Part-time work for women: Does it really help balance work and family?

Results of this study suggest that the differential response of women to pa rt-time work as opposed to a career may be a function of motivational and w ork-context differences between career and non-career women. Part-time work was associated with lower work-to-family interference, better time managem ent ability, and greater life satisfaction for women in both career and ear ner-type positions. Role overload, family-to-work interference, and family time management, however, were dependent on job type with beneficial effect s for earners but not for career women. Job type also played role: Career w omen reported higher life satisfaction and lower depressed mood than did wo men in earner positions. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.