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The Work-family conflict (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict (FWC) scales are indispensable tools in this endeavour. However, their reliability across diverse geographical locations and work settings, particularly during the global pandemic, requires thorough examination. This meta-analysis evaluates the reliability generalisation of WFC and FWC scales across different studies. Registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024509030), we systematically searched four major databases: EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, yielding 506 potential studies. After deduplication and screening, 44 studies published between 2000 and 2024 were selected. These studies analysed reliability coefficients (Cronbach\u2019s alpha) and the impact of geographical location, work setting, and events like the COVID-19 pandemic on scale reliability. The analysis showed high reliability for both scales, with a pooled Cronbach\u2019s alpha of 0.91 (95% CI [0.87, 0.95]) indicating strong internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was also high, with a pooled estimate of 0.89 (95% CI: [0.84, 0.93]). Subgroup analyses revealed minimal variability in reliability across sectors, regions, and the pandemic period, with no heterogeneity (I<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> = 0.0%), suggesting the scales\u2019 broad applicability. The WFC and FWC scales demonstrate high reliability across various global contexts, underscoring their value in occupational psychology. Their adaptability to different cultural and work scenarios, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights their potential for widespread use. The uniform reliability across studies emphasises their effectiveness in capturing work-family dynamics, supporting their generalizability and relevance for cultural adaptation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-83086-z","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]],"date-time":"2024-12-30T20:11:50Z","timestamp":1735589510000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["A meta-analytic evaluation of the reliability of work-family and family-work conflict scales"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5335-2905","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lawrence Ejike","family":"Ugwu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5522-7435","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erhabor Sunday","family":"Idemudia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"83086_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"506790","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.00475","volume":"11","author":"B Obrenovic","year":"2020","unstructured":"Obrenovic, B., Jianguo, D. & Khan, M. 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The study strictly adhered to ethical guidelines, ensuring the respectful and responsible use of the data included in the analysis.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval"}},{"value":"All material reproduced from other sources has obtained the necessary permissions from copyright holders. References and citations have been meticulously provided throughout the manuscript to acknowledge the original sources, adhering to the journal\u2019s integrity and scholarly rigour standards.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Permission to reproduce material from other sources"}}],"article-number":"31828"}}