Work & Non-work Stress Among Solicitors: Modeling the stress-strain relationship

1. HRMOB Division Research Seminar Work & Non-work Stress Among Solicitors: Modelingthe stress-strain relationship Dr Thomas J Scanlon

2. Building on suggestions for future research posited by Parasuraman & Greenhaus (2002) & Voydanoff (2002) the research addresses the need for studies which: examine the work-home interface at the micro level of analysis that takes a diagnostic approach in investigating the interplay between specific sources of work-home interference and domain-specific pressures and their implications for work, home, & individual outcomes; test the conventionalised idea that purports fundamental differences in the way women and men experiences their work and home life; focus not only upon traditional nuclear families, but also people in other ‘familial’ circumstances, such as cohabiting couples. Introduction

3. WHI is ‘a form of inter-role conflict in which role pressures from the work and family domains are mutually incompatible’ Greenhaus & Beutell (1985:77). Marked shift in WHI measurement Separation of Domain-specific & WHI scales: allowing for a simultaneous examination of W-to-H & H-to-W interference to establish the existence & extent of a reciprocal relationship examine implications for well-being Theoretical Background

4. Frone, Russell, and Cooper (1992) seminal paper posited and tested a model that examined the bi-directional nature of work-family conflict. Theoretical Background • Such models do not impart the specific nature of the interference & interplay • between the two domains since they are unrelated to the particular features of • an individuals’ work & home life ~ • - deductively derived domain-specific measures & • - global items for WHI measures

5. Theoretical relationships between the interplay of domain-specific pressures, WHI and outcomes (Voydanoff, 2001) (i) Independent ~ Direct

6. Theoretical relationships between the interplay of domain-specific pressures, WHI and outcomes (ii) Mediating ~ Indirect

7. Theoretical relationships between the interplay of domain-specific pressures, WHI and outcomes • Note: these relationships form the structural aspect of the SEM presented later (iii) Combined ~ Direct & Indirect

8. Growing Pains: ‘Winners & Losers’ In a Changing Legal Profession • Growth in income generation among private law firms • Significant increase in the number of practicing solicitors • Rapid growth in the size of private law firms • State intervention inline with Hayek free market principles • Polarisation of the legal profession with many medium & large law firms discarding may aspects of more traditional areas of legal work • Growing concerns over the well-being of private practice solicitors

9. Method • Research Process • Preliminary Phase ~ 28 interviews • Main Phase ~ Survey • Target sample: 3000 solicitors (stratified random selection) • response rate 24%. • exploratory data set 205 & confirmatory data set 400 • Biographic section • General Health Questionnaire (C-Alpha .85) • Physical Symptoms Inventory (C-Alpha .84) • work characteristic scale assessing: • pressures in work domain (WP-WL ~ C-Alpha .93), and • work-to-home interference (WHI~ C-Alpha .94); • home characteristic scale assessing: • pressures in home domain (HP-HL ~ C-Alpha .90), and • home-to-work interference (HWI ~ C-Alpha .91)

10. Summary of results from the exploratory & confirmatory factor analyses: Measurement Model • Work Pressures-Work Life • (WP-WL F1) Client Demands • Client demands, Meeting client deadlines, Unnecessary interruptions made by clients, Clients expectations unrealistic. • (WP-WL F2) Ineffective Communication • Ambiguity in the nature of your job role, Lack of feedback form superiors, Appeasing partners/superiors, Lack of consultation. • Work-to-Home Interference • (WHI F1) Concerns Over Ability • Fear of making mistakes, Concerns about ability to give legal advice, Adhering to legal rules & procedures, Fear of possible negligence. • (WHI F2) Volume of Work • Working weekends, Amount of work, Working long hours, Taking work home.

11. Summary of results from the exploratory & confirmatory factor analyses: Measurement Model • Home Pressures-Home Life • (HP-HL F1) Insufficient Time • Having little time for a social life, Pursuing a career at the expense of home life, Making time for family and friends. • (HP-HL F2) Insufficient Support • Lack of practical support from family and friends, Lack of emotional support from family and friends. • Home-to-Work Interference • (HWI F1) Unfulfilled Domestic Responsibilities • Conflict between home & work responsibilities, Finding time to deal with household duties, Pursuing a career at the expense of home life . • (HWI F2) Insufficient Support • Lack of practical support from family and friends, Lack of emotional support from family and friends.

