Investment in work and family roles: A test of identity and utilitarian motives

This study compared identity and utilitarian motives as predictors of time investment in work and family roles, using structural equation modeling with a sample of 623 working men and women. We tested within-role and cross-role relationships as well as the reciprocal effects of time invested in one role on time invested in the other role. As predicted, identification with a role was positively related to time invested in that role. However, findings for role utility were more complex. Time investment was positively related to both the pleasure and displeasure associated with a role. These findings suggest that people not only seek pleasure from roles but also invest time coping with role displeasure. The cross-role findings supported resource drain and accommodation but not compensation as explanations of work-family linking mechanisms. Gender analyses suggested that, for men, increased work time investment reduced time devoted to family, but increased family time investment did not affect time devoted to work. However, for women, increased time investment in either work or family reduced time devoted to the other role. These findings suggest that men may have greater reserves of time from roles other than work and family that make it unnecessary for them to draw from work time to meet increased family demands.