The impact of work–family conflict on correctional staff
| Author | Scott D. Camp,Nancy L. Hogan,Eric G. Lambert,Lois A. Ventura |
| DOI | 10.1177/1748895806068572 |
| Published date | 01 November 2006 |
| Date | 01 November 2006 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The impact of work–family
conflict on correctional staff:
A preliminary study
ERIC G. LAMBERT, NANCY L. HOGAN,
SCOTT D. CAMP AND LOIS A. VENTURA
University of Toledo, USA, Ferris State
University, USA, Federal Bureau of Prisons, USA
and University of Toledo, USA
Abstract
Work–family conflict (WFC) occurs when the work domain and
family domain are incompatible with one another in some manner.
A survey of staff at a private Midwestern prison measured four
dimensions of WFC: time-based work on family conflict, strain-
based work on family conflict, behavior-based WFC and family on
work conflict. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression results
indicate that strain-based conflict was the only form of WFC to
have a significant effect on job stress. Both strain-based conflict and
behavior-based conflict had a significant impact on job satisfaction.
Finally, time-based conflict, behavior-based and family on work
conflict all had significant effects on organizational commitment.
Key Words
correctional staff • job satisfaction • job stress • organizational
commitment • work–family conflict
Worldwide, staff are the backbone of any correctional organization. It is
important to identify and understand the factors that shape the attitudes
of correctional staff in such areas as job stress, job satisfaction and
organizational commitment. These factors, or the lack thereof, are
linked to undesirable outcomes, for both staff (e.g. divorce) and their
ARTICLES
371
Criminology & Criminal Justice
© 2006 SAGE Publications
(London, Thousand Oaks & New Delhi)
and the British Society of Criminology.
www.sagepublications.com
ISSN 1748–8958; Vol: 6(4): 371–387
DOI: 10.1177/1748895806068572
employing organization (e.g. employee turnover) (Woodruff, 1993; Camp,
1994). One set of factors theorized to impact employees’ attitudes is
work–family conflict (WFC). Some individuals are able to keep their
work and home lives balanced and separate; for many others, this is not
possible. WFC occurs when the work and family domains are
incompatible (Kahn et al., 1964).
WFC is a multi-dimensional, bi-directional concept (Netermeyer et al.,
1996). The two major forms of WFC are family on work conflict and work
on family conflict. Family on work conflict is defined as problems at home
spilling over to the work setting. Work on family conflict is the reverse,
when work issues negatively impact upon the family/social life of the
employee. Work on family conflict can be further divided into three
dimensions: time-based conflict; strain-based conflict; and behavior-based
conflict (Netemeyer et al., 1996). Time-based work on family conflict
occurs when the amount of time spent at work or the nature of the
scheduling of work interferes with home life. Strain-based work on family
conflict occurs when the demands and tensions from work negatively
impact the quality of a worker’s home life. In behavior-based conflict,
roles at work and roles at home are incongruent with one another. In
other words, ‘Specific patterns of in-role behavior may be incompatible
with expectations regarding behavior in another role’ (Greenhaus and
Beutell, 1985: 81).
Working in corrections presents many opportunities for the different
forms of WFC. Time-based conflict is common in some professions, such as
corrections, which require staff to work shifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year. Additionally, correctional workers can be required
to work mandatory overtime to respond to institutional crises and emer-
gencies. Furthermore, working in corrections can be a strain. The never-
ending demands associated with the job may result in correctional
employees suffering from tension, fatigue, irritability, excitability, depres-
sion and/or shock. Behavior-based conflict can result when correctional
staff are required to learn roles at work that are not necessarily appropriate
in social and family life, such as barking orders at or questioning the
activities of family members. Despite the likelihood that correctional
employees experience WFC, it has received little attention in the correc-
tional literature. In this study, the impact of different types of WFC on job
stress, job satisfaction and organizational commitment were examined.
Correctional literature on work–family conflict
The literature on correctional staff has grown dramatically over the past
several decades; however, only a handful of studies have examined WFC
among correctional staff. Triplett et al. (1999) examined the impact of
behavior-based conflict on correctional staff at a Southwestern correctional
Criminology & Criminal Justice 6(4)
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