Cross-Cultural Differences in Forgiveness and Well-Being in the Context of Work–Family Conflict

Women in the sandwich generation, who provide care for both children and aging parents, experience competing role demands that may affect psychological well-being and intensify work–family conflict. Understanding whether resources that support well-being play a similar role across cultural contexts remains an important question. Forgiveness, conceptualized as both self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others, has been associated with psychological well-being; however, little is known about whether its protective role is consistent across cultural contexts. The present study examined the associations between work-family conflict (WFC), forgiveness, and well-being among women in the sandwich generation from three cultural contexts: Italy, Germany, and the United States. Specifically, two dimensions of well-being were considered: hedonic well-being (life satisfaction and positive affect) and eudaimonic well-being (meaning and personal growth). Additionally, we tested whether self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others moderated the association between WFC and well-being. The sample consisted of 638 women who completed self-report measures of WFC, forgiveness, and well-being. Multi-group path analyses revealed a consistent negative association between WFC and both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in Italy and Germany, whereas this latter association was not significant in the United States. Self-forgiveness emerged as a positive correlate of eudaimonic well-being across all countries, while forgiveness of others was associated with eudaimonic well-being only in the German sample. The moderating roles of self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others showed different patterns across countries. The findings suggest that the associations between forgiveness and well-being are partly consistent across cultures and partly context dependent. Findings, practical implications and directions for future research will be discussed.