Objectives: The interaction between work and family roles can result in various outcomes, including work-family conflict or enrichment. The way individuals manage the boundaries between these two domains plays an essential role in shaping the quality of this interaction, with work-related rumination being a common manifestation of role integration. The present study aimed to assess the relationship of work-related rumination with work-family conflict and enrichment.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 330 employees from an industrial organization in Isfahan, selected via convenience sampling. Participants completed questionnaires measuring work-family conflict, work-family enrichment, work-related rumination, positive and negative work reflection, the Irritation scale, as well as the subscales of excessive commitment and Wok Obsession/Inability to Recover. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression analysis.
Results: Among the nine types of work-related rumination, cognitive Irritation (P<0.001), affective rumination (P< 0.001), and negative reflection (P< 0.001) predicted work-family conflict and together explained 56% of its variance. Problem-solving pondering (P<0.001), positive reflection (P< 0.001), and negative reflection (P=0.003) predicted work-family enrichment and explained 12% of its variance.
Conclusion: Work-related rumination does not necessarily have a negative impact on work–family relations and may lead to different outcomes depending on its nature. Certain types of rumination may facilitate the transfer of beneficial work experiences to the family domain. These results highlight the importance of examining the consequences of specific forms of work-home integration rather than broadly rejecting any integration.
