Leave Your Job at Work
| Author | Kevin I. Minor,Eric G. Lambert,Nancy L. Hogan,James B. Wells |
| Published date | 01 March 2015 |
| Date | 01 March 2015 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032885514563284 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
research-article2014
Article
The Prison Journal
2015, Vol. 95(1) 114 –134
Leave Your Job at
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DOI: 10.1177/0032885514563284
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Antecedents of
Work–Family Conflict
Among Correctional Staff
Eric G. Lambert1, Kevin I. Minor2,
James B. Wells2, and Nancy L. Hogan3
Abstract
Even though work–family conflict has been linked to negative outcomes
for both correctional facilities and staff, little research has been conducted
on how workplace factors may be related to it. This study tested nine
hypotheses based on the job demand–resource model. Ordinary least
squares (OLS) regression analysis of survey data from 160 staff revealed that
while most job demand variables (i.e., the role stressors of role conflict, role
overload, and perceived dangerousness) predicted work–family conflict, the
same did not hold for job resource variables (i.e., the workplace factors of
job autonomy, supervision, job variety, instrumental communication, and
integration).
Keywords
correctional staff, private prison, work–family conflict, workplace
Although many aspects of the correctional workplace have been examined,
there is a pressing need for additional research on some other neglected areas
1The University of Mississippi, University, USA
2Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, USA
3Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA
Corresponding Author:
Eric G. Lambert, The University of Mississippi, Department of Legal Studies, Odom Hall,
University, MS 38677, USA.
Email: eglamber@olemiss.edu
Lambert et al.
115
to understand how they affect correctional staff. Work–family conflict is one
of these issues. Work and home are the two primary domains for most adults
(Byron, 2005). Work–family conflict occurs when one domain spills over
into the other, causing conflict for an individual (Michel, Mitchelson, Kotrba,
LeBreton, & Baltes, 2009). Work–family conflict is known to be a problem
for correctional staff (Lambert & Hogan, 2006). Corrections work is unique
because correctional institutions are responsible for holding offenders against
their will—unwilling clients who may be maladapted, troublemakers, and
hostile (Brough & Williams, 2007). In addition, correctional institutions can
be sullen environments where, in addition to the bureaucratic dynamics found
in other complex organizations (e.g., staff politics), there exists an oscillation
between stimulus overload and deprivation/boredom, as well as the ongoing
potential for danger and violence. Thus, working in a correctional institution
can lead to problems that can spill over and cause conflict at home.
The small body of correctional literature on work–family conflict has
mainly focused on the consequences of work–family conflict, such as its
effects on job stress, job burnout, job satisfaction, and organizational commit-
ment. These studies support the conclusion that work–family conflict can have
detrimental outcomes for correctional staff and their employing organizations;
however, little research has been conducted on how workplace factors are
associated as antecedents with work–family conflict among correctional staff
(Lambert & Hogan, 2006; Obidoa, Reeves, Warren, Reisine, & Cherniack,
2011). Work–family conflict is bidirectional, which means that problems in
each domain can cause conflict in the other (Michel et al., 2009). Work-
on-family conflict occurs when problems and issues from work spill over and
cause a person conflict at home. Family-on-work conflict occurs when prob-
lems at home spill over and cause conflict at work. While not discounting the
importance of family-on-work conflict, the focus of this study is on work-
on-family conflict because workplace factors should be more likely related to
work-on-family conflict, and they are also more controllable by correctional
administrators. This study explored the relationship among role stressors (role
conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerousness of the
job) and workplace resources (job autonomy, supervision, job variety, instru-
mental communication, and integration) with work-on-family conflict.
