When Expectations Become Reality: Work-Family Image Management and Identity Adaptation

Working parents often contend with how to effectively portray themselves as both devoted professionals and good parents. In this article we introduce the construct “work-family image” as a cross-domain, collective image representing how competent an individual is perceived to be as a parent and a professional by key constituents in both work and life domains. We present a theoretical framework to explicate a process in which work-family image...