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What Happens at Home Does Not Stay at Home: Family-to-Work Conflict and the Link Between Relationship Strains and Quality

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  • Lei Chai

    (University of Toronto)

  • Scott Schieman

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

Family scholars have devoted much effort to understand relationship strains and couple well-being. However, surprisingly few longitudinal studies have sought to capture within-individual variations in relationship strains over time, and the ways that family conditions moderate the association between relationship strains and couple well-being. Using four waves of panel data from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (2011–2017; n = 1778 individuals; 5058 person-years), this study investigates the association of relationship strains (i.e., the unequal division of housework, perceived housework unfairness, and spousal disputes) with couple relationship quality—and the extent to which family-to-work (FWC) and breadwinner status moderate that association. We use fixed effects regression techniques to analyze this diverse sample of workers with multi-item measures of focal variables. We find that the unequal division of housework, perceived housework unfairness, and spousal disputes are associated with lower levels of relationship quality, respectively. Moreover, FWC amplifies the adverse associations of perceived housework unfairness and spousal disputes with relationship quality over time—but FWC’s moderating influence is exacerbated among non-breadwinners. Our findings elaborate and sharpen the scope of FWC as a moderator (and breadwinner status as an additional contingency) in the application of equity theory alongside other conceptual ideas like stress amplification in the stress process model.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Chai & Scott Schieman, 2023. "What Happens at Home Does Not Stay at Home: Family-to-Work Conflict and the Link Between Relationship Strains and Quality," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 175-192, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:44:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10834-022-09821-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10834-022-09821-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brian Joseph Gillespie & Gretchen Peterson & Janet Lever, 2019. "Gendered perceptions of fairness in housework and shared expenses: Implications for relationship satisfaction and sex frequency," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Mélanie Paulin & Mylène Lachance-Grzela & Shawna McGee, 2017. "Bringing Work Home or Bringing Family to Work: Personal and Relational Consequences for Working Parents," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 463-476, December.
    3. Scott Schieman & Leah Ruppanner & Melissa A. Milkie, 2018. "Who Helps with Homework? Parenting Inequality and Relationship Quality Among Employed Mothers and Fathers," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 49-65, March.
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