Relationship between Personality Traits and Work Life Balance with a Mediating Role of Work Family Conflict

Abstract

This study explores the nexus between personality traits and work-life balance, with a focus on the intermediary role of work-family conflict. The research, quantitative in nature, employs a correlational design, using instruments such as the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and Work and Family Conflict Scales (WAFCS) to assess a sample of 200 salespersons in Gujranwala, Pakistan. Key personality traits examined include extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Results reveal a significant negative correlation between several personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and work-family conflict, and a positive correlation between extraversion and emotional stability with work-life balance. Openness to experience, however, does not significantly predict work-life balance outcomes. Work-family conflict is found to have a substantial negative impact on work-life balance and serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between certain personality traits and work-life balance.

The study underscores the critical influence of personality traits on the work-life balance equation and the mediating role of work-family conflict. It suggests that a better understanding of these relationships can aid organizations in tailoring interventions and support systems to individual employee needs, enhancing both personal well-being and organizational productivity. study's implications extend to the realm of human resource policies and practices, emphasizing the importance of considering personality dimensions in work-life balance initiatives. However, the research's correlational nature and its focus on a specific professional group in a singular geographic locale highlight the need for further, more diverse studies to broaden the generalizability of these findings.