Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2014

Abstract

The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the role of anticipated regret in time-based work-family conflict decisions.

A total of 90 working parents responded to a decision making problem describing a time-based conflict between a work event and a family event. Participants' preference for which event to attend constituted the dependent variable. Independent variables were participants' work and family centralities. Anticipated regret for choosing the work option and anticipated regret for choosing the family option were measured as hypothesized mediators.

Structural equation modeling revealed that anticipated regret for choosing the family option mediated the relationship between work centrality and preference for the family option. Similarly, it was found that anticipated regret for choosing the work option mediated the relationship between family centrality and preference for the family option.

This article contributes to work-family and decision making literature by studying the intersection of the two fields. Although most work-family research studies ongoing conflict, this study focuses on one decision event. The findings suggest that anticipated regret plays a significant role in how individuals resolve time-based work-family conflict.

Keywords

Decision making, Emotions, Work family issues

Discipline

Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Journal of Managerial Psychology

Volume

29

Issue

3

First Page

304

Last Page

320

ISSN

0268-3946

Identifier

10.1108/JMP-05-2012-0157

Publisher

Emerald

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-05-2012-0157

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