Role Strain, Work and Family Conflict, Communication Patterns and Marital Satisfaction among Dual-Earner Couples in Pakistan

Abstract

There is increased participation of women in workforce around the globe including Pakistan, which has led to the re-construction of society’s pre-defined gender-specific roles particularly in marital relations. This re-construction of roles has increased responsibilities for both husbands and wives at work and home and let them to experience role-strain and conflict between work and family domains. Literature suggests that communication patterns of couples also determine how they deal with this experience of conflict and role strain and these are linked with marital satisfaction. The present research, thus, aims at assessing how dual earner couples in Pakistan experience role strain, work and family conflict, communication patterns and their predictive role in marital satisfaction. Cross-sectional research design was used and complete data was available from 55 couples. Role Strain Inventory, Work and Family Conflict Scale, Communication Pattern Questionnaire and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale were used to collect data along with demographic profile. The result showed that mean scores on work to family conflict were higher among wives than husbands (t (108) = 2.37, p<.05). Work to family conflict is significant predictor of marital satisfaction, among both wives (t = -2.96, p < 0.01) and husbands (t = -5.20, p < .01). Although, there was non-significant difference between wives and husbands in experience of role strain, but role strain was found to a significant negative predictor of marital satisfaction among both wives (t = -5.07, P< .01) and husbands (t = -2.39, P< .05). There was non-significant difference between husbands and wives on communication patterns but positive interactive pattern was found to be a significant positive predictor of marital satisfaction among both wives (t = 4.64, p< .01) and husbands (t = 4.16, P< .01). Non-significant difference was present on the experience of overall marital satisfaction between wives and husbands. Study reveals that both work and family conflict and role strain predicts marital satisfaction of dual- ROLE STRAIN, WORK, FAMILY CONFLICT, COMMUNICATION PATTERNS, MARITAL SATISFACTION xv earner couples, it provides the evidence about gender role strain and work-family conflict negative influence marital satisfaction for both partners thus need for counseling and adequate support for working couples at their workplaces.