Work‐Home Role Conflict, Family Climate, and Domestic Responsibilities Among Men and Women in Dual‐earner Families1

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Abstract
Correlates of work‐home role conflict for dual‐earner couples were examined. Respondents (N= 208) were an equal number of married, employed men and women with children. Data were collected in the northeastern U.S.A. through a survey which measured work‐home role conflict, family climate, domestic responsibilities, and activities performed during one's free time. LISREL was used to determine if domestic responsibilities mediate the correlation between gender and work‐home conflict. A regression analysis was used to determine the relative effects of domestic responsibilities and family climate on work‐home conflict. Results indicate that (a) work‐home role conflict is negatively related to family climate for men as well as for women, (b) gender differences in role conflict are partially attributable to gender differences in domestic responsibilities, and (c) domestic responsibilities and family climate each correlate significantly with work‐home role conflict. Findings suggest that how one works hard (the conditions under which one lives) may be just as important as how hard one works (the number of tasks one performs).