Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support and Professional Commitment: A Mediation Mechanism for Chinese Project Professionals

Abstract

Projects are characterized by long working hours, complex tasks and being a kind of temporary organization. As such, work-family conflict is particularly prominent for project employees. This research examined whether and how work-family conflict affects professional commitment among Chinese project professionals. Research hypotheses were developed to explore the relationship between work-family conflict, professional commitment to the project and the mediating effects of perceived organizational support. Data were collected from 327 project managers or professionals working in construction enterprises in China; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, applying the bootstrapping method. Results showed that there were three dimensions of work-family conflict: time-based conflict, strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict. There were two dimensions of perceived organizational support: emotional support and instrumental support. The study also tested the negative effect of work-family conflict on professional commitment and the positive effect of perceived organizational support on professional commitment. Specifically, time-based conflict and emotional support had positive effects on professional commitment. Perceived organizational support had a total mediating effect between work-family conflict and professional commitment. The strain-based conflict dimension of work-family conflict had negative impacts on professional commitment through perceived emotional support and instrumental support. Overall, our findings extend a better understanding of work-family conflict and professional commitment in the project setting and verify the importance of social support in balancing work and family and improving employee mobility.

Work–Family Conflict and Job Outcomes for Construction Professionals: The Mediating Role of Affective Organizational Commitment

“…In the construction industry, WFC can be distinguished by work's interfering with family responsibilities (WIF) and family responsibilities' interfering with work (FIW) [12]. Construction professionals not only encounter long working hours and inflexible schedules but are also faced with family-related demands, such as raising children and caring for elderly family members [5,9]. According to inter-role conflict theory, the time and energy of an individual are limited [24].…”

“…WIF includes time-based WIF, strain-based WIF, and behavior-based WIF [5,8,17]. Specifically, time-based WIF occurs when the time requirements from the work domain occupy the time of the family domain [25].…”

“…The demanding working environment in this industry involves long working hours [2,3], for construction projects are always of temporary, uncertain, and dynamic nature and tend to be in large, complex, and integrated scales [4]. These characteristics can lead to difficult tasks, complex processes, and unforeseen problems during the implementation of a project [5]. To achieve the ultimate goal of project success, many construction enterprises encourage workers to devote more energy and time (e.g., sacrificing evenings, weekends, and holidays) to work [6].…”

“…FIW, mainly determined by family demands, can distract employees from work, constrain their abilities to complete tasks, and ultimately affect their job performance [14]. In the field of construction project management, many studies on WFC have focused on the organizational-level or project-level outcomes such as project performance [5,7,8], having to some extent neglected the individual-level job outcomes. As a result, it is less clear how different types of WFC may drive construction professionals' job outcomes, such as job satisfaction and job performance.…”

Antecedents of Organizational Commitment: A Review of Personal and Organizational Factors

“…Social support in the context of family life has been cited among one of the most significant influencers of organizational commitment. Work-family conflict has negative effects on employee's commitment [36].…”