Navigating the effect of Work-Family Conflict on Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work-Family Guilt and the Moderating Effects of Gender Role Orientations and Reducing Work

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

This paper explores how work-family conflict is intertwined with the relationship between job performance and also delves into the mediating role of work-family guilt. Additionally, this study explores its moderation effects of gender roles and reducing work. As the paper argues, the existing research on this subject has had several gaps. The approach is grounded on two major theories namely role dynamics theory and source attribution perspective. A correlational research design was followed to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected from 127 married employees (73 males and 54 females) working in the service sector in Pakistan. Reliable and validated scales measured work-family conflict, work-family guilt, job performance, gender role orientations, and reducing work. Statistical analyses, moderated-moderated mediation, and so on were conducted on these relationships. The results showed that work-family conflict negatively impacted job performance and that work-family guilt is a significant mediator. On the contrary, though, gender role orientations as well as reducing work were not expected to moderate the mediated relationships. This study pointed out how important work-family guilt is in explaining how work-family conflict influences job performance. The study contributes to the organizational behavior literature by emphasizing the emotional mechanisms underlying WFC and their impact on employee performance. Practically, the findings underline the importance of developing organizational policies that minimize work-family conflict and provide emotional support to employees. The insights gained open new avenues for research, particularly in culturally diverse contexts like Pakistan, where traditional gender norms play a significant role in shaping work and family dynamics.