Science AI Journal
Social Sciences · Research topic

Open research questions in Work-Family Balance Challenges

867 gap statements mined from Work-Family Balance Challenges papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,216 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Work-Family Balance Challenges? See the ranked Social Science journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which SS influences nurse burnout, particularly via positive work-family spillover, remain understudied within nursing populations.

    The Relationship Between Spousal Support and Nurse Burnout: A Parallel Dual‐Mediator Model of Work–Family Conflict and Work–Family Facilitation · 2026 · DOI

  • Whether a work‐domain resource buffers depersonalization associated with conflict originating in either domain remains unclear.

    Work–Family Conflict and Depersonalization Among Frontline Social Workers: Does Person–Organization Value Congruence Buffer Both Directions? · 2026 · DOI

  • Telework flexibility (TF), defined as the autonomy to choose telework frequency, schedule and workdays, remains underexplored despite its potential impact on organizational commitment and leader-member exchange.

    The relationships between telework characteristics, leader-member exchange and affective organizational commitment, and the mediating role of perceived organizational support · 2026 · DOI

  • Hybrid working has become the “new normal”, yet its consequences for employees’ day-to-day work behaviours remain insufficiently understood.

    The hidden costs of hybrid working: how daily work locations shape extra-role behaviours · 2026 · DOI

  • This study is limited by the cross-sectional measurement of CFR and the use of pre-existing survey data, which may introduce response bias and constrain causal interpretation.

    Corporate family responsibility: influence of female workforce and impact on performance · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the longitudinal development and effects of CFR and examine its influence across different organizational and institutional contexts.

    Corporate family responsibility: influence of female workforce and impact on performance · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite established gendered patterns, little is known about how these vary by gender constellation within couples.

    Who Gets Their Preferred Work Hours? Gendered Mismatches in Same‐ and Different‐Sex Couples · 2026 · DOI

  • Moreover, the potential for maternal identity to reshape professional practice remains underexplored.

    “A Mother Makes a Better Nurse”: A Phenomenological Study of Neonatal Nurses’ Readiness Recalibration Following Postpartum Return to Work · 2025 · DOI

  • Although previous research has often examined these variables separately, their interaction and the role of fatigue remain underexplored.

    How do flexible working time policies, telework from home and work fatigue impact on the work-life balance? · 2025 · DOI

  • In addition, the long-term effects of the Maternity Benefit Act on workplace gender dynamics remain unexplored.

    Qualitative analysis of employee and employer perspectives on India’s Maternity Benefit Act · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the intersection of gender, class and organisational culture in shaping policy effectiveness.

    Qualitative analysis of employee and employer perspectives on India’s Maternity Benefit Act · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the tested dynamics in other organisational and crisis contexts.

    Perceptions of leadership and team support: organisational commitment in times of crisis · 2025 · DOI

  • While the literature has well established the beneficial effect of a proactive personality on employee well-being, its impact in remote working settings remains underexplored.

    Blurring boundaries: the draining impact of proactive personality on remote workers’ well-being · 2025 · DOI

  • These results shed light on the trade-offs that may take place for busy individuals when time is scarce and provide insights that could be useful in promoting valuable health behaviors.

    Time‐based conflict and trade‐offs: Work‐family‐school conflict and health behaviors · 2025 · DOI

  • Although support from one's romantic partner can buffer negative experiences of workplace stress, limited research exists about the role of partner (positive) dyadic coping when faced with hostile work environments.

    Association Between Masculine Contest Culture and Turnover Intentions for Women STEM Faculty: The Moderating Role of Positive Dyadic Coping · 2025 · DOI

  • This article addresses the underexplored relationship between remote work and wFoMO.

    Workplace fear of missing out in the context of working remotely versus in the office – A multimethod perspective from three studies · 2025 · DOI

  • Whether, how, and when paradoxical leadership behaviors are beneficial for employees in the public sector is underexplored.

