Work burnout and work-family conflict: The moderating role of emotional intelligence

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), work-family conflict, and burnout among remote workers, a highly relevant issue in modern working dynamics. The sample included 557 remote workers (Males = 59.1%, Mage = 31.9, SD = 4.64) including different professions (Information technology, engineers, business and management, content writers and finance) in China. Data was gathered using a cross-sectional survey utilizing standardized tools, including the Work-Family Conflict Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Structure equation modeling with slope checks on moderation effects was conducted. The findings indicated a significant inverse relationship between work-family conflict and all subdimensions of emotional intelligence, indicating that increased EI could alleviate issues related to work-family conflict in remote working environments. In addition, emotional intelligence and depersonalization, a component of burnout, were found to be inversely related in the study. These findings highlight the role of emotional intelligence on work-family conflict and burnout relationships. Our study findings provide a foundation for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence, thereby reducing burnout in remote work settings and ultimately fostering the well-being and productivity of remote employees.