Perrottet, Mary (2016) Longitudinal Effects of Parenting Status and Gender on Work-Life Interference as Mediated by Work Intensification. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The majority of Australians clearly prefer their work–life balance to be harmonious and fulfilling. Contemporary culture applauds us when we realise our work potential, contribute to society, and maintain healthy lives. However, our strivings in demanding workplaces and hectic households come at a cost. In response, the Australian Government has implemented flexible working hours and paid parental leave schemes for eligible employees, aiming to support mothers combine paid work with family, and increase fathers participation at home. Unfortunately, after several years, high levels of work–life interference persist, especially amongst working mothers. To investigate potential antecedents of work–life interference, we used national archival longitudinal data from the Australian Work and Life Index 2012 and 2014. We compared work–life interference of non-parents and parents, then parent differences by numbers of children and age dispersion of children. Employee age, gender and work intensification levels were explored as antecedent mediators in longitudinal relationships of work–life interference. Parents demonstrated consistently higher levels of work–life interference than non-parents, and work intensification was confirmed to be the most important predictor of work–life interference. Gender emerged as an antecedent to work–life interference in 2012 and 2014 but only when work intensification was high. After integrating these findings, we consider future directions and discuss the implications of these findings for organisations that strive to increase productivity whilst maintaining environments that nurture work–life balance and human sustainability.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Erich Fein |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Sep 2025 00:05 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Sep 2025 00:05 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | work–life interference ; work–life balance ; work intensification |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52662 |
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