Unraveling the dyadic dynamics: exploring the impact of flexible working arrangements’ availability on satisfaction with work-life flexibility among working parents

Ya Guo, Fenwick Feng Jing (), Yuqi Zhong (), Meng Zhu () and Senhu Wang ()
Additional contact information
Ya Guo: National University of Singpore
Fenwick Feng Jing: Qufu Normal University
Yuqi Zhong: Renmin University of China
Meng Zhu: Hubei University of Economics
Senhu Wang: National University of Singpore

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Despite ample research on the association between the availability of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) and satisfaction from an individual perspective, little has explored the dyadic correlation between the availability of FWAs and satisfaction with work-life flexibility (WLF) from a couple-level perspective among working parents. Drawing on a linked lives perspective and the work-family border theory, this study contributes to the literature by adopting the longitudinal couple-level dyadic data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey (2001–2021) to examine how couples’ availability of FWAs affects their own and their spouses’ satisfaction with WLF among working parents. The results show that among couples with children, mothers’ availability of FWAs significantly improves their own and their husbands’ satisfaction with WLF. In contrast, fathers’ access to FWAs only improves their own satisfaction with WLF. Moreover, the impact of one’s availability of FWAs on their satisfaction with WLF, as well as the effects of mothers’ availability of FWAs on their husbands’ satisfaction, are more pronounced among formal contract workers. Overall, this study underscores the dyadic association between couples’ FWAs and satisfaction with WLF among working parents, delineating an asymmetric dynamic.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-04386-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04386-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04386-x

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Palgrave Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().