Individual values and the work/family interface: An examination of high tech employees in Israel

Purpose - The question of how to strike a balance between work and life is attracting increasing attention from both scholars and practitioners. This paper aims to examine the relationship between individual level values, using Schwartz's basic human values theory, and the work-family conflict (WFC), the family-work conflict (FWC), and coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 122 employees from two Israeli high tech companies participated in this survey. The portrait values questionnaire (PVQ) was used to measure ten basic values. The PVQ includes short verbal portraits of 40 different people, gender matched with the respondent. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were measured by the scales developed by Netemeyer et al. Personal coping was measured using the 16 items of Kirchmeyer's scale of coping strategies. Regression and correlation analysis were used to test the research hypotheses. Findings - The findings showed a strong relationship between power and the three independent variables. Schwartz's ten values explained a relatively large percentage of the variation in the work-family conflict and the use of coping strategies. Originality/value - While there has been a growing trend to examine individual level values in order to better understand the attitudes and behaviors of employees in the workplace, very few studies have examined whether and how individual values are related to the interface between work and family. This paper responded to the call for such research. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the continuation of research on individual values in their relationship to the work-family interface.