Work-Family Conflict

Work–family conflict is a form of interrole conflict in which pressures from work and family domains are mutually incompatible, making participation in one role more difficult because of the other (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). It is conceptualized across three forms: time-based, strain-based, and behavior-based and in two directions: work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC; Carlson et al., 2000). This multidimensional perspective allows researchers to distinguish different types of work-family conflict and how they contribute to role-related success or failure.

A large body of research has documented the stressful nature of work–family conflict. When employees perceive high levels of conflict, they report greater psychological distress, anxiety, and burnout (Allen et al., 2000; Amstad et al., 2011). These outcomes occur because conflict generates chronic role stress, leaving individuals with depleted psychological and physical resources (Frone et al., 1992). Moreover, meta-analytic reviews confirm that work–family conflict is consistently associated with poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction, as well as reduced organizational commitment and job satisfaction (Allen et al., 2000; Amstad et al., 2011). In this way, work–family conflict is not only a central work–life construct but also a key contributor to employee stress and well-being outcomes.

The field of research around work-family conflict, however, is primarily cross-sectional in nature and obtained from non-probability samples still needing more validity work. It is important to note that work-to-family and family-to-work generally have a strong reciprocal association suggesting underlying effects. Finally, the literature generally treats work-family conflict as a general stressor, not a type specific stressor (e.g., time, strain, behavior) and could benefit from more accurate evaluation of work-family conflict in the stressor-strain model.

Measurement

Multidimensional Work–Family Conflict Scale (Carlson et al., 2000) is an 18-item comprehensive scale used to capture full conflict construct: 3 forms (time, strain, behavior) × 2 directions (work→family; family→work). Strong internal consistencies, clear discriminant validity, and measurement-invariance tests showing the 6-factor structure is stable across independent samples and by gender. When survey space is tight but you still need directionality, you may use the shortened scale to create two brief indices made up of three items in each direction (Kacmar et al., 2014) however you lose form-level nuance (time/strain/behavior). Authors also found the six dimensions relate differentially to antecedents and outcomes (e.g., strain-based conflict predicts life and family satisfaction more strongly than time-based).

Work-Family Conflict Scale (Netemeyer et al., 1986) is a 10-item bidirectional measure that assesses the extent to which work interferes with family (W→F) and family interferes with work (F→W); 5 items in each direction. Its primary focus is on capturing overall inter-role conflict between work and family domains rather than differentiating among types of conflict (e.g., time, strain, or behavior-based). The scale has demonstrated strong validity and reliability across numerous studies and has been generalized successfully across diverse occupations and industries.

Work-Family Behavior Role Conflict Scale (Clark et al., 2019) is a 10-item scale developed to capture a specific form of work–family conflict: behavior-based conflict. Its primary focus is on the behavioral dimension of inter-role conflict, distinguishing between work-to-family and family-to-work behavioral incompatibilities. The scale demonstrated strong psychometric validity, including high internal consistency, and discriminant validity from time- and strain-based conflict.

Work-family conflict scales have been used in numerous languages and contexts around the globe. Some examples include a Hungarian context (Ádám & Konkolÿ, 2017), German context (Komlenac et al., 2021), and Korean context (Lim et al., 2011). In each case the WFC scale was adapted to the country and strong psychometric properties for measuring W→F and F→W were found with adequate internal consistency, convergent/divergent validity, and discriminant validity. However, the orderly differentiation of "work" from "family" responsibilities is not as consistent as what we embrace in the western world. Future research can benefit from being mindful regarding the cross-cultural equivalence of the work-family concept.

Complementary Measures of Work-Family Conflict

Work–Family Enrichment is the extent to which experiences, skills, or positive emotions gained in in one role (work or family) improve the quality or performance in another role (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006).

Carlson et al. (2006) provides an 18-item measure (9 items in each direction incorporating multiple dimensions) which captures positive spillover in both directions with form level dimension. Useful alongside conflict to avoid a deficit-only view.
Fisher et al. (2009) provides an 8-item (4 items in each direction) measure of positive spillover that more broadly captures nonwork life – friends, leisure, community involvement.

Work–Family Balance captures “the accomplishment of role-related expectations that are negotiated and shared between an individual and his or her role-related partners in the work and family domains” (Carlson et al., 2009, p. 458).

