Purpose of the Questionnaire (Scale)

The Work-Family Conflict / Family-Work Conflict Scale (WFC-FWI) aims to measure the bidirectional interference between professional and family roles. It examines both how work demands interfere with family obligations and vice versa, where family responsibilities affect professional life. The scale is intended for working individuals with family responsibilities, to identify and evaluate the level of conflict they experience. At the same time, it provides psychological and behavioral insights into the nature of role conflict.

Questionnaire (Scale) Analysis

The scale was developed by D. S. Carlson and M. R. Frone in 2003 and was adapted into Greek by K. Kafetsios, I. Perissinakis, and P. Lydaki. It consists of 12 items, which are divided into four categories (subscales) of three items each. These categories are: (1) Work-Family External Conflict (WFE), (2) Work-Family Internal Conflict (WFI), (3) Family-Work External Conflict (FWE), and (4) Family-Work Internal Conflict (FWI). The scale is a self-report tool and has been applied in a variety of research contexts both in Greece and internationally.

Item Scoring

Each item is rated using a five-point Likert scale, where participants indicate how frequently they experience the described situation. Responses range from 1 (Almost never/Never) to 5 (Almost always/Always). Scores can be calculated either as an overall total or separately for each of the four subscales, thus providing a detailed picture of the type and intensity of conflict experienced.

Statistical Analysis

Each subscale score is the sum of the responses to its three respective items, resulting in scores ranging from 3 to 15 per subscale. Higher values indicate greater levels of conflict. For example, a high score on the WFI subscale indicates strong internal pressure from work that negatively affects family life. The internal and external dimensions of conflict assess whether the difficulty stems from external conditions (such as schedule or workload) or from emotional-cognitive strain (such as guilt or stress due to underperformance in the opposite role).

Scale Validity

The scale’s validity has been confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis, as shown in the study by Kafetsios (2007). The four-factor structure proved to be strong and distinct, allowing reliable measurement of the bidirectional conflict between professional and family life.

Scale Reliability

The internal consistency of the scale has been evaluated in two different Greek samples. In a sample of 365 teachers from various regions of Greece, Cronbach’s alpha values for the four subscales were: WFE = 0.84, WFI = 0.84, FWE = 0.82, FWI = 0.91. In a second study involving 93 working individuals in couple relationships employed by large companies, the alpha values were: WFE = 0.70, WFI = 0.82, FWE = 0.89, FWI = 0.92. These results indicate high reliability in both public sector professionals and private sector employees.

References

Kafetsios, K. (2007). Work-family conflict and its relationship with job satisfaction and psychological distress: The role of affect at work and gender. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 4, 15–35.

Carlson, D. S., & Frone, M. R. (2003). Relation of behavioral and psychological involvement to a new four-factor conceptualization of work-family interference. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(4), 515–535.