Just like me: Effects of value congruence on work-family enrichment

Abstract

Work-family enrichment (WFE), also known as positive spillover between work and family, often improves employees’ well-being, physical health, and performance. Our study explores a process through which employees experience higher WFE when maintaining congruent values with the organization and supervisor based on segmentation-integration boundary management strategies. Using a sample of 287 employees from diverse industries and employment settings across the U.S., the results indicated that value congruence between subordinates and their organization/supervisor both positively predicted work-to-family enrichment. Family-supportive supervisor behaviors significantly mediated the relationship. Supervisor/subordinate gender matching did not significantly moderate the value congruence-FSSB relationship. In studying these effects with PROCESS mediation analysis, we merge and extend three major bodies of literature on spillover theory, person-environment fit theory, and boundary theory to explicate the process through which WFE develops when having congruent segmentation styles at work.

Keywords

• value congruence
• segmentation
• border theory
• person-environment fit
• family-supportive supervisor behaviors