When Family Responsibilities Enter the Workplace: Marital Status, Job Designation, and Family–Work Conflict

Abstract

Family–work conflict is an important dimension of the relationship between family responsibilities and occupational life, particularly among employees engaged in demanding professional occupations. This study examined differences in family–work conflict among researchers working in agricultural research institutions of Punjab, Pakistan, with particular attention to marital status and job designation. Data were collected through stratified sampling from researchers working in agricultural research institutions. Family–work conflict was assessed using a multidimensional set of items gauging the extent to which family responsibilities and concerns interfere with work performance, concentration, and day-to-day work duties. The measurement results demonstrated satisfactory indicator loadings, internal consistency, and collinearity properties. Group differences were examined using Welch's analysis of variance, followed by Games–Howell post-hoc comparisons. The findings revealed statistically significant differences in family–work conflict across marital-status categories. Single researchers reported lower family–work conflict than married and divorced researchers, whereas married and divorced researchers did not differ significantly. Significant differences were also observed across job designations, with Principal Scientists reporting the highest level of family–work conflict, followed by Senior Scientists and Scientific Officers. The findings demonstrate that family–work conflict varies according to both family circumstances and occupational position.