Supervisor Referrals to Work-Family Programs

Supervisors play an important role in determining whether employees use work-family programs. Yet little research has examined the factors that relate to supervisor perceptions of and behaviors surrounding work-family programs. This study builds on past research, the theory of reasoned action, and expectancy theory to explore factors that contribute to supervisors' decisions to refer subordinates to work-family programs. Usable surveys assessing perceptions of work-family programs were completed and returned by 1,972 managers in a large government agency. Results revealed that program awareness and instrumentality perceptions both contributed uniquely to predicting the frequency of supervisors' referrals to work-family programs. Supportive attitudes also predicted referrals, but only through their shared relationship with instrumentality perceptions.