and balance between work and family. Using conservation of resources theory, this multi-source study examines the association between perceived family responsibility discrimination and work–life conflict as mediated by emotional exhaustion. Employee gender and power distance values are tested as moderators of the perceived family responsibility discrimination to emotional exhaustion relationship. Results suggest that male employees who perceive family responsibility discrimination from their supervisor and hold high power distance values experience increased emotional exhaustion and work–life conflict. Female workers who perceive family responsibility discrimination from their supervisor experience increased emotional exhaustion and work–life conflict regardless of whether they have high or low power distance. Findings are consistent with theory-based predictions from conservation of resources theory: resources that are valued and not provided in the work context deplete emotional energies and ultimately trigger work–life conflict. Findings build on the work–life literature by introducing gender and power distance as factors that shape when employees feel the draining effects of family responsibility discrimination.

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  1. Isenberg School of Management, The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 121 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Tiffany Trzebiatowski

  2. Management and Human Resources Department, The Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 975 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    María del Carmen Triana

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  1. Tiffany Trzebiatowski
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Correspondence to María del Carmen Triana.

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Tiffany Trzebiatowski and María del Carmen Triana declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Trzebiatowski, T., Triana, M.C. Family Responsibility Discrimination, Power Distance, and Emotional Exhaustion: When and Why are There Gender Differences in Work–Life Conflict?. J Bus Ethics 162, 15–29 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4000-5

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