Work-Family Conflict and Psychological Strain: A Study in the Ghana Armed Forces

Abstract

The present study examines experiences of work-family conflict and its impact on psychological strain among military personnel in Ghana. The study adopted a concurrent mixed-method approach involving two phases, a qualitative phase and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, 17 military personnel were interviewed using face-to-face semi-structured interviewing. The quantitative phase involved a cross-sectional survey with 200 military personnel. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that military personnel experience difficulty in managing their work and family roles resulting from heavy workloads, high time demands, and deployment to peace keeping missions. Military personnel employed strategies such as time management, relaxation and delegation, and also relied on support from sources such as supervisors, co-workers and family members in handing multiple demands from work and family domains. The results from the quantitative study indicated that work-family conflict was associated with high levels of psychological strain. However, social support did not moderate the relationship between work-family conflict and psychological strain. The findings suggest the need to pay attention to the work and family needs of military personnel in Ghana.