TY - JOUR
T1 - Unpartnered Mothers’ Work-Family Conflict and Parenting Stress
T2 - The Moderating Effects of Nonstandard Work Schedules
AU - Hwang, Woosang
AU - Jung, Eunjoo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study dataset, we examined the moderating effects of nonstandard work schedules on the association between work-family conflict and parenting stress among unpartnered mothers 1 year after childbirth. A multiple-group analysis was conducted to examine the interaction between a latent continuous variable (work-family conflict) and observed categorical variables (four types of work schedules: daytime weekday, daytime weekend, nighttime weekday, and nighttime weekend). Results showed that unpartnered mothers’ work-family conflict was positively associated with their parenting stress, regardless of their work schedules. In addition, unpartnered mothers’ nonstandard work schedules moderated the association between work-family conflict and parenting stress. Contrary to our expectations, however, the negative effects of work-family conflict on parenting stress were alleviated in unpartnered mothers who worked nighttime compared to those who worked daytime weekend. This result indicates that working nights can be a strategy by which unpartnered mothers can balance work and family life. Specifically, using informal caregiving support, unpartnered mothers can have a respite from parenting by working nonstandard hours. Implications are discussed in terms of the importance of researchers’ and policymakers’ attention regarding unpartnered mothers’ work and parenting issues.
AB - Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study dataset, we examined the moderating effects of nonstandard work schedules on the association between work-family conflict and parenting stress among unpartnered mothers 1 year after childbirth. A multiple-group analysis was conducted to examine the interaction between a latent continuous variable (work-family conflict) and observed categorical variables (four types of work schedules: daytime weekday, daytime weekend, nighttime weekday, and nighttime weekend). Results showed that unpartnered mothers’ work-family conflict was positively associated with their parenting stress, regardless of their work schedules. In addition, unpartnered mothers’ nonstandard work schedules moderated the association between work-family conflict and parenting stress. Contrary to our expectations, however, the negative effects of work-family conflict on parenting stress were alleviated in unpartnered mothers who worked nighttime compared to those who worked daytime weekend. This result indicates that working nights can be a strategy by which unpartnered mothers can balance work and family life. Specifically, using informal caregiving support, unpartnered mothers can have a respite from parenting by working nonstandard hours. Implications are discussed in terms of the importance of researchers’ and policymakers’ attention regarding unpartnered mothers’ work and parenting issues.
KW - Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
KW - Nonstandard work schedules
KW - Parenting stress
KW - Unpartnered mothers
KW - Work-family conflict
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074030446&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85074030446&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10834-019-09647-x
DO - 10.1007/s10834-019-09647-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85074030446
SN - 1058-0476
VL - 41
SP - 158
EP - 171
JO - Journal of Family and Economic Issues
JF - Journal of Family and Economic Issues
IS - 1
ER -