2025.05 73-2 Types and Characteristics of Work-Family Conflict in Taiwan: A Latent Profile Analysis
Background and Purpose
In traditional Taiwanese families, couples have typically followed a role division based on the principle that "men work outside and women manage the household." However, rising economic demands and the widespread promotion of gender equality have gradually shifted this traditional division of labor. In dual-career families, parents juggle professional responsibilities and parenting, often experiencing heightened stress when work–family conflicts occur.
Research on work-family conflict (WFC) has consistently underscored the significance of gender roles. Nevertheless, with the growing influence of gender equality ideologies, a shift in focus has emerged, emphasizing gender role ideology over biological sex. Therefore, the present study incorporates traditional and egalitarian gender role ideologies as measures and conducts statistical analyses in conjunction with WFC.
This study specifically aimed to identify the types of WFC in Taiwan and investigate the heterogeneity of bidirectional WFC by uncovering distinct latent groups. Moreover, it examined variations in job satisfaction, well-being, and psychological adaptation across these groups.
Methods
Data were obtained from the 2020 Taiwan Panel Study of Family Dynamics Survey. The sample comprised 842 salaried employees (470 men and 372 women) randomly selected from an initial pool of 4,477 respondents. This study utilized Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), a statistical method suitable for analyzing continuous variables and categorizing them into latent and categorical groups. This technique provides an effective framework for identifying and visualizing each subgroup's heterogeneity and unique attributes. Specifically, this study applies LPA to investigate latent groups shaped by WFC and gender ideologies. These groups were analyzed to identify differences in various background characteristics (such as gender, age, marital status, number of children, working hours, salary, and social support), as well as outcomes such as job satisfaction, well-being, and psychological adaptation (encompassing both positive and negative affect).
Result
The findings revealed four distinct groups: comfortable, moderate, contrast, and high-stress. These classifications suggest that the relationship between perceived WFC stress and gender role attitudes is not strictly linear but exhibits distinct types across individuals. Most participants belonged to the comfortable and moderate groups, which were characterized by lower bidirectional conflict and better psychological adaptation. Conversely, approximately 10% of the participants belonged to the high-stress group, which experienced high levels of WFC and poor psychological adaptation. Furthermore, the control group, which comprised only 5% of the sample, exhibited low marital and parental burdens and strong gender equality values; however, they reported lower job satisfaction and well-being. This suggests that the psychological processes underlying WFC in these two groups warrant further investigation. Overall, the psychological adaptation processes of these two groups in WFC are worthy of further exploration.
Conclusions
This study supports the gender ideology perspective. It indicates that the key factors contributing to bidirectional WFC are physical stress associated with work hours, marital life, and parenting responsibilities, including the psychological stress deeply rooted in familial gender ideologies. Furthermore, individuals in high-stress conditions commonly lack support from both workplace and home environments.
Career counseling needs to pay more attention to valuing belief conflicts, physical and mental stress, and the psychological adaptation of these two groups. Organizations can continue to assist the high-stress and contrast groups through employee assistance programs and encourage individuals needing psychological counseling and guidance.
Keywords
gender-role ideology, panel study of family dynamics, work and family conflict
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