Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Office Housework, Burnout, and Promotion: Does Gender Matter?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Author Correction to this article was published on 07 July 2020

This article has been updated

Abstract

In The New York Times, Grant and Sandberg (2015) made the case that women perform more office housework and experience more burnout, yet receive fewer career benefits, from performing office housework than do men. However, this claim has not been formally tested. Based on gender role theory, conservation of resources theory, and shifting standards, we test the relationships between gender, office housework, burnout, and promotion. Results revealed that women performed more office housework overall than did men. More specifically, women engaged in more social maintenance OHW, while men engaged in more object maintenance OHW. Contrary to the popular press claim, results showed no significant relationship between office housework and burnout. Moreover, office housework did not mediate the relationship between gender and burnout. In addition, gender moderated the relationship between office housework and promotion such that the relationship was statistically significant for men, but not statistically significant for women. This study contributes to the literature by introducing office housework as a specific form of organizational citizenship behavior and empirically investigating the popular press claim related to office housework.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

Notes

  1. We also tested the effect of burnout at Time 2 on OHW at Time 3, performing a separate mediation model. Results showed that burnout at Time 2 did not significantly predict OHW at Time 3 (B = −.099, β = −.050, p = .31). Also, the mediation effect of burnout was not significant (unstandardized = −.008, standardized = −.004, p = .38).

  2. Based on a suggestion from a Reviewer, we conducted an additional set of analyses in which we controlled for tenure and performed the moderation analyses again as supplemental analyses. First, we performed the moderation analysis for overall OHW. The model was just-identified with perfect model fit. We found that overall OHW positively related to promotion (B = .448, β = .135, p < .05), consistent with the results in the main analysis. However, the interaction term between overall OHW and gender was no longer significant (B = −.496, β = −.219, p = .11), differing from the results in the main analysis. Additionally, we performed the moderation analyses for social maintenance OHW and object maintenance OHW. Both models were just-identified and showed perfect model fit. Results demonstrated that social maintenance OHW positively predicted promotion (B = .495, β = .167, p < .05), yet the interaction term between social maintenance OHW and gender was no longer significant (B = −.545, β = −.267, p = .051). With regard to object maintenance OHW we found that object maintenance OHW did not predict promotion (B = .117, β = .040, p = .42), and the interaction term between object maintenance OHW and gender was not significant (B = −.096, β = −.047, p = .63), which was in line with findings that did not include tenure as a control variable.

References

  • Allen, T. D. (2006). Rewarding good citizens: The relationship between citizenship behavior, gender, and organizational rewards. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(1), 120–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T. D., French, K., & Poteet, M. (2016). Women and career advancement. Organizational Dynamics, 45(3), 206–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T. D., Lentz, E., & Day, R. (2006). Career success outcomes associated with mentoring others: A comparison of mentors and nonmentors. Journal of Career Development, 32(3), 272–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T. D., & Rush, M. C. (1998). The effects of organizational citizenship behavior on performance judgments: A field study and a laboratory experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(2), 247–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babcock, L, Recalde, M. P., & Vesterlund, L. (2018). Why Women Volunteer for Tasks That Don’t Lead to Promotions. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/07/why-women-volunteer-for-tasks-that-dont-lead-to-promotions.

  • Beal, D., Trougakos, J., Weiss, H., & Dalal, R. (2013). Affect spin and the emotion regulation process at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(4), 593–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biernat, M. (2003). Toward a broader view of social stereotyping. American Psychologist, 58(12), 1019–1027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Donoso, L. M., Garrosa, E., Moreno-Jiménez, B., de Almeida, E. C., & Villela-Bueno, S. M. (2017). Social job resources as sources of meaningfulness and its effects on nurses’ vigor and emotional exhaustion: A cross-sectional study among spanish nurses. Current Psychology, 36(4), 755–763.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botti, A. (2018). "Office housework" Keeps women from getting ahead. WNYC Studios. Retrieved from https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/how-office-housework-keeps-women-down.

  • Cammann, C., Fichman, M., Jenkins, D., & Klesh, J. (1979). The Michigan organizational assessment questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Campion, M. A., Cheraskin, L., & Stevens, M. J. (1994). Career-related antecedents and outcomes of job rotation. Academy of Management Journal, 37(6), 1518–1542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cialdini, R. B., & Trost, M. R. (1998). Social influence: Social norms, conformity, and compliance. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 151–192). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen-Charash, Y., & Spector, P. E. (2001). The role of justice in organizations: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 86(2), 278–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cottingham, M. D., Erickson, R. J., & Diefendorff, J. M. (2015). Examining men’s status shield and status bonus: How gender frames the emotional labor and job satisfaction of nurses. Sex Roles, 72(7–8), 377–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Pater, I. E., Van Vianen, A. E. M., & Bechtoldt, M. N. (2010). Gender differences in job challenge: A matter of task allocation. Gender, Work and Organization, 17(4), 433–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demerouti, E., Mostert, K., & Bakker, A. (2010). Burnout and work engagement: A thorough investigation of the independency of both constructs. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 15(3), 209–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H. (2009). The his and hers of prosocial behavior: An examination of the social psychology of gender. American Psychologist, 64, 644–658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J. (1999). Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals. Educational Psychologist, 34, 169–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feintzeig, R. (2019). Don’t ask me to do Office housework!. The wall street journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/dont-ask-me-to-do-office-housework-11570959002.

