The present research examines diurnal patterns of work-family conflict episodes in a sample of 106 working adults collected every two hours over three days. Using boundary theory, we explore the timing of work-family conflict throughout the day and examine daily and weekly transitions as predictors of work-family conflict occurrence. We contrast two theoretical perspectives which suggest that transitions are a point for potential spillover and regulation failure (Ashforth et al., 2000), and that transitions necessarily shift resources, creating conflict attributions (Matthews et al., 2014). Results show work-family conflict occurs at all times of the day, and that family-to-work conflict has a distinct diurnal pattern. The timing of work-family conflict can be predicted by temporal and spatial transitions, the start and end of scheduled work times, and standard evening transition times. Both spillover and attributional perspectives were supported for self-reported transitions, but only spillover rationale was supported for scheduled transitions. Follow-up analyses suggest temporal transitions and rapid transitions are particularly strong correlates of work-family conflict episodes. In addition, role flexibility and permeability did not modify the relationship between transition occurrence and work-family conflict occurrence. This study yields novel theoretical and practical insight into the timing of work-family conflict episodes, and rigorously tests boundary theory.

本研究调查了 106 名在职成年人在三天内每两小时收集的样本中工作-家庭冲突事件的昼夜模式。使用边界理论，我们探索全天工作-家庭冲突的发生时间，并检查每天和每周的转换作为工作-家庭冲突发生的预测因素。我们对比了两种理论观点，即转型是潜在溢出和监管失败的一个点（Ashforth 等，2000），转型必然会转移资源，造成冲突归因（Matthews 等，2014）。结果表明，工作与家庭的冲突在一天中的任何时候都会发生，并且家庭与工作的冲突具有明显的昼夜模式。工作与家庭冲突的时间可以通过时间和空间转换、预定工作时间的开始和结束来预测，和标准的晚上过渡时间。自我报告的转换支持溢出和归因观点，但计划转换只支持溢出原理。后续分析表明，时间转换和快速转换与工作-家庭冲突事件特别密切相关。此外，角色灵活性和渗透性并没有改变转变发生与工作-家庭冲突发生之间的关系。这项研究对工作-家庭冲突事件的发生时间产生了新颖的理论和实践见解，并严格检验了边界理论。后续分析表明，时间转换和快速转换与工作-家庭冲突事件特别密切相关。此外，角色灵活性和渗透性并没有改变转变发生与工作-家庭冲突发生之间的关系。这项研究对工作-家庭冲突事件的发生时间产生了新颖的理论和实践见解，并严格检验了边界理论。后续分析表明，时间转换和快速转换与工作-家庭冲突事件特别密切相关。此外，角色灵活性和渗透性并没有改变转变发生与工作-家庭冲突发生之间的关系。这项研究对工作-家庭冲突事件的发生时间产生了新颖的理论和实践见解，并严格检验了边界理论。