Human Resource Management

Case Analysis under Human Resource Management Specialization

Work-Family Interface of a Dual-career Couple: A Case of

Psychological Distress

Submitted to:
Pro. Prem Raj Pant, PhD
Far Western University
Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur

Submitted by:
Dinesh Pant
M Phil Scholar, Management
Far Western University
Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur

March 2023

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Work-Family Interface of a Dual-career Couple: A case of psychological Distress

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Question and Answers based on the ase “Work-Family Interface of a Dual-career Couple: A Case
of Psychological Distress” presented above:

Question 1: How would you analyze this family-work conflict situation?

Answer 1:

In this particular circumstance, Rita Prasai is seeking advice from Ramesh regarding personal-
family issues. It is clear how different dynamics of working couples' job involvement shape
their family satisfaction. This case examined and analyzed the relationship between positive
and negative family work interactions and Rita's marital and job satisfaction. Both of them
were satisfied and happy with their professional careers in this case. On the other hand, Rita
felt that her household responsibilities were interfering with her professional career
development. Rita believed sharing and discussing their household chores would bring family
satisfaction.

Scarcity theory (Goode, 1960) underpins the concept of role conflict, which holds that
personal resources, such as time and energy, are finite and that devoting more resources to one
role necessitates devotifeweress resources to other roles. In comparison to research, ego or
psychological involvement or preoccupation with one domain renders a person unable to
perform the responsibilities of the other domain, resulting in a work-family conflict situation.
According to the study, husbands appear to drive more job satisfaction as they become more
involved in their jobs and have more discretionary time to spend on job-related activities, and
they are happy when they have time to work on job-related matters at home. However, this
does not appear to be the case with Rita, who is both a career woman and a homemaker. In
terms of demographic characteristics, a gendered approach deserves special consideration
because family and work conflicts affect more women than men due to historically established
gender roles. Furthermore, the extensive demands of household chores can cause an
individual to feel anxious or tired, which can impair his or her performance at work. To sum it
up, having a good working environment is not enough; it is also necessary to have a good
household environment in which both husband and wife work together to solve any problems
that may arise in both their professional and personal lives. As a result, family satisfaction is
as important as job satisfaction.

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Question 2: Do you think this is a case of inter-role conflict?

Answer 2:

Work and family conflict was initially defined by (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985) as a type of
inter-role conflict in which the role pressures from the work and family domains are mutually
incompatible in some ways. Following that, empirical evidence established that work and
family conflict should be viewed as a two-way concept, i.e., family-work conflict and work-
family conflict. Work-family conflict is defined as a type of inter-role conflict in which the
general demands of time devoted to and strain created by the job interfere with performing
family-related responsibilities, whereas family-work conflict is defined as a type of inter-role
conflict in which the general demands of time devoted to and strain created by the family
interfere with performing work-related responsibilities (Novitasari, Sasono, & Asbari, 2020).

As far as I am concerned, this is a case of inter-role conflict. The reason for this particular set
of circumstances is that Rita's husband and Rita used to talk about their jobs and plans for
their future careers. Her husband, on the other hand, does not get involved in family matters,
which is why she was unhappy and frustrated. Shekhar defined job satisfaction as the
perception of receiving recognition and appreciation from colleagues, which provides him
with both pleasure and positive energy. However, Rita was the one who juggled the roles of a
career woman and homemaker. She believes that if a husband and wife spend more time
together at home and help each other manage family-related activities, they can achieve a high
level of family satisfaction.

Question 3: What are the perceptual differences between Rita and Shekhar regarding family-
work satisfaction?

Answer 3:

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in research and writing on the
interrelationship of work and family. However, various types of differences arise in these
scenarios. There were also perceptual differences between Rita and Shekhar regarding family-
work satisfaction. Some of them are:

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

 Rita was unhappy and remained frustrated as Shekhar have to lie to listen to Rita about
family matters. However, they used to talk about their job-related matters and their
plans for career progression and they both were satisfied and happy with their
professional career. This showed that Rita and Shekhar were happy with their career
but Rita was unsatisfied with the family environment.
 Rita thinks that her household responsibilities were interfering with her professional
career development but Shekhar does not have time to discuss household chores.
Hence, family satisfaction could be realized if they had time to share and discuss their
household chores together.
 Shekhar viewed job satisfaction, through the perception of receiving recognition and
appreciation from colleagues which offers him both pleasure and positive energy but
he never tried to share any house responsibilities with his wife and give positive
energy to the household environment.
 From the study, it can be seen that Shekhar and other husbands are more involved in
their jobs and also have more discretionary time on job-related activities. However,
Rita and most of the wives are not able to do so because they have to perform dual
roles of career woman and homemaker.

Hence, both husband and wife can enjoy a high level of satisfaction when they spend
more time together at home and help each other in managing family-oriented
activities.

Question 4: What kind of correlation do you expect between job satisfaction and family
satisfaction? Are these factors mutually exclusive?

Answer 4:

There is no definitive answer to the correlation between job satisfaction and family
satisfaction, as the relationship can vary depending on individual circumstances and personal
values. However, research suggests that there can be a positive correlation between job
satisfaction and family satisfaction, as individuals who are satisfied with their work may have
greater financial stability, job security, and personal fulfillment, which can in turn contribute
to greater satisfaction with their family life.

