Article Version of Record

Work-oriented men and women: Similar levels of work-family conflict and guilt yet different coping strategies

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Sousa, Cátia
Kuschel, Katherina
Brito, Ana
Gonçalves, Gabriela

Abstract / Description

Balancing family and professional roles has become one of the challenges of the twenty-first century. This exploratory study aims to analyse the guilt, losses, aspirations and difficulties associated with work-family interaction and the career centrality of men and women, as well as their strategies to cope with work-family conflict. Using questionnaire and interview data of 73 Portuguese participants (41 men and 32 women), we showed that the women experienced the most guilt and loss and greater difficulties in balancing family and professional life. Yet contrary to the literature, the women in this sample assigned great importance to their career (even higher than men), but they felt that their potential for success at work was constrained due to the family demands. Prioritizing family over work gives work-centered women a sense of sacrifice, loss and guilt.

Keyword(s)

work-family centrality work-family guilt work-family conflict coping strategies gender

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-10-31

Journal title

Psychological Thought

Volume

11

Issue

2

Page numbers

195–211

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Sousa, C., Kuschel, K., Brito, A., & Gonçalves, G. (2018). Work-oriented men and women: Similar levels of work-family conflict and guilt yet different coping strategies. Psychological Thought, 11(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v11i2.291
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Sousa, Cátia
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kuschel, Katherina
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Brito, Ana
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Gonçalves, Gabriela
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-28T10:01:41Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-28T10:01:41Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-10-31
  • Abstract / Description
    Balancing family and professional roles has become one of the challenges of the twenty-first century. This exploratory study aims to analyse the guilt, losses, aspirations and difficulties associated with work-family interaction and the career centrality of men and women, as well as their strategies to cope with work-family conflict. Using questionnaire and interview data of 73 Portuguese participants (41 men and 32 women), we showed that the women experienced the most guilt and loss and greater difficulties in balancing family and professional life. Yet contrary to the literature, the women in this sample assigned great importance to their career (even higher than men), but they felt that their potential for success at work was constrained due to the family demands. Prioritizing family over work gives work-centered women a sense of sacrifice, loss and guilt.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Sousa, C., Kuschel, K., Brito, A., & Gonçalves, G. (2018). Work-oriented men and women: Similar levels of work-family conflict and guilt yet different coping strategies. Psychological Thought, 11(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v11i2.291
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2193-7281
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1519
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1885
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v11i2.291
  • Keyword(s)
    work-family centrality
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    work-family guilt
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    work-family conflict
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    coping strategies
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    gender
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Work-oriented men and women: Similar levels of work-family conflict and guilt yet different coping strategies
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    2
  • Journal title
    Psychological Thought
  • Page numbers
    195–211
  • Volume
    11
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record