Exploring business travel with work–family conflict and the emotional exhaustion component of burnout as outcome variables: The job demands–resources perspective

Abstract

Research on the relations among business travel, work, and family domains has been limited. To address this issue, this study examined the influence of business travel on work–family conflict and the emotional exhaustion component of burnout, using the Job Demands–Resources perspective. The study was conducted in a large Norwegian oil and gas company, and to overcome the limitations of self-reported data on business travel frequency, the company's business travel database was utilized in the study. The response rate was 68% (n = 2093). The results revealed that business travel frequency and control over travel explained a significant proportion of the variance in work–family conflict, but not in emotional exhaustion. However, work–family conflict was found to be a mediator in the business travel—emotional exhaustion relationship. Moreover, the results revealed significant differences in work–family conflict related to travel pattern among groups of travellers, but no differences in emotional exhaustion. Commuters reported the highest degree of work–family conflict. Practical implications and the consequences of these findings for future research are discussed.