Restructuring Work for Family: How Dual-Earner Couples with Children Manage

This study developed and tested a model of the conditions under which dual earner, professional couples with children living at home restructure work in order to accommodate family needs. 87 such couples where at least one spouse was a professional in advertising law or accounting, participated in the study. The results supported a symmetric model of family functioning. Furthermore, both men and women's restructuring was systematically related to their own work and family conditions, as well as their spouse's work and family conditions. These results emphasize the importance of studying dual earner couples as a family system. Keywords: Dual earner couples, Stress, Work satisfaction, Marital satisfaction.