Is cortisol as a biomarker of stress influenced by the interplay of work-family conflict, work-family balance and resilience?

Abstract

Purpose

The demands of balancing work and family roles are associated with stress experiences. Stress increases if work impinges too far on what is required from one’s family while a balance between these demands tends to decreases stress. The purpose of this paper is to investigate resiliencefor the extent to which it can predict both work-family conflict (WFC) and balance (WFB). Moreover, cortisol levels will be used as a physiological indicator of stress.

Design/methodology/approach

Totally, 35 employed parents with children up to the age of six took part in the study. Salivary cortisol was collected three times a day.

Findings

Results show that cortisol levels are related to internal as well as external WFCs while WFB is not significantly linked with cortisol. Resilience has a beneficial influence on the mean cortisol level. Moreover, resilience is also advantageous for the work-family interplay, especially WFB.

Practical implications

The study concludes with suggestions for further research and advises that organizational and individual health promoting activities should seek to implement WFB as well as resilience strategies.

Originality/value

For the first time, the aim is to assess whether work-family interplay and resilience are associated with an objective biomarker of stress, namely cortisol.

Citation

Krisor, S.M., Diebig, M. and Rowold, J. (2015), "Is cortisol as a biomarker of stress influenced by the interplay of work-family conflict, work-family balance and resilience?", Personnel Review, Vol. 44 No. 4, pp. 648-661. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2013-0168