Female leaders' journey after childbirth: Exploring the longitudinal relationship between work-family conflict and affective commitment using a mixed-method approach

Abstract

This study examines the trajectory of work-family conflict among female leaders after childbirth and the relationship between work-family conflict and affective commitment. Guided by boundary theory and the work-home resources model, we explored how increases in work-family conflict encountered by female leaders relate to decreases in their affective commitment, depending on an organization’s work-priority climate. In our quantitative study, we used a latent growth model based on data from three waves of the Korean Women Manager Panel with 410 female leaders with young children. Results showed that the initial level of work-family conflict was negatively related to the initial level of affective commitment. Additionally, increases in work-family conflict were related to decreases in affective commitment. This relationship was more pronounced in organizations with a strong work priority climate than in those with a weak one. Our qualitative study of interviews with 21 female leaders with young children further revealed that work-family conflict undermines affective commitment through heightened resource depletion, reduced relational attachment, diminished organizational trustworthiness, and shifted work-life ideologies, particularly in organizations with strong work-priority climates. Our work deepens our underst