WORKPLACE SOCIAL SUPPORT AND WORK–FAMILY CONFLICT: A META‐ANALYSIS CLARIFYING THE INFLUENCE OF GENERAL AND WORK–FAMILY‐SPECIFIC SUPERVISOR AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

TLDR

This meta‑analysis develops a model integrating research on how employees’ perceptions of general and work‑family‑specific supervisor and organizational support relate to work‑family conflict. The authors analyzed 115 samples from 85 studies (72,507 employees), compared four types of workplace social support—POS, supervisor support, FSOP, and supervisor work‑family support—and tested a mediation model showing that perceptions of general and work‑family‑specific supervisor support influence conflict indirectly through organizational work‑family support. The analysis reveals that work‑family‑specific supervisor and organizational support are more strongly linked to work‑family conflict than their general counterparts, underscoring the central role of work‑family‑specific support in conflict experiences.

Abstract

This article uses meta‐analysis to develop a model integrating research on relationships between employee perceptions of general and work–family‐specific supervisor and organizational support and work–family conflict. Drawing on 115 samples from 85 studies comprising 72,507 employees, we compared the relative influence of 4 types of workplace social support to work–family conflict: perceived organizational support (POS); supervisor support; perceived organizational work–family support, also known as family‐supportive organizational perceptions (FSOP); and supervisor work–family support. Results show work–family‐specific constructs of supervisor support and organization support are more strongly related to work–family conflict than general supervisor support and organization support, respectively. We then test a mediation model assessing the effects of all measures at once and show positive perceptions of general and work–family‐specific supervisor indirectly relate to work–family conflict via organizational work–family support. These results demonstrate that work–family‐specific support plays a central role in individuals’ work–family conflict experiences.