Developing and Testing an Integrative Model of the Work–Family Interface

An integrative model of the work–family interface was developed and tested. This model extends prior work by Frone, Russell, and Cooper (1992a). Although the present model adopts the distinction between work-to-family and family-to-work conflict, several important changes have been incorporated. First, a more explicit attempt is made to model the reciprocal (i.e., feedback) relations between work and family life. Second, a distinction is drawn between proximal and distal predictors of work–family conflict. Third, the relations between work–family conflict and role-related affect have been differentiated into predictive and outcome relations. Finally, role-related behavior and behavioral intentions have been explicitly incorporated into the model. Data were obtained from a sample of 372 employed adults who were married and/or parents. The model was tested with structural equation modeling techniques and the results were supportive. The present model provides a general framework to help organize past research and guide future research on the work–family interface.