    Help or Harm? Understanding the Nuanced Influence Mechanisms Between Paradoxical Leadership Behaviors and Work–Family Conflicts in the Public Sector · 2024 · DOI

  • Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about WFH experiences among construction workforce due to the low prevalence of regular and planned remote working in the industry.

    Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and gender differences: a case of construction workforce in Australia · 2024 · DOI

  • However, studies on short sickness absence are lacking and more information is needed also about long sickness absence regarding the direction of WFC, and potential explaining factors particularly among young and early middle-aged employees.

    Work–family conflicts and sickness absence—a register-linked cohort study among young and early midlife employees · 2024 · DOI

  • Fathers’ involvement in caregiving has been recognized as crucial for family well-being, but studies on its health impact remain scarce.

    The impact of parenthood on well-being: a qualitative study of mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions across European countries · 2024 · DOI

  • Yet, little is known about the respective implications of these two types of intrusions for employees’ productivity.

    Interruptions at work and (counter)productivity: the mediating role of psychological need unfulfillment · 2024 · DOI

  • While much research has examined the first months of the pandemic, little is known about how workers have responded to this new work arrangement over time.

    Changes in belongingness, meaningful work, and emotional exhaustion among new high‐intensity telecommuters: Insights from pandemic remote workers · 2024 · DOI

  • Limitations and directions for future research Some limitations of this study need to be acknowledged. Another potential limitation of the present study is that we used repeated-measures data with two waves.

    Cross-lagged associations among family-supportive supervisory behaviors, leader–member exchange, and work engagement: a test of gain spirals of resources · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between working from home and innovative work behaviour is a pressing issue that has produced ambivalent research results, presumably because the mechanisms that underpin the relationship are poorly understood.

    Does Working From Home Kill Innovation? Examining the Relationship Between Working From Home and Innovative Work Behaviour · 2025 · DOI

  • Few studies have investigated the relationship between post-pandemic hybrid work-from-home (WFH), mental health, and work-life balance.

    Hybrid work and mental distress: a cross-sectional study of 24,763 office workers in the Norwegian public sector · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Work-Family Balance Challenges

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Work-Family Balance Challenges sub-topic

This page shows what the Work-Family Balance Challenges literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 7.9M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Social Sciences

Legal Issues in Turkey
2,143 open questions
Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
2,051 open questions
Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
1,901 open questions
Higher Education Research Studies
1,814 open questions
Global Educational Policies and Reforms
1,727 open questions
Impact of Technology on Adolescents
1,677 open questions
Electoral Systems and Political Participation
1,653 open questions
Science Education and Pedagogy
1,616 open questions
Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The mechanisms through which SS influences nurse burnout, particularly via positive work-family spillover, remain understudied within nursing populations (“The Relationship Between Spousal Support and Nurse Burnout: A Parallel…”, 2026); (2) Whether a work‐domain resource buffers depersonalization associated with conflict originating in either domain remains unclear (“Work–Family Conflict and Depersonalization Among Frontline Social Workers: Does…”, 2026); (3) Telework flexibility (TF), defined as the autonomy to choose telework frequency, schedule and workdays, remains underexplored despite its potential impact on organizational commitment and leader-member exchange (“The relationships between telework characteristics, leader-member exchange and…”, 2026); (4) Hybrid working has become the “new normal”, yet its consequences for employees’ day-to-day work behaviours remain insufficiently understood (“The hidden costs of hybrid working: how daily work locations shape extra-role…”, 2026); (5) Future research could explore the longitudinal development and effects of CFR and examine its influence across different organizational and institutional contexts (“Corporate family responsibility: influence of female workforce and impact on…”, 2026). 867 gap statements have been mined from Work-Family Balance Challenges papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,216 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 1,100,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? Acceptance odds for top, mid and open/emerging journals, in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck for prior publication across 7 sources and our local library.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

How Pre-Check worksHow AI Review works

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.