Carlson et al. (2009) developed a 6-item concise measure of overall balance perception: helpful as a distal outcome of conflict/enrichment.
Valcour (2007) developed a single-item measure of subjective satisfaction which is useful for large scale surveys.
Greenhaus et al. (2003) developed a 6-item measure of balance satisfaction and effectiveness across work and family roles.

Strengths

Strong Theoretical Foundation: The current work–family conflict scales are grounded in Greenhaus and Beutell’s (1985) framework, capturing time-, strain-, and/or behavior-based conflict across both work→family and family→work directions.

High Validity and Reliability: The scales demonstrate strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and predictive validity for key organizational outcomes across diverse samples and cultures.

Multidimensional and Bidirectional Design: The scales differentiate both the direction and type of conflict, allowing researchers to identify specific sources and mechanisms of work–family interference more precisely.

Limitations

Limited Cultural Sensitivity: Most scales were developed in Western contexts, and although translated versions exist, cultural differences in role expectations may affect how items are interpreted and scored.

Overreliance on Self-Report: Because measures typically rely on individual perceptions, responses can be influenced by social desirability, mood, or self-awareness rather than objective conflict.

Static Measurement: Most scales capture conflict at a single point in time, overlooking how work–family dynamics fluctuate daily or across career and family stages.

Author(s) and Reviewer(s): Prepared by Dawn Carlson, PhD. Reviewed by Joseph G. Grzywacz, PhD., and Laurenz Meier, PhD. Please direct suggestions and feedback to Dr. Carlson (Dawn_Carlson@baylor.edu).

Version October 2025.

References

Ádám, S., & Konkolÿ Thege, B. (2017). Validation of the Hungarian version of Carlson’s multidimensional Work–Family Conflict Scale. Ideggyógyászati Szemle, 70(11–12), 395–406. https://doi.org/10.18071/isz.70.0395

Allen, T. D., Herst, D. E., Bruck, C. S., & Sutton, M. (2000). Consequences associated with work-to-family conflict: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(2), 278–308. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.5.2.278

Amstad, F. T., Meier, L. L., Fasel, U., Elfering, A., & Semmer, N. K. (2011). A meta-analysis of work–family conflict and various outcomes with a special emphasis on cross-domain versus matching-domain relations. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(2), 151–169. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022170

Carlson, D. S., Grzywacz, J. G., & Zivnuska, S. (2009). Is work–family balance more than conflict and enrichment? Human Relations, 62(10), 1459–1486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726709336500

Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., & Williams, L. J. (2000). Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional measure of work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56(2), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1999.1713

Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., Wayne, J. H., & Grzywacz, J. G. (2006). Measuring the positive side of the work–family interface: Development and validation of a work–family enrichment scale. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(1), 131–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.02.002

Fisher, G. G., Bulger, C. A., & Smith, C. S. (2009). Beyond work and family: A measure of work/nonwork interference and enhancement. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 14(4), 441–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016737

Frone, M. R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M. L. (1992). Antecedents and outcomes of work–family conflict: Testing a model of the work–family interface. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.77.1.65

Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1985.4277352

Greenhaus, J. H., Collins, K. M., & Shaw, J. D. (2003). The relation between work–family balance and quality of life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(3), 510–531. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00042-8

Greenhaus, J. H., & Powell, G. N. (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of work–family enrichment. Academy of Management Review, 31(1), 72–92. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2006.19379625

Kacmar, K. M., Crawford, W. S., Carlson, D. S., Ferguson, M., & Whitten, D. (2014). A short and valid measure of work–family enrichment. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19(1), 32–45. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035123

Komlenac, N., Stockinger, L., Vogler, T., & Hochleitner, M. (2021). Psychometric analysis of a German-language version of the Work–Family Conflict and Family–Work Conflict Scale. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 782618. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.782618

Lim, D. H., Morris, M. L., & McMillan, H. S. (2011). Construct validation of the translated version of the Work–Family Conflict Scale for use in Korea. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(4), 519–543. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.20089

Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & McMurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work–family conflict and family–work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(4), 400–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.81.4.400

Valcour, M. (2007). Work-based resources as moderators of the relationship between work hours and satisfaction with work–family balance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1512–1523. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1512