Unpacking daily changes in role overload and work–family balance satisfaction: A latent growth modeling approach

Abstract

AbstractThis study probes the temporal nature of work–family balance satisfaction (WFBS). Drawing on distributed connectionist models and conservation of resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize that changes in work and family overload are positively associated with changes in WFBS, and these relationships are mediated by changes in work and family fatigue, respectively. Additionally, we propose that work and family crafting behaviors (decreasing hindering work and family demands) are helpful in building resources that mitigate the relationships above. We tested these hypotheses by sampling 71 full‐time employees over a work week. The results identified positive relationships between changes in role overload and changes in WFBS. In addition, we found full support for the moderating role of crafting behaviors in the work domain and partial support for the family domain. Further analyses suggested that employees' work and family crafting behaviors (i.e., decreasing hindering demands) buffered the negative effects of changes in work and family overload on changes in work and family fatigue, respectively. Also, decreasing hindering work demands moderated the indirect effect of changes in work overload on changes in WFBS. We discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions.