The work-to-family conflict: Theories and measures

The work-family conflict is a topic of increasing interest in psychological research: many are the theoretical speculations as well as the attempts to provide adequate measuring instruments. In Italy the few studies devoted to this topic mostly use Netemeyer et al. (1996) scale, which measures the workfamily and family-work conflict. This study reviews the theories on the work-family interface and proposes an adjustment of Netemeyer et al.’s instrument. The adjusted scale was submitted to a sample of 369 people. Its psychometric characteristics are presented in terms of factor structure, reliability, and capability of differentiating among different individuals. The results of the data analysis are in line with the indications in the literature. Factor analysis confirms the distinction between the conflicts work versus family as opposed to family versus work. The adaptation of Netemeyer et al.’s instrument presents overlapping characteristics with the original version. Key words: Work-family conflict; Family-work conflict; Measurement issues.