Work-family conflict: a study of American and Australian family businesses

This study examines causal pathways linking work strain to anxiety among Australian and American family business owners. To date, there has been no empirical test of strain-based, work-family conflict models on family businesses; nor have there been comparisons made between Australian and American business owners. This paper suggests a specific causal model and provides country-specific and comparative evidence for that model. The suggested model includes mediation and moderation mechanisms that link work strain and anxiety from the perspective of business owners. Data for the research were obtained through the administration of essentially identical questionnaires in the two countries in 1999. Results show that the proposed model fits the data reasonably well, regardless of the type of firm and country.