Otherwise Engaged: The Effects of Individual and Spouses’ Work and Family Engagement on Work Family Outcomes

Employee Engagement is described as the amount of focused psychological, physical, and affective energy that an employee contributes at work. Although it is widely known to have positive outcomes for the individual and the organization, is it possible for there to be too much of a good thing? The current study investigates one of the primary determinants of work engagement (meaningfulness of work), and the role of each dimension of Engagement (dedication, vigor and absorption) in predicting Work Family outcomes. As new contributions to the body of research, we explore the differences within individuals in how their engagement in the work domain versus their engagement in the family/home domain influences work family outcomes, and how an individual's perceptions interact with his/her spouse's perceptions in influencing conflict and balance. Results show that meaningfulness predicts engagement, that absorption may have negative consequences, and that cross-spouse differences in engagement predicts work family conflict.