Issues in the Development of Research on Inter-role Enrichment

Despite Meissner’s (1971) lament about the “long arm of the job” and its detrimental effects on workers’ home lives, there is a substantial body of research findings, many of which have been reported at the ICWF conferences, supporting the notion that the nature of a job can also be positively related to employees’ well-being and their ability to integrate their work and family lives. Organizations have recognized the importance of work (characteristics) for individuals’ lives and they have started to respond by enriching jobs through providing resources in order to promote life-long learning and enhancement of their employees. This trend follows the spirit of our times in paying attention to individuals’ wishes and needs in designing their jobs in a very contemporary manner, with terms like job crafting, idiosyncratic deals and role adjustments (Grant & Parker, 2009).