Parents’ perceived supervisor support and work-to-family enrichment affect job and family satisfaction in dual-income parents and their adolescents

Introduction: Drawing on the Conservation of Resources theory and the work-family enrichment framework, this study posits that resources acquired in the workplace, such as supervisor support, generate benefits that enhance outcomes both within the work domain and across the family domain. While work-to-family enrichment (WtoFE) is a recognized driver of job and family satisfaction, research exploring how these resources cross over to affect the well-being of both partners and their adolescent children remains limited. The research explored both the direct and indirect relationships, as well as the relationships between individuals, related to perceived supervisor support, WtoFE, and job and family satisfaction among dual-income parents and their adolescent children. Methods: Using a cross-sectional, single-timepoint design, 430 parents who both earn an income and have at least one adolescent child were recruited for the research through non-probabilistic sampling. The mediation Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and structural equation modeling were employed for data analysis. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that perceived supervisor support from both parents enhances job satisfaction but does not equally affect family satisfaction. Notably, fathers' support boosts mothers' job satisfaction and adolescents' family satisfaction. This support also contributes to parents' WtoFE, positively influencing both family and job satisfaction. Mothers' support specifically enhances fathers' WtoFE, while fathers' support benefits mothers' and adolescents' family satisfaction. Both parents' WtoFE plays a mediating role between their perceived supervisor support and family and job satisfaction at individual and inter-individual levels. These findings underscore the importance of developing strategies that enhance supervisor support to improve job satisfaction for parents and family satisfaction for all family members.