Work-family stage and satisfaction with work-family balance

Voydanoff's (1987) three constructs for the sequencing of work and family s tages are integrated with family development theory to produce three hypoth eses in regard to work-family career stages and its relationship to satisfa ction with the balance between work and family. Canadian findings indicate that the effects for work-family stages are moderated by gender. Mothers wh o work over twenty hours a week are less satisfied with the balance between work and family than fathers and mothers who work less than twenty hours o r are at home full time. Part time dual earner families show relatively hig h satisfaction with work-family balance for both genders. These finding are discussed in the contexts of family development theory and current social change.