ABSTRACT
Since its early development, theoretical discourse in the field of work-family conflict has been confined to a few dominant theories, such as role theory (Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, & Rosenthal, 1964; Katz & Kahn, 1978) and spillover theory (Piotrkowski, 1979; Staines, 1980; Zedeck & Mosier, 1990). Since Zedeck’s (1992) call for the refinement and development of theory in the work-family field, a series of alternative theories have been suggested as a conceptual basis for explaining work-family conflict, such as Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resources theory (Grandey & Cropanzano, 1999; Rosenbaum & Cohen, 1999), self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, Bond, Klein, & Strauman, 1986; Polasky & Holahan, 1998), social identity theory (Lobel, 1991; Tajfel & Turner, 1985), expansionist theory of gender, work, and family (Barnett & Hyde, 2001), boundary theory (Nippert-Eng, 1996), and work/family border theory (Clark, 2000).
