The Impacts of Work–Family Interface and Coping Strategy on the Relationship between Workaholism and Burnout in Campus Recreation and Leisure Employees

Abstract

There is a lack of research on the work experiences of employees working within the recreation and leisure industry. The current study used a structural model approach to examine key concepts of workaholism, burnout, work–family interface, and coping strategies within the context of recreational employees. The study’s sample consisted of 466 campus recreation employees. Results show a positive, direct relationship between respondents’ workaholism and burnout. Results also show that the positive relationship between workaholism and burnout was significantly, partially (serial) mediated by work–family/family–work conflict and emotion-based coping strategies, but was non-significant by work–family/family–work conflict and task-focused strategies. This suggests our participants became dependent on emotion-focused coping strategies due to their work obligations and dedication to the job. Findings also suggest that employees within the recreation field are less likely to feel the negative associations of burnout from family–work conflict as compared to work–family conflict. This study advances previous findings by illustrating specific coping strategies and their impact on the relationship between workaholism and burnout. Results from the current study illustrate those employees who engage in emotion-coping strategies may experience higher levels of burnout as compared to those who utilize task-based coping strategies.