Anticipated work-family conflict amongst Commerce students at the University of Cape Town (UCT)

Students who do not yet experience the demands of balancing the dual roles or work and family anticipate the conflict that the multiple role combination may entail. Anticipated work-family conflict (AWFC) was studied amongst a sample of 962 students from the Commerce Faculty at the University of Cape 'lawn (UCT). Based on social-cognitive theory maternal employment, parental role-sharing and parental education levels were investigated as social antecedents to AWFC. Sell-efficacy to manage future work-family conflict, positive affect and negative affect were proposed as personal antecedents to AWFC. Outcome variables examined in relation to AWFC: were career-altering strategies and family-altering strategies. No significant relationship was found between social antecedents and AWFC. Self-efficacy to manage future work-family conflict and negative affect significantly predicted AWFC whilst positive affect did not predict AWFC significantly in the regression model. In addition, students who anticipate work-family conflict in their future reduce their career aspirations and the number of children they intend to have, whilst not the age at which they intend to start a family. Male students were found to have significantly higher AWFC than female students. Data was obtained through a self-report questionnaire. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Organisational Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Harrison, Elisabet

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bagraim, Jeffrey

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9489

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9489