Exercise as a Means of Reducing Perceptions of Work‐Family Conflict: A Test of the Roles of Self‐Efficacy and Psychological Strain

• Author: Christopher H. Thomas,Russell W. Clayton,Doan E. Winkel,Barjinder Singh
• Date: 01 November 2015
• Published date: 01 November 2015
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21611

Human Resource Management, November–December 2015, Vol. 54, No. 6. Pp. 1013–1035

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).

DOI:10.1002/hrm.21611

Correspondence to: Russell W. Clayton, Donald R. Tapia School of Business, Saint Leo University,

UniversityCampus—MC 2011, P.O. Box 6665, Saint Leo, FL 33574-6665, Phone: (352) 588-7228,

Fax: (352) 588-8921, E-mail: russell.clayton@saintleo.edu.

EXERCISE AS A MEANS

OF REDUCING PERCEPTIONS

OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT:

A TEST OF THE ROLES OF SELF-

EFFICACY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL

STRAIN

RUSSELL W. CLAYTON, CHRISTOPHER H. THOMAS,

BARJINDER SINGH, AND DOAN E. WINKEL

Prior research suggests that exercise has positive benefi ts for individuals and

the organizations they work for. Using the literature related to social cogni-

tive theory and exercise, the present study hypothesizes and tests the effects

of exercise on two directions of work-family confl ict: work interference with

family (WIF) and family interference with work (FIW). Using a sample of 476

working adults, we found that exercise was both positively related to self-

effi cacy for managing work-family confl ict and negatively related to reported

psychological strain, which in turn were related to reductions in work-family

confl ict. Model fi t for the data support our contention that exercise indirectly

infl uences work-family confl ict via its direct impact on increased self-effi cacy

and reduced psychological strain. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: work-family confl ict, exercise, self-effi cacy, psychological strain

Introduction

Research on exercise abounds in

several disciplines (e.g., health,

psychology), with the general con-

sensus being that regular physical

activity is important to human

health (Fox, 2000). Both practitioner and aca-

demic publications in organizational studies

have also included exercise as a research vari-

able (e.g., Loehr & Schwartz, 2001; Neck &

Cooper, 2000). For instance, research has

shown that leaders who are physically fit

have increased stamina and mental focus

when compared to their less fit counterparts

(Leiter & Maslach, 2005; Neck & Cooper,

2000). Another study showed that small busi-

ness owners who jogged and/or lifted weights

1014 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2015

Human Resource Management DOI: 10.1002/hrm

In spite of the

current research

on the effects

of exercise on

employees and

organizations,

there is a paucity

of research on how

exercise may impact

an individual’s

work-family balance

beliefs and abilities.

interfering-with-work (FIW) (Frone,

2003). One study (American Psychological

Association, 2007) suggests that just over

half of employees experience WIF and 43

percent experience FIW. Both directions of

work-family conflict have been shown to be

related to work-related and family-related

outcomes such as decreased job satisfaction

(e.g., Allen, Herst, Bruck, & Sutton, 2000),

decreased family satisfaction (e.g., Cardenas,

Major, & Bernas, 2004), job burnout (e.g.,

Peeters, Montgomery, Bakker, & Schaufeli,

2005), increased body mass index (BMI)

and cholesterol levels (Van Steenbergen &

Ellemers, 2009), and substance use/abuse

(e.g., Grzywacz & Bass, 2003). Given the

importance of the work and family roles in

the lives of working adults and for organiza-

tional and individual outcomes (Werbel &

Walter, 2002), it becomes even more impera-

tive to engage in research focused on miti-

gating the negative consequences associated

with work-family conflict. Thus, we consider

the role that exercise may play in managing

the work and family roles.

This article seeks to examine the effects of

exercise as a means of reducing perceptions

of WIF and FIW. Jex, Spector, Gudanowski,

and Newman (1991, p. 297) note that “the

variable ‘exercise’ is quite complex and multi-

faceted.” Thus, we use Caspersen, Powell, and

Christenson’s (1985, p. 128) seminal defini-

tion of a “physical activity that is planned,

structured, repetitive, and purposive” when

referring to exercise. We propose that exercise

has indirect effects (see Hayes, 2009; Mathieu

& Taylor, 2006) on work-family conflict via

an increase in self-efficacy to manage work-

family conflict and a decrease in psychologi-

cal strain.

From Exercise to Management

of Work-Family Confl ict

Exercise can be used to define a variety of

physical activities that are used to promote

well-being, such as running, weight lifting, or

aerobics (Ensel & Lin, 2004). Based on

Caspersen and colleagues’ definition above,

we refer to exercise as those physical activities

done on a regular basis. As noted earlier, the

attained more personal goals and had better

sales figures than those who did not (Goldsby,

Kuratko, & Bishop, 2005). Prescriptions to

executives have suggested that they work out

with weight training at least twice per week

in order to become a “corporate athlete”

(Loehr & Schwartz, 2001). It has even be-

come popular for organizations to promote

fitness via wellness programs (Kossek, Ozeki,

& Kosier, 2001), with some companies en-

couraging exercise through their wellness

benefit packages. For example, Zappos.com

and Google, both recently named to Fortune’s

“100 Best Companies to Work For,” provide

employees with on-site yoga and on-site well-

ness centers, respectively. In gen-

eral, research indicates positive

effects from exercise and related

organizational wellness programs,

such as reductions in absentee-

ism, increases in job satisfaction,

increases in employee morale and

retention, and decreases in health

insurance premiums (DeGroot &

Kiker, 2003; Kossek et al., 2001;

Parks & Steelman, 2008).

In spite of the current research

on the effects of exercise on

employees and organizations,

there is a paucity of research

on how exercise may impact an

individual’s work-family balance

beliefs and abilities. Some research

has shown the inability to exer-

cise as a consequence of conflict

between one’s work and family

roles (e.g., Allen & Armstrong,

2006; Grace, Williams, Stewart,

& Franche, 2006; Grzywacz & Marks, 2001;

Roos, Sarlio-Lähteenkorva, Lallukka, &

Lahelma, 2007). While these studies see lack

of exercise as a consequence of work-family

conflict, Allen and Armstrong (2006, p. 1217)

do posit that “although we theorized that

individuals experiencing work-family con-

flict would be less likely to exercise, it is also

plausible that those who exercise report less

work-family conflict.”

Conflict between the work and family

roles can manifest in two directions: work-

interfering-with-family (WIF) and family-