Development of a work/family social support measure

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive measure of social support to include within and across domain support from the organization, supervisor, coworkers, and family for two types of support, emotional, and instrumental.

Design/methodology/approach

Four diverse samples were used in an iterative process to develop and provide an initial validation of the 16 dimensions of social support.

Findings

The results provide support for the development and initial validation of the 16 dimensions of social support.

Research limitations/implications

A cross-sectional design was used and may be problematic when examining relationships that occur over time. Further, capturing all scales with a single survey could result in common method bias, which may inflate predictive relationships.

Practical implications

A comprehensive measure of social support can assess the differential effect of various types of social support, which can help in identifying unique work-family variables. The multidimensional measure will allow organizations to better diagnose and address performance issues related to a particular type of support.

Originality/value

The study develops a comprehensive measure of social support that can be useful for organizations wanting to diagnose potential support-related issues that may impact important outcomes.

Citation

L. Boyar, S., S. Campbell, N., C. Mosley Jr, D. and M. Carson, C. (2014), "Development of a work/family social support measure", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 901-920. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-06-2012-0189