How do people with different attachment styles balance work and family? A personality perspective on work-family linkage

This study explored whether different models of work-family relationship we re possible for individuals with different attachment styles. A mail survey was conducted using employees (N = 481) at a midwestern university in the United States. Results suggested that (a) individuals with a preoccupied at tachment pattern were more likely to experience negative spillover from the family/home to the work domain than those with a secure or dismissing styl e, (b) securely attached individuals experienced positive spillover in both work and family domains more than those in the other groups. and (c) preoc cupied individuals were much less likely to use a segmentation strategy tha n the other 3 attachment groups. However, when the conventional job satisfa ction-life satisfaction relationship was examined. the data provided unique support for the spillover model, Implications of the findings for both att achment and work-family relationship literatures are discussed.