Boundary management preferences from a gender and cross-cultural perspective

Author(s): Tammy Allen, Barbara Beham, Ariane Ollier-Malaterre, Andreas Baierl, Matilda Alexandrova, Artiawati, Alexandra Beauregard, Vânia Sofia Carvalho, Maria José Chambel, Eunae Cho, Bruna Coden da Silva, Sarah Dawkins, Pablo Escribano, Konjit Hailu Gudeta, Ting-pang Huang, Ameeta Jaga, Dominique Kost, Anna Kurowska, Emmanuelle Leon, Suzan Lewis, Chang-qin Lu, Angela Martin, Gabriele Morandin, Fabrizio Noboa, Shira Offer, Eugene Ohu, Pascale Peters, Ujvala Rajadhyaksha, Marcello Russo, Young Woo Sohn, Caroline Straub, Mia Tammelin, Marloes Van Engen, Ronit Waismel-Manor
Abstract: Although work is increasingly globalized and mediated by technology, little research has accumulated on the role of culture in shaping individuals' preferences regarding the segmentation or integration of their work and family roles. This study examines the relationships between gender egalitarianism (the extent a culture has a fluid understanding of gender roles and promotes gender equality), gender, and boundary management preferences across 27 countries/territories. Based on a sample of 9362 employees, we found that the pattern of the relationship between gender egalitarianism and boundary management depends on the direction of segmentation preferences. Individuals from more gender egalitarian societies reported lower preferences to segment family-from-work (i.e., protect the work role from the family role); however, gender egalitarianism was not directly associated with preferences to segment work-from-family. Moreover, gender was associated with both boundary management directions such that women preferred to segment family-from-work and work-from-family more so than did men. As theorized, we found gender egalitarianism moderated the relationship between gender and segmentation preferences such that women's desire to protect family from work was stronger in lower (vs. higher) gender egalitarianism cultures. Contrary to expectations, women reported a greater preference to protect work from family than men regardless of gender egalitarianism. Implications for boundary management theory and the cross-national work-family literature are discussed.
Organisation(s): Project: Family Studies in Austria
External organisation(s): University of South Florida, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin, University of Montreal, University of National and World Economy, University of Surabaya, University of London, Oslo New University College, Universidade de Lisboa, National Chengchi University, Nortus, University of Tasmania, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Addis Ababa University, Soochow University, University of Cape Town, BI Norwegian Business School, University of Warsaw, ESCP Europe Business School, Middlesex University, Peking University, University of Bologna, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Bar-Ilan University (BIU), Pan-Atlantic University, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Governors State University, Yonsei University, Bern University of Applied Sciences, University of Tampere, Radboud University, Open University of Israel
Journal: Journal of Vocational Behavior
Volume: 148
No. of pages: 15
ISSN: 0001-8791
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103943
Publication date: 02-2024
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 504011 Genealogy, 509013 Social statistics, 509011 Organisational development
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Education, Life-span and Life-course Studies, Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Portal url: https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/boundary-management-preferences-from-a-gender-and-crosscultural-perspective(90e6f11f-7434-4efe-ad90-0bcf47d58943).html