Work–family conflict, family satisfaction and employee well-being: a comparative study of Australian and Indian social workers

Work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict have been widely investigated as antecedents of well-being in various employee groups. However, these studies have largely been performed in Western countries, and only a few studies have investigated the phenomenon using both Western and non-Western samples. The present study contributes to the literature by investigating work–family conflict experiences of social workers in Australia and India. More specifically, it explores the impact of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict on well-being and the mediating role of family satisfaction in this relationship. Our findings reveal the direct negative effects of work-to-family conflict on well-being and family satisfaction in both groups and of family-to-work conflict on well-being of Indian social workers. There is evidence that family satisfaction mediates work–family conflict and well-being relationships in both samples. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings for HRM policies in social service agencies of both countries.