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The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the work‐family interface in an expatriation context. Furthermore, potential antecedents of work‐family enrichment and work‐family conflict in the work as well as in the family domain are identified and potential gender differences in perceptions sought.

An exploratory approach was adopted. The authors conducted in‐depth interviews with 15 expatriates and repatriates that were analysed using content analysis.

Work‐to‐family conflict was perceived as a time‐based conflict, whereas family‐to‐work conflict was perceived as an energy‐based conflict. Work‐family enrichment (i.e. work‐to‐family; family‐to‐work) was perceived as a transfer of skills and mood. Furthermore, at least in an expatriation context, the work‐family interface is reflected in more reciprocal influences than are currently presented in existing concepts. In total, four potential antecedents of work‐family interaction were identified: social support at work; development opportunities at work; family social support; and family adjustment. Finally, gender differences in the perception of the work‐family interface could be revealed.

First, the interviews were analysed solely by one person; consequently, inter‐rater‐reliability could not be tested. Second, a direct relationship between each potential antecedent and work‐family interaction can only be hypothesized.

The findings enable companies to implement support strategies that foster a positive interaction between the work and the family domain which, in turn, will enhance expatriation success.

The study provides one of the first exploratory examinations of the perception of the complete work‐family interface in an expatriation context. Furthermore, this is one of the few studies that include female and male international assignees in the sample and therefore can give a balanced perspective of the work‐family interface among male and female assignees.

This article serves as an introduction to six articles featured in a special issue on diversity in the work–life interface. This collection of papers contains research that contemplates the work–life interface in different geographic and cultural contexts, that explores the work–life experiences of minority, marginalized and/or underresearched groups of workers and that takes into account diverse arrangements made to fulfill both work and nonwork responsibilities.

This introductory article first summarizes some of the emerging research in this area, introduces the papers in this special issue and links them to these themes and ends with highlighting the importance of using an intersectional lens in future investigations of the work–life interface.

These six articles provide empirically based insights, as well as new theoretical considerations for studying the interface between paid work and personal life roles. Compelling new research directions are identified.

Introducing the new articles in this special issue and reviewing recent research in this area brings together the work–life interface scholarship and diversity management studies and points to the necessity for future investigations to take an intersectional and contextualized approach to their subject matter.

The purpose of this brief paper is to introduce the papers in this special issue of Journal of Managerial Psychology, focused on “Complexities and challenges in the work‐family interface”.

The paper first introduces the theme of the special issue, and a brief outline of each paper contained in it is given.

There is concern that progress in the work‐family research area has been somewhat restricted and may have failed to take sufficient account of the complexity of work‐family issues.

The literature on the work‐family interface is complex, and theory in the field is uncertain and under‐developed. The papers in this special issue should further understanding of the challenges and complexities underscoring the work‐family interface.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of schedule flexibility with performance and satisfaction in the work and family domains, and whether these associations are mediated by the work‐family interface. Possible gender differences in the putative benefits of schedule flexibility are also to be explored.

Using a sample of 607 full‐time employees in either schedule flexibility or traditional working arrangements the authors tested a moderated‐mediation model. Regression was used to test the mediation of work‐family and the moderation of gender to the schedule flexibility to work‐family path.

Both work‐to‐family conflict and work‐to‐family enrichment are mediating mechanisms in the relationship of schedule flexibility with outcomes. More specifically, full mediation was found for job satisfaction and family performance for both enrichment and conflict while partial mediation was found for family satisfaction with enrichment only and mediation was not supported for job performance. Finally, gender moderated the schedule flexibility to work‐family conflict relationship such that women benefited more from flexible working arrangements than men.

The paper adds value by examining a mediation mechanism in the schedule flexibility with the outcome relationship of the work‐family interface. It also adds value by including work‐family enrichment which is a key variable but has little research. Finally, it adds value by demonstrating that schedule flexibility plays a stronger role for women than men regarding the work‐family interface.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the work-family interface of two non-traditional forms of expatriation. The paper contributes to existing research by comparing and contrasting the experiences of international business travellers and rotational assignees, pointing out the similarities in their experiences but also showing considerable differences in how the work-family interface plays out in these two groups.

In line with the exploratory nature of the research, the authors carried out a qualitative case study drawing on interview data with rotators and international business travellers (n=20). In order to get more in-depth insights into the experiences of these two groups of assignees, the authors also used the photo-elicitation technique, which corresponds with the recent recognition that the evolving nature of international assignments requires alternative methods of inquiry to enhance the understanding of the challenges faced by them.

The study points to four major factors affecting the work-family interface: time spent away, unpredictability of work schedules, limited ability to exercise control over it as well as limited availability of organisational support. The findings illustrate that while these factors impact international business travellers and rotators alike, their intensity varies considerably in the experiences of these two groups.

The research is based on a single case study and a small sample which needs to be considered when discussing the implications of the findings. Future research can valuably extend and build on the here reported observations.

A number of practical implications are discussed, notably pertaining to the ways in which organisations can mitigate the challenges encountered by international business travellers and rotators.

The papers focuses on two groups of assignees that are underrepresented in the expatriate literature despite their increasing empirical significance in international business.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the work-family experience of projects managers working in the construction industry, and identify how they manage their work-family interface.

