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The effect of maternity-leave stigma on fertility intentions in China

Bibliographic Data

ID21283720
AuthorsHaiyan Zhang (0000-0001-7508-7831, Jiangsu Normal University, corresponding author), Yang Yang (0000-0002-3705-7612, Jiangsu Normal University), Shuwei Sun (0000-0003-0326-8531, Xuzhou University of Technology)
Year2024
Volume248
Pages104413
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Psychologica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104413
PMID39025029
OpenAlexW4400720762
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited78

In response to the public's puzzle about why maternity leave has unexpectedly failed to improve fertility problem in the Chinese context of a widespread extension of maternity leave, our study concentrates on a prevailing stigmatization phenomenon of maternity leave in the workplace, proposes the construct “maternity-leave stigma”, operationalizes it, and examines its probable detrimental effect on working individuals' fertility intentions drawing on conservation of resources theory, self-verification theory, and research on stigma and psychological contract violation. Conceptually, maternity-leave stigma is a kind of workplace stigma that primarily depicts the extent to which working individuals in the reproductive period view maternity leave or the event of taking maternity leave in a biased way. It mainly consists of four subdimensions called cognitive stigma, emotional stigma, moral stigma, and consequence stigma. Based on multiple analyses of the three-stage questionnaire survey data from working individuals of childbearing age in China, Study 1 (N 1 = 296, N 2 = 340) acquires a 12-item maternity-leave stigma scale with good reliability and validity and Study 2 (N 2 = 340) substantiates that, working individuals' maternity-leave stigma tends to directly and indirectly inhibit their fertility intentions and their anticipatory psychological contract violation from organization is the crucial mediator. Moreover, working women are inclined to display a much stronger inhibiting effect of maternity-leave stigma on fertility intentions compared to working men. Our findings therefore resolve the public's puzzle, enrich workplace stigma, deepen the implementation effectiveness research of maternity leave policy, and are of practical implications for building a fertility-friendly society. • Maternity-leave stigma mainly depicts the extent to which working individuals view (taking) maternity leave in a biased way • Maternity-leave stigma inhibits fertility intentions via anticipatory psychological contract violation from organization • Working women display a stronger inhibiting effect of maternity-leave stigma on fertility intentions compared to working men

China · Construct (python library) · Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Fertility · Maternity leave · Political science · Population · Psychiatry · Stigma (botany) · Employment and Welfare Studies · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges