Dynamics of the relationships among work and family resource gain and loss, enrichment, and conflict over time

• We examined the dynamics of relationships among work and family resource gain and loss, enrichment, and conflict.
• We analyzed survey responses from 382 Chinese employees at two points in time one year apart.
• Work resource gain weakened the transfer of work-to-family conflict over time.
• Work resource loss weakened the transfer of work-to-family enrichment over time.
• Conflict strengthened the transfer of work to family resource gain over time.

Dynamics of the relationships among work and family resource gain and loss, work-to-family enrichment (WFE), and work-to-family conflict (WFC) over time were examined using the data collected from 382 employees of Chinese firms at two points of time one year apart. Work resource gain at time 1 weakened the positive relationship between WFC at times 1 and 2, and work resource loss at time 1 weakened the positive relationship between WFE at times 1 and 2. However, WFC at time 1 strengthened the positive relationship between work resource gain at time 1 and family resource gain at time 2. Overall, these results suggest the existence of complementary forces that maintain the status quo of individuals' work–family experiences, such that high losses diminish the transfer of gains and high gains diminish the transfer of losses, but also that unexpected gains may result from individuals having to deal with painful situations. Implications of these dynamics for theory, research, and practice are discussed.