Abstract

Individuals are often occupied with multiple social roles, which makes it necessary to consider the significance of each role separately. Particular roles require a certain amount of time and a specific demand to be fulfilled, which can be rather onerous. The competition for an individual’s finite resources such as time and energy often leads to irreconcilability between the work and family domains. The process of determining which of coexisting multiple selves should be prioritized is subject to the surroundings, personal preferences, and micro settings such as the sociodemographic background of the individual. Therefore, this study examines the influence of different sociodemographic factors on work-family conflict. Service employees from five main cities in Malaysia were surveyed and the data were analyzed with a regression- based approach. The findings indicate that employees in the service industry experience more work-to-family conflict (WFC) compared to family-to-work conflict (FWC). There is no significant relationship between marital status, parental status, or type of employment and work-family conflict. However, women were less likely to experience FWC than men. A significant relationship was found between ethnicity, specifically for Malaysian-Chinese and Malaysian-Indians, and work-family conflict. The study sheds some light on the influence of different social factors on work-family conflict. It may serve as a foundation to develop better work arrangements in assisting individuals to manage their multiple responsibilities.