Date of Award

6-21-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling and Human Services

First Advisor

Matthew Miller

Abstract

This study integrates person-environment fit theory and boundary theory to examine the influence of congruence in work and family boundary management on the well-being of couples working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on the differences in work and family boundary management preferences between spouses, the study assesses the effects on dyadic empathy (empathic concern and perspective-taking), marital satisfaction, and job performance. Utilizing latent congruence modeling with survey data from 222 US employees, the study reveals that congruence (difference) in family flexibility between couples negatively impacts empathic concerns and perspective-taking. Conversely, actual transitions between work and family positively influence perspective-taking. These flexibility and transition behaviors indirectly affect marital satisfaction and task performance, except for family-to-work transitions, which positively impact task performance. The study also uncovers that empathic concerns negatively mediate the relationship between work-to-family flexibility willingness and both marital satisfaction and task performance. Additionally, perspective-taking negatively mediates the relationship between family flexibility ability and task performance but positively mediates the link between work-to-family transitions and task performance. The implications for adjusting one's boundary management style to align with their partner's boundary management style to improve both individual and partner well-being were discussed.

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