Role overload and Chinese nurses’ satisfaction with work-family balance: The role of negative emotions and core self-evaluations

Abstract

Building on the affective events theory and conservation of resources theory, this study examines the relationship between role overload and Chinese nurses’ satisfaction with work-family balance (SWFB), as well as the mediating role of negative emotions and the moderating role of core self-evaluations which may play in this relationship by proposing a moderated mediation model. The model was tested with two waves of data from 254 nurses at three large hospitals in Shanghai. Results indicated that role overload was negatively related to SWFB, negative emotions mediated the relationship between role overload and SWFB, and core self-evaluations moderated the relationship between role overload and negative emotions. Moreover, core self-evaluations moderated the strength of the indirect effect of role overload on SWFB (through negative emotions), and the mediated relationship was weaker for high core self-evaluations than for low core self-evaluations. The findings suggest that role overload is associated with SWFB, and negative emotions, core self-evaluations are key mechanisms in the relationship. Theoretical and practical implications, and future research directions are discussed.