Work-family conflict and emotions: effects at work and at home

This study investigated the effect of work-family conflict on the emotions of guilt and hostility, and the implications of work-family conflict and these emotions for job satisfaction and marital satisfaction. Using experience-sampling methodology, data were collected from a sample of 75 individuals over a period of 2 weeks (producing 625 data points). Results revealed that within individuals, family-to-work conflict experienced at work, and work-to-family conflict experienced at home, were positively associated with guilt and hostility at work and at home, respectively. In addition, state hostility mediated the negative effect of work-to-family conflict at home on daily marital satisfaction. Finally, cross-level interaction effects were observed such that work-family conflict more strongly affected the emotions of those scoring high on trait guilt and trait hostility. Copyright © 2006 Blackwell Publishing, Inc.