FAMILY-TO-WORK STEREOTYPE THREAT: THE IMPACT ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND THE UNDERLYING ROLE OF COGNITIVE FAILURES

Lindsey M Lavaysse

This study explores the impact of stereotype threat (Steele, 1997), the fear of confirming negative assumptions about a social group to which one belongs (e.g., race, age, religion). Specifically, this study explored a unique and novel form of stereotype threat (ST), family-work ST or the ST of those who are balancing employment with their family role and responsibilities. This study explored the impact of family-work ST on job performance, operationalized as organizational citizenship behaviors, creativity, in-role behaviors, and innovative workplace behaviors. Although there have been clear calls within the literature for more empirical study of ST in the workplace (Kalokerinos, von Hippel, & Zacher, 2014), family-work ST is, as of yet, unexplored. Stereotype threat theory (Steele, 1997) and role stress theory (Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, & Rosenthal, 1964) both serve as theoretical foundation for the development of my hypotheses by indicating that a stressor such as ST could lead to exhaustion, role overload, and conflict, which could all in turn be associated with behavioral outcomes such as job performance declines. These theories also provide support for the hypothesized mediating mechanism – cognitive failures – as efforts to combat ST are theorized to be exhausting and juggling multiple roles is theorized to lead to overload and conflict. Based on empirical evidence to be discussed and the theoretical foundation, I expected that: H1&2) family-work ST would be related to decreased job performance both between- and within-person, respectively; H3&5) family-work ST would be related to increased cognitive failures while at work both between- and within-person, respectively; and H4&6) cognitive failures would partially mediate the relationship between family-work ST and decreased performance outcomes both between- and within-person, respectively. The hypotheses were tested using a longitudinal survey design with data from employed individuals at three separate time points spanning over a year in total (N1 = 682, N2 = 559, and N3 = 186). Results indicated that family-work ST was positively associated with in-role behaviors and cognitive failures. Cognitive failures had a significant negative relationship with both organizational citizenship behaviors and innovative workplace behaviors. Finally, there were significant indirect effects for organizational citizenship behaviors and innovative workplace behaviors. These findings could point scholars and practitioners in the right direction to better understand the impact of a psychosocial variable such as ST. More specifically, this research could elucidate the impact this potent stressor has on workers with family obligations, the potential occupational health consequences as well as implications for their performance at work.

FAMILY-TO-WORK STEREOTYPE THREAT: THE IMPACT ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND THE UNDERLYING ROLE OF COGNITIVE FAILURES

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