Work–family conflict in four national contexts: A closer look at the role of individualism–collectivism

In this study, we examine the role of cultural variations conceptualized in terms of vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism in the prediction of work–family conflict in four distinct national contexts of the United States, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. The results of our study suggest that vertical individualism is a strong predictor of work–family conflict across cultural and national boundaries. The findings indicate the importance of cultural dimensions as correlates or predictors of work–family conflict—especially, it highlights the role of the two components of the polythetic construct of individualism–collectivism: horizontal and vertical. Implications are discussed for future research in the area of international and cross-cultural studies of work–family conflict-related issues.