Married to the Military: An Examination of Work-Family Conflict and Marital Quality among United States Reserve Service Members

Abstract

The military is well-known for having a demanding work environment with various sources of stressors for its members, many of which have the potential to impact relationships and family life. Through this dissertation, the researcher investigated gender differences in work-family conflict and relationship quality among United States military reserve service members. The researcher also considered the correlation of demographic variables with each construct and determined whether work-family conflict and demographic variables can predict relationship quality. A sample of 186 participants from the U.S. military reserve forces was recruited through Qualtrics Research Services to complete the multidimensional measure of work-family conflict of Carlson et al. (2000) and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Busby et al., 1995). The results of the independent samples t -test indicated a significant difference in time-based work interference of military duties with family, with men reporting higher levels of conflict than women. The findings indicated that there is no significant difference between men and women on the measure of relationship quality. Correlations were observed between work-family conflict and age, military grade, number of children, annual household income, and time spent per week on military or civilian duties. Relationship quality was correlated with age, civilian hours worked per week, and all subscales of work-family conflict. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that age, average civilian hours worked per week, and strain-based family interference with work related to military duties were significant predictors of relationship quality. The results of this study highlighted the impact that stress from one domain of life can have on another and reiterate the benefits for employers who support the home life of their employees. Limitations and recommendations for future research are presented.