  • Grant, A. & Sandberg, S. (2015). Madam C.E.O., get me a coffee. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/opinion/sunday/sheryl-sandberg-and-adam-grant-on-women-doing-office-housework.html.

  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hegewisch, A., & Hartmann, H. (2014). Occupational segregation and the gender wage gap: A job half done. Institute for Women's policy research. Retrieved from http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/occupational-segregation-and-the-gender-wage-gap-a-job-half-done.

  • Heilman, M. E. (2001). Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent women’s ascent up the organizational ladder. Journal of Social Issues, 57(4), 657–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, M. E., & Chen, J. J. (2005). Same behavior, different consequences: Reactions to men's and women's altruistic citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 431–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested-self in the stress process: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology, 50(3), 337–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, J. L., Curran, P. G., Keeney, J., Poposki, E. M., & DeShon, R. P. (2012). Detecting and deterring insufficient effort responding to surveys. Journal of Business and Psychology, 27(1), 99–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24, 285–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korducki, K. (2019, May 9). Why moms (and non-moms) have had enough. Forge. Retrieved from https://forge.medium.com/cut-the-moms-some-slack-cut-the-non-moms-some-too-a04db1761a95.

  • Lanaj, K., Johnson, R., & Wang, M. (2016). When lending a hand depletes the will: The daily costs and benefits of helping. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8), 1097–1110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, R. L., & Ashforth, B. E. (1996). A meta-analytic examination of the correlates of the three dimensions of job burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(2), 123–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organ, D. W. (1988). Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington Books/DC Heath and Com.

  • Organ, D. W. (1997). Organizational citizenship behavior: It's construct cleanup time. Human Performance, 10(2), 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, C. O. L. H., Outlaw, R., Gale, J. P., & Cho, T. S. (2019). The use of online panel data in management research: A review and recommendations. Journal of Management, 45, 319–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, S. R. (2007). A closer look at faculty service: What affects participation on committees? The Journal of Higher Education, 78(5), 523–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purvanova, R. K., & Muros, J. P. (2010). Gender differences in burnout: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77(2), 168–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roulin, N., & Krings, F. (2016). When winning is everything: The relationship between competitive worldviews and job applicant faking. Applied Psychology, 65(4), 643–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salam, M. (2018, July 19). Women, stop volunteering for office housework!. The New York times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/business/women-careers-volunteering-work.html.

  • Semmer, N. K., Tschan, F., Meier, L. L., Facchin, S., & Jacobshagen, N. (2010). Illegitimate tasks and counterproductive work behavior. Applied Psychology, 59(1), 70–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Settoon, R. P., & Mossholder, K. W. (2002). Relationship quality and relationship context as antecedents of person-and task-focused interpersonal citizenship behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 255–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. A., Organ, D. W., & Near, J. P. (1983). Organizational citizenship behavior: Its nature and antecedents. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 653–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somech, A., & Drach-Zahavy, A. (2013). Organizational citizenship behaviour and employee's strain: Examining the buffering effects of leader support and participation in decision making. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(2), 138–149.

  • Torres, M. (2018 6). How Women Can Say No to Office Housework. The Ladders. Retrieved from https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-women-can-say-no-to-office-housework.

  • Tulshyan, R. (2018). Women of Color Get Asked to Do More “Office Housework.” Here’s How They Can Say No. The Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/04/women-of-color-get-asked-to-do-more-office-housework-heres-how-they-can-say-no.

  • Vandenberg, R. J., & Lance, C. E. (2000). A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance literature: Suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 3(1), 4–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. & Multhaup, M. (2018). For women and minorities to get ahead, Managers Must Assign Work Fairly. The Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/03/for-women-and-minorities-to-get-ahead-managers-must-assign-work-fairly.

  • Williams, J. C. (2014) Sticking Women with the Office Housework. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2014/04/16/sticking-women-with-the-office-housework/?utm_term=.d7392e012f8d

  • Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behaviors. Journal of Management, 17(3), 601–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, T. A., & Bonett, D. G. (1997). The contribution of burnout to work performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(5), 491–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yee, L., Krivkovich, A., Kutcher, E., Epstein, B., Thomas, R., Finch, A., .. & Konar, E. (2016). Women in the workplace 2016. Retrieved from https://womenintheworkplace.com

  • Zalesny, M. D., & Ford, J. K. (1990). Extending the social information processing perspective: New links to attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 47(2), 205–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Oklahoma, 455 W. Lindsey Street, Dale Hall Tower, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Seulki Jang

  2. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., PCD 4118G, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Tammy D. Allen & Joseph Regina

Authors
  1. Seulki Jang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tammy D. Allen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph Regina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seulki Jang.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jang, S., Allen, T.D. & Regina, J. Office Housework, Burnout, and Promotion: Does Gender Matter?. J Bus Psychol 36, 793–805 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-020-09703-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-020-09703-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation