Work demands and work-to-family conflict among working mothers in Ghana : the moderating role of employment type

Research has shown that work demands are associated with high levels of work-to-family conflicts. However, little is known about the factors that can moderate this relationship, especially in African societies with a dearth of work-family research. This study, therefore, examined the moderating role of employment type (self-employed versus employee) in the relationship between perceived work demands and work-to-family conflict among a diverse sample of Ghanaian working mothers (n = 1194). Linear regression analysis using Model 1 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS showed that perceived work demands positively correlated with work-to-family conflict. The study results further demonstrate that employment type moderated the relationship between perceived work demands and work-to-family conflict, such that self-employed mothers experienced greater levels of work-to-family conflict than employee mothers. This study illuminates the centrality of socio-economic context in explaining work-family intersections, incorporates an understudied group of self-employed mothers in predominantly informal work settings, and contributes to the scant African work-family literature. The policy implications of the study are also discussed.