Couples are able to increase their own work productivity when their partner had a flexible work schedule, a study published last month in Personnel Psychology: The Study of People at Work found.
This is thought to be because a flexible work schedule, or the ability to work from home, allows a partner to complete more family tasks and housework.
While the above results might sound very positive, the study also found that a significant number of women felt guilty when their daily work tasks increased because it increased work-family conflict.
Additionally, the study states that home and family-based work created a feeling of psychological withdrawal from work for both women and men. Despite this, the study found no clear differences in patterns in husbands’ and wives' work and family experiences.
The theory behind the study
The study collected data from dual-earning couples in China and Taiwan. It consisted of surveying 222 couples twice a day.
The aim of the study was to contextual ‘family systems theory’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family systems theory was introduced by psychiatrists in the 1950s. It was seen as a revolutionary new way to look at the mind. The theory suggests that the family is a complex social system, where members influence each other’s behaviors and moods.