Revisiting Flexible Work: Untangling the Roles of Work–Family Conflict, Organisational Support, and Gender Attitudes in Women’s Work Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31384/jisrmsse/2026.24.1.7Keywords:
Flexible work arrangements, women’s workforce participation, Work Family Conflict, perceived organizational support, gender role attitudesAbstract
This study examines how flexible work arrangements influence women’s work engagement, with work–family conflict as a mediating mechanism and perceived organisational support and gender role attitudes as key contextual factors. The study is based on the understanding that women’s participation in employment is influenced not only by workplace policies but also by family responsibilities and prevailing social expectations. Using a quantitative research design, the study tested the proposed relationships among flexible work arrangements, work–family conflict, perceived organisational support, gender role attitudes, and women’s work engagement through structural equation modelling. The results indicate that flexible work arrangements significantly reduce work–family conflict and positively contribute to women’s work engagement. Work–family conflict was found to negatively affect women’s work engagement and to mediate the relationship between flexible work arrangements and work engagement, as well as between perceived organisational support and work engagement. Perceived organisational support also significantly lowered work–family conflict, while gender role attitudes had a significant negative effect on women’s work engagement and moderated the relationship between work–family conflict and work engagement. The study concludes that enhancing women’s work engagement requires an integrated approach involving flexible workplace practices, stronger organisational support, and initiatives aimed at reducing restrictive gender norms.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yusra Shehzadi, Prof. Dr. Ravinder Rena, Kehkashan Rani
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