Mutual enrichment between work and family through resources provided by leadership

Rajiv Kumar

Evidence-based HRM, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 321-337

Abstract: PurposeGrounded in the work-home resources (W-HR) model, this study examines the hitherto unexplored impact of the concurrent provision of distinct resources by the same source—leadership—on work–family and family–work enrichment. Answering the calls to adopt a whole-life lens, this study offers ways to improve work-life outcomes of employees.Design/methodology/approachThis study tested if stable contextual resources provided by leadership (leader-member exchange or LMX and family-supportive supervision or FSS) positively associated with their intended outcomes in work and family domains (organizational career growth and family role performance, respectively) and then spilled over to enrich the other domain. Fairness propensity was hypothesized to moderate the influence of these resources on their respective outcomes. Survey data from 305 executives of private and public companies in India were analyzed using structural equation modeling and regression. Following theoretical rationale, age and gender were controlled while testing the models.FindingsThe results partly confirm the hypothesized model. All the models of work–family enrichment due to LMX fit data well. However, the models of family–work enrichment received only partial support. The hypothesized moderating effect of fairness propensity was seen only on the association between FSS and family role performance, but not on other hypothesized associations.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional nature of data limits the strength of causal inferences from this study. However, evidence does suggest that LMX and FSS can potentiate mutual enrichment between work and family domains, with LMX probably showing greater impact on such enrichment. The findings of this work also seem to support the corollary of the conservation of resources (COR) theory that suggests weak and gradual accretion of resources such as LMX and FSS.Practical implicationsLeaders in organizations may benefit by becoming mindful of both work as well as family-related aspirations and obligations of employees. Such broadened focus from leadership can not only benefit employees more, but employees can reciprocate the receipt of such resources by enhancing their organizational contributions.Originality/valueBesides testing the W-HR model in a novel way using the resources provided by leadership, this study contributes to work–family enrichment literature by directly finding the evidence of spillovers across work and family domains. Unlike prior findings, this study finds more support for enrichment from work to family domains.

Keywords: LMX; Family-supportive supervision; Work-family enrichment; W-HR model; Organizational career growth; Family role performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ebhrmp:ebhrm-06-2023-0157

DOI: 10.1108/EBHRM-06-2023-0157

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