Family role identification as a source of gender differences in the relationship between parenthood and organizational commitment
Description
Theories of work commitment suggest that gender differences exist in the parenthood-work commitment relationship (Meeker, 1983). Differences in men's and women's family role identification presumably account for gender differences in the parenthood-work commitment relationship. Men, because of their strong identification with the provider role, presumably perceive additional wage earning responsibilities once they become parents and, therefore, increase their work commitment (Baruch & Barnett, 1987). Alternatively, women presumably identify with the caregiver role which leads them to decrease their work commitment (Gutek, Searle, & Klepa, 1991). Research on gender differences in the parenthood-work commitment relationship, however, has produced mixed results (Lorence, 1987). Furthermore, researchers have failed to consider potential change in societal gender role definitions. Using a sample of employed Tulane University alumni with at least one child age 12 or younger living with them, the present study examined the extent to which men and women identify with the provider and caregiver roles. As expected, men identified more strongly with the provider role than women whereas women identified more strongly with the caregiver role than men. The present study also examined the relationship between family role identification and organizational commitment. As expected, provider role identification predicted continuance commitment and no gender differences were found in this relationship. Contrary to prediction, no relationship was found between provider role identification and affective commitment. This study also predicted that satisfaction with child care arrangements, rather than caregiver role identification, influences organizational commitment. The results showed that satisfaction with the quality and the hours available for child care predicted affective commitment whereas satisfaction with the cost and location of child care predicted continuance commitment. Caregiver role identification had no effect on affective or continuance commitment. Finally, caregiver role identification was expected to moderate the relationship between satisfaction with child care arrangements and affective and continuance commitment. No support was found for this hypothesis