Relationships and resilience at work and at home: Impact of relational coordination on clinician work-life balance and well-being in times of crisis

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unusually comprehensive crisis that has taken a toll on people in their roles both at work and at home, giving rise to a new normal. Purpose Relational coordination theory shows how communicating and relating for the purpose of task integration drives positive outcomes for workers, their clients, and their employers. The ecological theory of work-family spillover shows how relational dynamics from work spillover into family life, and vice versa. We build upon these two theories to understand how relationships at work impact work-life balance and worker well-being, especially in times of crisis. Methodology This study was based on surveys of clinicians affiliated with a large California health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mediation and multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess how relational coordination among colleagues impacts well-being (job satisfaction and lack of burnout) through its effects on work-life balance (schedule control and personal time). Results A 1-point increase in relational coordination tripled clinician odds of having schedule control (OR = 3.33, p