Were You Expecting This? The Effects of Infertility Struggles on Negative Self‐Concept and Workplace Outcomes

Abstract

Medical research has demonstrated that infertility is pervasive in the world's adult population and has detrimental effects on a sufferer's physical and mental health. Yet, little research has investigated how infertility affects a person's work life. We examine the toll infertility takes on employees and the effect this condition can have on work conduct. We propose a serial mediation model that explains how infertility struggles influence how people fundamentally see themselves, how they see others, and how they ultimately act at work. Specifically, we argue that infertility struggles significantly harm one's self‐concept, which, in turn, creates self‐verification processes that manifest as feelings of stigmatization and subsequent deviant work behaviors. We further propose that the final link of the serial mediation, namely, the effect on workplace behaviors, is moderated by work climates in which employees can freely share family‐related concerns. Results across three studies supported our assertions, highlighting the effect of infertility on deviant work outcomes via a negative self‐concept and perceptions of stigmatization. Findings further revealed that this effect was mitigated by the work context. Our research makes several theoretical and practical contributions that could help suffering employees in organizations and mitigate potential negative outcomes associated with this pervasive disease.