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Traditionally, work and family life were viewed as separate spheres, but changing social,
demographic, and economic trends have challenged this perspective. However, the nature of
the relationship between work and family life remains unclear. While life satisfaction has been
a major focus of research, the specific area of family life satisfaction has received less
attention. Job satisfaction accounts for 25% of overall life satisfaction, indicating a potential
positive correlation between job and family satisfaction. Although work and family are
considered distinct domains, they can have both positive and negative impacts on each other.
This suggests that there may be a mutually inclusive relationship between work and family,
rather than a mutually exclusive one. In summary, there is a need for further research on the
specific relationship between job satisfaction and family satisfaction and how they intersect
with each other.

It is also worth noting that job satisfaction and family satisfaction are not mutually exclusive
factors. While they may be separate domains of life, they can also interact and influence one
another. For example, a person who is dissatisfied with their job may bring that negative
energy home, potentially causing conflict and tension within their family. On the other hand, a
person who is fulfilled by their work may have more energy and positivity to invest in their
family relationships. Therefore, it is important to consider both job satisfaction and family
satisfaction as important components of overall life satisfaction.

Question 5: Which of the following factors or variables would you consider to analyze and
explain this situation?

a. Work-related factors (e.g., Occupational stress or flexibility of working hours),

b. Non-work related factors (e.g., household chores, marital conflict) and
c. Individual and demographic-related factors (e.g., personality, behavior, gender)

Answer 5:

All three factors or variables (work-related, non-work-related, and individual/demographic-

related) can play a significant role in analyzing and explaining the work-family interface of
dual-career couples focusing on psychological distress.

a. Work-related factors such as occupational stress or flexibility of working hours can

influence the extent to which work demands interfere with family demands and vice versa.

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

High levels of occupational stress can lead to psychological distress and negatively impact
family life, while greater flexibility in working hours may help dual-career couples manage
work and family responsibilities and reduce psychological distress.

b. Non-work related factors such as household chores and marital conflict can also
significantly impact the work-family interface of dual-career couples. Unequal distribution of
household chores can lead to stress and conflict, while marital conflict can negatively impact
both work and family domains, leading to psychological distress.

c. Individual and demographic-related factors such as personality, behavior, and gender can
also play a role in the work-family interface of dual-career couples. For instance, personality
traits such as conscientiousness and neuroticism can influence how individuals manage work
and family demands, while gender roles and expectations may influence how couples balance
work and family responsibilities.

For example, on analyzing the given case, all three factors - work-related, non-work-related,
and individual/demographic-related - would be taken into consideration as independent
variables. This is because each of these factors has a direct or indirect association with the job
and family satisfaction. The inflexible working hours of Rita and Shekhar have negatively
impacted their family satisfaction. Rita feels that her household responsibilities are interfering
with her professional development, but this could be minimized if they had more time to
discuss and share their household chores. When they talk about their careers, both are satisfied
and happy with them. Shekhar, on the other hand, sees his job satisfaction as dependent on
receiving recognition and appreciation from colleagues, which provides him with positive
energy. All three variables have a dynamic impact on both family and work satisfaction.
Therefore, to achieve a high level of satisfaction, both husband and wife need to spend more
time together at home and help each other manage family-oriented activities.

Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the work-family interface of dual-career couples

focusing on psychological distress should consider all three factors (work-related, non-work-
related, and individual/demographic-related) and how they interact with each other to
influence psychological distress in dual-career couples.

Question 6: As an organizational psychologist, what would be your advice to this couple?

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

Answer 6:

As an organizational psychologist, my advice to manage psychological distress of the work-

family interface of dual career couples would be as follows:

a. Encourage flexible work arrangements: Employers can offer flexible work arrangements
such as flexible working hours, telecommuting, job-sharing, or part-time work. This can help
reduce work-family conflict and increase job satisfaction, which in turn can lead to higher
family satisfaction.

b. Promote work-family balance: Employers can provide resources such as counseling

services, employee assistance programs, and family-friendly policies to help employees
manage their work and family responsibilities. This can help employees to manage the stress
and psychological distress caused by the work-family interface.

c. Train managers to be supportive: Managers can be trained to be supportive of their

employees' work-family responsibilities. They can be taught to be empathetic, understanding,
and flexible in their approach to work assignments and deadlines.

d. Increase communication: Employers can encourage open communication between

employees and their supervisors. This can help employees to voice their concerns and needs
regarding work-family balance, which can lead to better management of the work-family
interface.

e. Encourage spousal support: Employers can provide support to dual-career couples by

encouraging spousal support. This can include providing resources such as counseling
services and work-life balance programs for spouses.

According to a study conducted by Shockley, Clark, and Dodd (2017), flexible work
arrangements and supportive management are associated with lower levels of work-family
conflict and higher levels of job satisfaction. Another study by Frone (2003) found that
employees who experience high levels of work-family conflict are more likely to experience
psychological distress.

In conclusion, employers can take steps to manage the psychological distress of the work-
family interfacedual-careerreer couples by providing flexible work arrangements, promoting

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress

 Human Resource Management

work-family balance, training managers to be supportive, increasing communication, and

encouraging spousal support. These strategies can help employees to manage their work and
family responsibilities and reduce the stress and psychological distress caused by the work-
family interface.

Work-family interface of Dual career couple- A case of psychological distress