Linking work–family conflict and burnout from the emotional resource perspective for construction professionals

Abstract

PurposeFollowing the conservation of resources theory and job demands–resources model, this study aims to explore the relationship between work interference with family (WIF) and emotional exhaustion and the boundary condition for construction professionals.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected 319 valid samples from Chinese construction projects and examined the established integrative moderated mediation model using regression analysis and bootstrapping.FindingsThe results indicated that WIF was positively related to emotional exhaustion. The surface acting strategy mediated the relationship between WIF and emotional exhaustion. Emotional intelligence alleviated the indirect effect of WIF on emotional exhaustion via surface acting.Originality/valueThese findings unveil the resource depletion process of work–family conflict in the construction project context, enrich the emotional intelligence literature to demonstrate the buffer function on the negative impact of emotional resource depletion and address the implications for the construction labour workforce.

The Influence of Work–Family Conflict on Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effect of Teleworking Overload

“…As mentioned before, extensive literature addresses the relationship between workfamily conflict and burnout [60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]71]. Nevertheless, when this relationship is tested in the context of teleworking modality, the literature is diverse.…”

“…Regarding the relationship between work–family conflict and burnout, extensive literature analyzes this relationship in different contexts [ 37 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ], even in the COVID-19 pandemic [ 70 ]. Moreover, several factors, such as coping strategies [ 71 ], organizational support [ 63 ], or psychological capital [ 72 ], have been evaluated as mediating or moderating variables.…”

Work–family conflict and job satisfaction among construction professionals: the mediating role of emotional exhaustion

“…Besides, the previous literature in other fields mainly focuses on the effects of work–family conflict on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, without considering the interrelationships between the three variables. The literature suggests that a higher level of work–family conflict is linked with greater emotional exhaustion and diminished satisfaction with the job (AlAzzam et al , 2017; Asbari et al , 2020; Baeriswyl et al , 2016; Hang-yue et al , 2005; Lingard and Francis, 2005; Talukder, 2019; Vickovic and Morrow, 2020; Zheng et al , 2021). Moreover, emotional exhaustion negatively influences the job satisfaction levels of the employees (Baeriswyl et al , 2016; Hang-yue et al , 2005; Khan et al , 2019; Koon and Pun, 2018; Lee et al , 2019; Richards et al , 2019).…”

The dark side of projectification: a systematic literature review and research agenda on the negative aspects of project work and their consequences for individual project workers

“…emotional intelligence) moderate the choice between high-performance work practices and abusive supervision behaviors (Gallagher et al, 2015). In a recent study, Zheng et al (2021) find that emotional intelligence moderates the effects of work interference with family on emotional exhaustion.…”