Literature Review
Work–Family Conflict
In an ideal world, home and work domains coexist peacefully; however, the
world is not ideal for most working adults, and conflict from spillover can
116
The Prison Journal 95(1)
occur (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). In the literature, this is referred to as
work–family conflict. Two common work-on-family conflict issues are time-
based conflicts and strain-based conflicts (Lambert & Hogan, 2006). Time-
based conflicts occur when work’s time demands or scheduling interferes
with or causes conflict with the home life of a person. Time-based conflicts
are common in organizations, including corrections, which require staffing
around the clock every day of the year, including holidays. For example, a
staff member may not be able to miss work to attend a play or school event
of a child or a staff member may be forced to work mandatory overtime.
Strain-based conflict occurs when the demands and tensions from work nega-
tively affect the quality of a person’s home life. Strain-based conflict is more
likely to occur in correctional institutions than in many other types of organi-
zations because staff must deal with unwilling clients who can be sometimes
manipulative and dangerous. While staff may be told that what happens in the
correctional institution should remain there when the person goes home, this
is not realistic. For example, a correctional staff member who has dealt with
an uncooperative and verbally abusive inmate may take his or her frustration
and anger home and take it out on family and friends.
Past Correctional Staff Studies
Research suggests that work–family conflict may vary by different demo-
graphic characteristics, with female staff reporting higher levels of this
type of conflict (Triplett, Mullings, & Scarborough, 1999). In addition,
correctional officers have been observed to experience higher levels of
work–family conflict than noncustody staff (Lambert & Hogan, 2006).
Studies have also linked work–family conflict to salient correctional staff
outcomes. Work–family conflict has been shown to be related to higher job
stress (Lambert, Hogan, & Griffin, 2007; Triplett et al., 1999), lower job
satisfaction (Lambert, Hogan, Camp, & Ventura, 2006), lower organiza-
tional commitment (Lambert et al., 2006), increased job burnout (Lambert,
Hogan, & Altheimer, 2010), lower support for the rehabilitation of inmates/
offenders, as well as greater support for punishment (Lambert & Hogan,
2009). Work–family conflict has also been linked with lower perceptions
of distributive justice (fairness in outcomes) and procedural justice (fair-
ness in the decision-making process), as well as lower life satisfaction
(Lambert et al., 2007; Lambert, Hogan, Paoline, & Baker, 2005). Finally,
work-on-family conflict and family-on-work were positively related to
higher levels of depression (Obidoa et al., 2011). There is evidence that
work–family conflict has negative outcomes in the field of institutional
corrections.
Lambert et al.
117
In light of how detrimental work–family conflict is, there has been surpris-
ingly little research exploring the possible antecedents of correctional staff
work–family conflict. Only two published studies could be located, which
examined the possible antecedents of work-on-family conflict among correc-
tional staff. Perceived dangerousness of the job and role conflict had positive
associations with work-on-family conflict, while organizational fairness (a
combined measure of distributive and procedural justice) had a negative asso-
ciation (Lambert & Hogan, 2006). In the second study, supervisory support
had a negative effect on work-on-family conflict and perceived psychological
demands of the job had a positive effect (Obidoa et al., 2011). Although these
two studies support the postulation that workplace factors may be linked with
work-on-family conflict, two studies are far from conclusive evidence. The
present study was undertaken to address the need for more research by survey-
ing staff at a private prison. This study is a replication and expansion of the
study by Lambert and Hogan (2006), which studied staff at a state prison. A
single study is not sufficient to make persuasive recommendations to correc-
tional administrators. The possible antecedents of work-on-family conflict
may be contextual and vary by different types of correctional facilities.
Theoretical Foundation
The job demands–resources model provides a theoretical foundation for under-
standing how different aspects of the correctional workplace may be linked to
work-on-family conflict. This model divides the workplace into two basic areas,
demands and resources (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001).
Job demands place strain on people and, if nothing is done over time, the chances
increase that these demands will result in negative outcomes such as burnout
(Karasek & Theorell, 1990). Unbalanced job demands can lead to a poor fit,
which results in a wide array of detrimental outcomes for workers (Demerouti
et al., 2001). Four common strains (demands) for correctional staff are role con-
flict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerousness of the job, and
are often referred to as role...
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