Communication of job-related information and work family conflict in dual-career couples

Abstract

It is known that work-family conflict is a determinant of marital dissatisfaction. The goal of this study was to determine whether inadequate communication regarding the sharing of job-related information between dual-career spouses contributes to marital dissatisfaction. The Work Perception Questionnaire (WPQ) was designed and administered to obtain information on dimensions that 80 dual-career couples (married or in co-habitation) perceived to contribute to marital conflict and that have an impact on the quality of their relationships. The main findings indicated that male partners experienced more marital conflict than their female partners if they did not have adequate job-related information about their partner’s work. However, the findings for the female partners were nonsignificant. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Opsomming
Dit is algemeen bekend dat werk- en gesinskonflik ‘n oorsaak van huweliksontevredenheid is. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of ontoereikende kommunikasie oor werksverwante inligting tussen gades in dubbelloopbaanverhoudings ‘n bydraende faktor tot huweliksontevredenheid is. Die Werk Persepsie Vraelys (WPV) is ontwerp en toegepas ten einde inligting te versamel rakende sekere dimensies wat volgens die persepsies van 80 dubbelloopbaanpare (wat getroud is of saamwoon) aanleiding gee tot huwelikskonflik en wat moontlik ‘n impak op die gehalte van hul verhouding mag hê. Die belangrikste bevinding was dat manlike gades meer huwelikskonflik ervaar indien hul gades nie werksverwante inligting met hulle deel nie. Die resultate vir vroulike gades was egter nie beduidend nie. Die implikasies van die resultate word bespreek.