CRITICAL REVIEW

Critical Review



Critical Review

Brief Synopsis of the Paper

The author of the article “Support for the work-life balance in Europe: the impact of state, workplace and family support on work-life balance satisfaction” is Anja-Kristin Abendroth. The article discusses the significance of various supports, so that people can attain work-life balance. Furthermore, the article incorporates a study of 7867 workers from the European countries to determine their satisfaction with instrumental and emotional workplace and family support. At first, the article maps the current condition, workplace and family support, so that it could identify the dominating sources in each country. Later, the researcher examines the effects of different support sources (Clayton 2005, Pp. 277-344). The results of the study suggest that there is a significant impact of work-life balance and satisfaction of employees. In the end, the findings of the article indicate that there is a significant relationship between emotional support and instrumental support. On the other hand, emotional family support has a positive impact on work-life balance satisfaction, whereas there instrumental family support does not have an impact on work-life satisfaction.

Discussion of the Paper's Results

The key findings and results of the research indicate that support plays a significant role in the explanation of workers' satisfaction with work-life balance. The regression analysis performed in the research included additional variables of support, which resulted in increasing the explained variance and direct positive effects of support on satisfaction with work-life balance. In addition, there was a buffering effect of support pertaining to the negative impact of job demands on work-life balance satisfaction. As a result, the study does not reject Hypothesis 1, which tested the impact of a variety of support options. The results also provide evidence for Hypothesis 2, which tested a moderating effect. The comparison of emotional and instrumental support in the workplace and in private life suggests that both the variables have significant impact on work-life balance satisfaction. However, findings also revealed that flexible work arrangements and informal or paid household help have an insignificant impact. It indicates that both instrumental and emotional support is essential for workers to attain higher work-life balance satisfaction (Lockwood 2007, Pp. 1-12). Nonetheless, with respect to private-life support, results are less straightforward. Emotional support is the only variable, which explains an increase in the substantial and positive influence on work-life balance satisfaction. This result is opposite to Hypothesis 3b. There were no positive interaction effects that were found between emotional and instrumental support in private life or the workplace. It reflects that instrumental and emotional support does not reinforce each other. Moreover, emotional and instrumental support in the workplace has a complementary relationship.

Relation between Paper's Findings and Literature

Companies proceed from the assumption that work and personal life priorities are complementary to a well-recognized contribution to higher productivity and employee loyalty. The principle of balancing work and personal life are based on the belief that productivity is not derived from time spent at work, but rather the energy invested in ...