This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

Explaining Workaholism’s Effects on Work-Family Conflict: A Boundary Theory Approach

Date

2021-07-19

Author

Rotch, Michael

Type of Degree

PhD Dissertation

Department

Psychological Sciences

Abstract

This research examines the linking mechanisms and conditional processes underlying the workaholism and work-family conflict relationship. Based primarily on the boundary management literature, it was hypothesized that work boundary enactment would mediate the relationship between workaholism and work-family conflict, and that this indirect effect would be moderated by work boundary preference. To test these hypotheses, data were collected from working adults and tested through mediation and moderated-mediation bootstrapping procedures. findings suggest that boundary enactment mediates the relationship between workaholism and work-family conflict; additionally, I found support for the moderating effect of boundary preference on this indirect effect. Individuals with high segmentation preference experienced more conflict when integrating their roles than individuals low in segmentation preference. This study establishes boundary theory and the segmentation-integration model as an important explanation for the relationship between workaholism and work-family conflict. It also suggests that future research examine if establishing a healthy work-family organizational culture and performing interventions focused on boundary management may serve to mitigate some of the negative effects of workaholism. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of boundary management in explaining the impact of workaholism on the work-life interface.