Who Receives More Family Related Support in the Workplace? A Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Family Related Support
The purpose of the current study was to meta-analytically estimate if gender differences exist in the provision of family related support in the workplace. Gender differences are of particular interest in the realm of family related support in the workplace because they lie at the intersection of prescribed gender roles for both men and women at home and work. Family related support plays an integral role in an employees’ willingness to utilize family friendly policies that organizations provide to meet the increasing needs of employees to balance work and family demands. Though it may seem like a simple research question, theoretical models provide conflicting predictions on the presence of gender differences and the empirical evidence is inconsistent. Hunter and Schmidt’s (2004) meta-analytical procedures were employed to test for the presence of gender differences in family related support and potential moderators. Results indicate that female employees receive significantly more family related support than male employees in the workplace. Additionally, significant moderators of the gender difference were GDP, unemployment rate, masculinity, and time orientation. Theoretical and practical implications regarding the role that gender roles play in support and work-family conflict are discussed.
Family support, FSOP, FSSB, Gender differences, Meta-analysis, Workplace, Industrial and Organizational Psychology
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