A dual-path model of work-family conflict and hospitality employees’ job and life satisfaction

Abstract

Work-family conflict (WFC) has been a widespread concern to scholars and practitioners in the hospitality industry. Building on the conservation of resources (COR) theory and using a mixed-method research design, this study explored a two-path model of the impacts of WFC on hospitality employees’ satisfaction in both work and life domains. Study 1 is a field survey of 432 hotel employees; Study 2 is a qualitative research design with interviews collected from 39 informants in China. Our findings suggested that family interfering with work (FIW) was positively relevant to employees’ work-time control but negatively relevant to organizational commitment. Work-time control and organizational commitment mediated the relationship between FIW and job/life satisfaction. However, work interfering with family (WIF) on employee outcome variables was insignificant. The paper highlights the critical implications of FIW to theories and literature related to WFC and resource conservation, as well as practices to enhance employees’ well-being at work and in life domains.