12. SE models of the work domain in relation to the outcome: Strain Structural Components for each of the three SE Models

13. SE models of the home domain in relation to the outcome: Strain Structural Components for each of the three SE Models

14. Goodness of fit indices & model comparisons from the SEM analyses of the work domain for the outcome: Strain

15. Summary of standardised path coefficients for the Combined model of the work domain in relation to the outcome: Strain Exploratory Data Set. Work Pressures - Work Life ~ Latent Constructs: Client Demands (WP-WL F1) & Ineffective Communications (WP-WL F2); Home-to-Work Interference ~ Latent Constructs: Unfulfilled Domestic Responsibilities (HWI F1) & Insufficient Support (HWI F2); Outcome ~ Latent Construct: Strain. * p < .05; !! p < .001.

16. Standardised path coefficients from the confirmatory analysis of the Combined model for the work domain

17. WP-WLF2 WP-WLF1 Strain HWI F1 HWI F2 Summary of standardised path coefficients for the structural portion of the Combined model of the work domain in relation to Strain DS1: .07 DS2: .23* DS1: .25* DS2: .35!! DS1: .02 DS2: .13 DS1: .57 DS2: .50 DS1: .55!! DS2: .29!! DS1: .50!! DS2: .48!! DS1: .03 DS2: .33!! DS1: .51!! DS2: .09 DS1: .11 DS2: .23! DS1: Exploratory data set; DS2: Confirmatory data set. Work Pressures - Work Life ~ Latent Constructs: Client Demands (WP-WL F1) & Ineffective Communications (WP-WL F2); Home-to-Work Interference ~ Latent Constructs: Unfulfilled Domestic Responsibilities (HWI F1) & Insufficient Support (HWI F2); Outcome ~ Latent Construct: Strain. * p < .05; ! p < .005; !! p < .001.

18. Goodness of fit indices & model comparisons from the SEM analyses of the home domain for the outcome: Strain Confirmatory Data Analysis Using DS 2

19. HP-HLF2 HP-HLF1 Strain WHI F1 WHI F2 Summary of standardised path coefficients for the structural portion of the Combined model of the home domain in relation to Strain DS1: .07 DS2: .23* DS1: .59!! DS2: .25** DS1: .66!! DS2: .55!! DS1: .68 DS2: .58 DS1: .09 DS2: .17* DS1: .07 DS2: .24!! DS1: .12 DS2: .23! DS1: .46!! DS2: .40!! DS1: .07 DS2: .03 DS1: Exploratory data set; DS2: Confirmatory data set. Home Pressures - Home Life ~ Latent Constructs: Insufficient Time (HP-HL F1) & Insufficient Support (HP-HL F2); Work-to-Home Interference ~ Latent Constructs: Concerns Over Ability (WHI F1) & Volume of Work (WHI F2); Outcome ~ Latent Construct: Strain. * p < .05; ** p <.01; ! p < .005; !! p < .001.

20. Moderating Influences of Gender and Family Structure on the Interface Between Work and Home, and Their Effects on Health • The results regarding the equivalence of the relationships pertaining to work-specific pressure and home-to-work interference, and their effect upon health across gender and differing family structures revealed that the: • effects of home-to-work interference and work-specific pressures on individual health; • effects of home-to-work interference on work-specific pressures; and • sources of work-specific pressures and home-to-work pressures as represented within the measurement portion of the SE model are invariant across gender and family structure.

21. Moderating Influences of Gender and Family Structure on the Interface Between Work and Home, and Their Effects on Health • The results regarding the equivalence of the relationships pertaining to home-specific pressure and work-to-home interference, and their effect upon health across gender and differing family structures revealed that the: • effects of work-to-home interference and home-specific pressures on individual health; • effects of work-to-home interference on home-specific pressures; and • sources of home-specific pressures and work-to-home pressures as represented within the measurement portion of the SE model are invariant across gender and three of the four family groups, the exception being those located in consensual relationships.

22. Concluding Comments & Questions