Structured interviews were conducted with nine construction project managers working in the commercial sector, and data were subject to thematic analysis.

Role conditions were found to impact on participants’ work-family interface, identified as working hours, accountability, and the stress arising from accountability. Participants identified four key strategies used to manage their work-family interface: managing work-based stress, having a supportive partner, prioritising non-work time for family, and trading off activities. Despite having to limit time with family and trade off social and leisure activities, participants did not report negative work-to-family spillover. All participants shared a passion for their work. Findings can be explained using the heavy worker investment model, which proposes that job devotion is linked to psychological well-being, decreases in work-family conflict (WFC), and work satisfaction.

Contrary to previous research, findings suggest that construction project managers did not experience inter-role conflict between their work and family domains. It is recommended that further research explore these findings using the heavy work investment (HWI) framework which considers how internal and external predictors shape workers’ behaviour, and whether HWI typologies moderate the experience of WFC.

The authors aim to compare how formal flexibility, such as telework, differs from informal overtime work at home regarding the work-family interface.

By using data from the Finnish Quality of Work Life Surveys from 2003 and 2008, the positive and negative measures concerning the work-family interface are examined through logistic regression analysis.

Employees doing informal overtime at home are more likely to be affected by negative emotions concerning work disrupting family lives. Additionally, negotiations between couples over the allocation of time become areas of conflict. Only weak evidence is provided for both telework and informal work at home supporting family life.

In studying homeworking, it is important to separate between formal and informal flexibility at work. The data exceptionally enable that. The limitations of the data are cross-sectionality and only a few measures for assessing the positive work-family interface.

The contribution of the study is to show how informal overtime at home is related with stronger negative implications for work-family interface, when separated from telework. The article discusses how well-intentioned working schedule flexibility results in family life being infringed upon. Informal work may help attain a better work-family interface, but, with dual-earner employment being predominant in Finland, informal overtime work can increase pressures on families. The authors encourage the policy- and organisation-level recognition of informal overtime risks.

The purpose of the paper is to focus on personal and social background factors as potential channels for the transmission of work related attitudes in young adults. The paper aims to examine the extent to which gender, parental job type, job status, and education, as well as school experience, influence the development of attitudes towards work and family life.

The study comprised a quantitative (questionnaire based) survey with a sample of 782 final year undergraduate students attending various third level institutions in Ireland and the USA.

The results indicated that individuals who had grown up in traditional mixed families had more positive attitudes towards balancing work and home roles than did those who had grown up in traditional single earner families. Father's educational level also emerged as a significant factor in the career‐family attitudes of the participants.

The results of this research indicate that young people have developed attitudes towards managing the work/family interface on entering the workforce, which they acquire through a social learning process. Limitations included the cross‐sectional nature of the design and future longitudinal research is needed.

Organizations and managers need to be aware of the well‐developed attitudes of new entrants in order to address early issues of psychological contract and person‐organizational fit, which have an impact on career success and career management.

The findings of the paper break new ground on the role of social learning on the formation of attitudes towards managing the work‐family interface. Such attitudes proceed to inform behavioral patterns and decisions in the harmonious management of the two domains.

The question of how to strike a balance between work and life is attracting increasing attention from both scholars and practitioners. This paper aims to examine the relationship between individual level values, using Schwartz's basic human values theory, and the work‐family conflict (WFC), the family‐work conflict (FWC), and coping strategies.

A total of 122 employees from two Israeli high tech companies participated in this survey. The portrait values questionnaire (PVQ) was used to measure ten basic values. The PVQ includes short verbal portraits of 40 different people, gender matched with the respondent. Work‐family conflict and family‐work conflict were measured by the scales developed by Netemeyer et al. Personal coping was measured using the 16 items of Kirchmeyer's scale of coping strategies. Regression and correlation analysis were used to test the research hypotheses.

The findings showed a strong relationship between power and the three independent variables. Schwartz's ten values explained a relatively large percentage of the variation in the work‐family conflict and the use of coping strategies.

While there has been a growing trend to examine individual level values in order to better understand the attitudes and behaviors of employees in the workplace, very few studies have examined whether and how individual values are related to the interface between work and family. This paper responded to the call for such research. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the continuation of research on individual values in their relationship to the work‐family interface.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of work-family and family-work conflict and enrichment in predicting job satisfaction and its subsequent relation with turnover intentions in a transition country.

This study examined the role of work-family and family-work conflict and enrichment in predicting job satisfaction and its subsequent relation with turnover intentions in a transition country.

While work-family enrichment was significantly and positively related to job satisfaction, family-work enrichment was not. A similar pattern was observed for conflict, whereby only work-family conflict exhibited a positive relation to job satisfaction. Moreover, job satisfaction partially mediated the relationships between work-family interface and turnover intentions. The results revealed indirect effects of work-family enrichment and work-family conflict on turnover intentions.

This study is unique because it tested the relationships among the negative and positive sides of the work-family interface and job attitudes in a transition country in CEE, an underrepresented cultural context in the work-family literature. Furthermore, it tested the direct and indirect effects of work-family interface on turnover intentions. In addition, it provided evidence of the significance of same-domain effects and insignificance of cross-domain effects.