Considering need satisfaction both at work and at home: What matters for employees' work–family enrichment and well‐being?

Abstract The current study examines complexities in relationships between need satisfaction at work, need satisfaction at home, work‐to‐family enrichment (WFE) and well‐being (in terms of positive affect). Competing theoretical perspectives are offered regarding relationships between need satisfaction and WFE. The first perspective, based in a domain specificity approach focused on the directional nature of WFE, suggests that need satisfaction at work is what matters for employees' WFE, irrespective of their need satisfaction at home. Alternatively, a second perspective proposes that both need satisfaction at work and need satisfaction at home represent important factors in employees' experiences of WFE and that congruence (i.e. similarity) between these two constructs is what matters for WFE. Competing hypotheses are tested in a sample of 204 full‐time employees who completed both a work and home survey and were rated on well‐being at home by a significant other. Results support the first perspective for competence need satisfaction and relatedness need satisfaction, while the second perspective is supported for autonomy need satisfaction. For all three needs, indirect relationships are found with well‐being, both at work and at home, via WFE. Relevant theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as suggestions for future research.