Work, Family, and Community in a Triciprocal Relationship: An Exploratory Study of Enrichment

The purpose of this study was to expand the field of work-life literature through the introduction of triciprocal enrichment model that examines work-, family-, and community-related support antecedents and satisfaction variables. The main objectives were to incorporate the concept of enrichment and the domain of community into the work-life research providing a more accurate portrayal of the myriad of ways that all three domains interact and affect one another.

Data from 202 respondents were collected, including information on their level of community involvement, their level of enrichment within work, family, and community, their satisfaction on the job, with their family, and with their community, and the availability and usefulness of resources and support in their community, at work, and from their families. A survey instrument was designed online using the nTreePoint® Web Forms software package.

Although the proposed model was rejected, this study should promote further empirical investigations of enrichment and the relationships between work, family, and community. The scale modified for this study to measure the enriching relationships between work, family, and community should be further tested and validated. The results of this study revealed that antecedents from work-life conflict literature do not produce enrichment. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the specific factors that produce enrichment.