Mothers' job crafting and work-to-family enrichment: a self-concept perspective
Career Development International
ISSN: 1362-0436
Article publication date: 18 July 2023
Issue publication date: 29 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the self-concept perspective, the purpose of this paper is to explore the process of working mothers who conduct job crafting to build new role identities and self-efficacy, which ultimately affects work-to-family enrichment. The paper further explores the moderating role of inclusive leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data at two time points. The sample for the study consisted of 216 professional working mothers in China who returned to work after the birth of their first child.
Findings
Results show that working mothers' job crafting had a positive effect on work-to-family enrichment. In addition, working mothers' role identity and role self-efficacy played mediating roles between the links. Finally, inclusive leadership moderates the indirect effect of task crafting and relational crafting on work-to-family enrichment through role identity and role self-efficacy. The positive indirect relationships are stronger in high levels of inclusive leadership.
Practical implications
The employers should provide opportunities, support, and freedom for working mothers to craft their jobs according to their individual demands for better self and home outcomes.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the job crafting of working mothers. The authors extend the consequences of job crafting to the nonwork domain. In addition, this study uncovers the influence of job crafting from the perspective of self-concept (i.e. role identity and role self-efficacy). Furthermore, the authors demonstrate the moderating role played by inclusive leadership in this process.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72202177, No. 72002171), Shaanxi Social Science Foundation (Grant No. D5170210088), Soft Science Research Program in Shaanxi Province (Grant No. 2022KRM003), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. D5000210968).
Citation
Li, C., Fan, Y. and Zhang, Y. (2023), "Mothers' job crafting and work-to-family enrichment: a self-concept perspective", Career Development International, Vol. 28 No. 5, pp. 500-517. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-10-2022-0288
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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