Relationship Between Work-Life Conflict and Work Performance, and the Moderating Role of Employee Vitality and Self-Leadership

Abstract

Work-life conflict can negatively impact work performance. To better understand this dynamic, this study investigated the extent to which work-life conflict is related to work performance. Additionally, it examined whether employee vitality and self-leadership moderate this relationship, as both are considered crucial personal resources in coping with conflict. The theoretical basis for this study was grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 2017) and other literature. Data was collected using a cross-sectional survey among 115 employees in the Netherlands. The results showed that work-life conflict was significantly negatively related to work performance (β = –.30, p < .001). Contrary to expectations, neither employee vitality (b = –.06, p = .36) nor self-leadership (b = .14, p = .13) significantly moderated this relationship. However, both self-leadership (r = .22, p < .01) and employee vitality (r = .34, p < .01) were directly positively related to work performance. Post-hoc regression analyses showed that the combination of work-life conflict, self- leadership, and vitality explained 26.5% of the variance in work performance. These findings suggest that while personal resources may not buffer the impact of work-life conflict, they do enhance work performance directly. Organizations may consider fostering employee vitality and self-leadership as part of work performance enhancing strategies.