Is the Institutional Environment a Challenge for the Well-Being of Female Managers in Europe? The Mediating Effect of Work–Life Balance and Role Clarity Practices in the Workplace
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background and Research Hypotheses
2.1. Well-Being at Work
2.2. HRPs Regarding Work–Life Balance and Role Clarity and Their Effect on Female Managers’ Subjective Well-Being
2.3. Institutions as the Antecedents of Work–Life Balance, Role Clarity, and Female Managers’ Well-Being
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Data Sources and Study Context
3.2. Sample and Research Procedures
3.3. Measures
3.3.1. Dependent Variable
3.3.2. Mediating Variable
3.3.3. Independent Variables
3.3.4. Control Variables
4. Data Analysis
5. Results
6. Discussion
7. Conclusions
Implications of Practice
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Items for Measuring Variables in the Current Study
Subjective Well-Being (Dependent Variable) | Items from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) | Codes |
How have you have been feeling over the last two weeks—I have felt cheerful and in good spirits? | Q87A | |
How have you have been feeling over the last two weeks—I have felt calm and relaxed? | Q87B | |
How have you have been feeling over the last two weeks—I have felt active and vigorous? | Q87C | |
Human Resources Practices (Mediating Variables) | Items from the EWCS | Codes |
Work–life balance | In general, do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work very well, well, not very well, or not well at all? | Q44 |
Role clarity | For each of the following statements, please select the response that best describes your work situation. You know what is expected of you at work. | Q61K |
The Institutions (Independent Variables) | Indicators from the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) | |
Regulative | Political transparency Fiscal policy Judicial system efficiency The legal framework for competitiveness Finance and banking regulation Restrictions to foreign organisations Labour regulations | |
Normative | Political responsiveness to economic challenges Bureaucratic corruption Bureaucratic hindrance Value system support competitiveness Labour productivity The flexibility of individuals when they are faced with challenges National culture that is open to foreign ideas | |
Cognitive | The adaptability of companies to market changes The entrepreneurship of managers Customer emphasis Technological cooperation Employee training The productivity of companies that are supported by global strategies Corporate values that take into account employee values | |
Control Variables | Items from the EWCS | Codes |
Organisational flexibility | Are you working in…? 1—the private sector; 2—the public sector | Q14 |
Organisational size | How many employees in total work in your company or organisation? | Q16b |
Individual age | How old are you? | Q2b |
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Employee well-being | 1 | |||||||||
2. Private institutions looking at the internal organization | −0.093 * | |||||||||
3. Public institutions supported by authorities’ practices and competitiveness | −0.065 | −0.054 | ||||||||
4. Public institutions supported by society that promote flexibility and openness | −0.062 | −0.018 | −0.073 † | |||||||
5. Private institutions looking at external settings | 0.073 † | −0.158 *** | 0.038 | −0.182 *** | ||||||
6. Work–life balance | −0.262 *** | 0.085 * | 0.124 ** | 0.031 | −0.060 | |||||
7. Role clarity | −0.127 ** | −0.067 | −0.049 | 0.110 ** | −0.032 | 0.084 * | ||||
8. Flexibility (public–private sector) | 0.011 | 0.036 | 0.052 | 0.098 * | −0.033 | 0.038 | 0.019 | |||
9. Organization size | 0.054 | 0.115 ** | 0.095 * | 0.039 | −0.053 | 0.010 | −0.091 * | 0.029 | ||
10. Age | 0.011 | −0.199 *** | 0.095 * | 0.044 | 0.062 | −0.043 | 0.027 | 0.149 ** | 0.050 | 1 |
Mean | 0.000 | 0.182 | 0.275 | 0.177 | −0.066 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1.57 | 4.59 | 42.9 |
Standard deviation | 0.000 | 0.969 | 1.13 | 0.898 | 0.840 | 0.947 | 0.646 | 0.850 | 1.85 | 10.7 |
Variables | Model 1 Work–Life Balance | Model 2 Role Clarity | Model 3 Female Managers’ Well-Being |
---|---|---|---|
Step 1: Controls | |||
Organizational flexibility (public–private sector) | −0.024 | 0.052 | 0.043 |
Organization size | 0.012 | −0.096 * | −0.044 |
Age | 0.087 * | 0.161 *** | −0.009 |
Step 2: Controls + Main effects | |||
Organizational flexibility (public–private sector) | −0.013 | 0.043 | 0.052 |
Organization size | −0.010 | −0.091 * | −0.072 |
Age | 0.089 * | 0.160 *** | −0.014 |
Private institutions looking at the internal organization | 0.082 | −0.059 | 0.101 * |
Public institutions supported by authorities’ practices and competitiveness | 0.124 ** | −0.048 | 0.118 ** |
Public institutions supported by society that promote flexibility and openness | 0.014 | 0.082 * | 0.091 * |
Private institutions looking at external settings | −0.070 | −0.045 | −0.051 |
ΔR2 | 2.6% | 1.6% | |
ΔF | 3.674 | 2.283 | |
Step 3: Controls + Main effects + Mediating effects | |||
Organizational flexibility (public–private sector) | 0.051 | ||
Organization size | −0.053 | ||
Age | −0.051 | ||
Private institutions looking at the internal organization | 0.087 * | ||
Public institutions supported by authorities’ practices and competitiveness | 0.093 * | ||
Public institutions supported by society that promote flexibility and openness | 0.075 | ||
Private institutions looking at external settings | −0.031 | ||
Work–life balance | 0.215 *** | ||
Role clarity | 0.109 ** | ||
ΔR2 | 5.7% | ||
ΔF | 16.323 | ||
F | 2.883 | 3.975 | 6.004 |
Final adjusted R2 | 2.3% | 3.6% | 7.9% |
Condition number | 14.780 | 14.693 | 14.814 |
VIF lower–upper limits | 1.116–1.078 | 1.113–1.081 | 1.117–1.051 |
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Cuéllar-Molina, D.; García-Cabrera, A.M.; Lucia-Casademunt, A.M. Is the Institutional Environment a Challenge for the Well-Being of Female Managers in Europe? The Mediating Effect of Work–Life Balance and Role Clarity Practices in the Workplace. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091813
Cuéllar-Molina D, García-Cabrera AM, Lucia-Casademunt AM. Is the Institutional Environment a Challenge for the Well-Being of Female Managers in Europe? The Mediating Effect of Work–Life Balance and Role Clarity Practices in the Workplace. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(9):1813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091813
Chicago/Turabian StyleCuéllar-Molina, Deybbi, Antonia M. García-Cabrera, and Ana M. Lucia-Casademunt. 2018. "Is the Institutional Environment a Challenge for the Well-Being of Female Managers in Europe? The Mediating Effect of Work–Life Balance and Role Clarity Practices in the Workplace" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 9: 1813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091813