The present study extends the established theoretical lenses for understanding the work–family interface beyond conflict and enrichment, suggesting role balance as a theory for understanding how balance among roles can be beneficial for employees. The present study develops a measure of work–life balance and tests whether work–life balance is beneficial beyond conflict and enrichment for all employees. Two employee studies were conducted on (1) 609 parents and (2) 708 non-parents, and structural equation modeling confirmed that the balance dimension was distinct from other work–life dimensions and outcomes, and the analysis of multiple models showed that work–life balance plays a significant indirect mediation effect between conflict and enrichment toward outcomes. Overall, work–life balance was important and broadly identical for both samples with consistent effects toward job and life satisfaction, and psychological outcomes, with work–life conflict being detrimental, work–life enrichment beneficial and work–life balance providing additional benefits, especially toward life satisfaction. The findings provide greater generalizability and highlight the importance of balance for all employees, especially those typically excluded in the work–family literature such as single and childless employees.

Work-Life Balance (WLB) still needs further development to understand the antecedents and consequences, rather than just focusing on work-family conflict. In response, the present article explores two different models. Two distinct employee samples were used with a range of professions. Sample 1 is a general sample of New Zealand employees (n = 165) and Sample 2 is a sample of Māori employees, the indigenous people of New Zealand (n = 150). Using structural equation modeling, the results from Sample 1 found the best model fit is for work demands and job autonomy being related to WLB, which in turn was related to job satisfaction, with job satisfaction then related to turnover intentions. In Sample 2, we find the best model fit is for job control being related to WLB, with WLB then predicting job satisfaction and affective commitment; job satisfaction is then related to turnover intentions and affective commitment related to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and turnover intentions. Both samples produced similar results, supporting the notion that antecedents and consequences of WLB follow a similar mediated pattern. Overall, this study highlights factors that help build and diminish WLB and confirm the importance of WLB and its central role in employee lives.

Purpose: Using the conservation of resource theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the potentially positive influence of job stress on creativity through the resource caravan approach. The influence of job stress directly and as a moderator of psychological capital (PsyCap) is explored. Finally, the influence of stress on creativity is investigated as a boundary condition that impacts on the PsyCap-creativity relationship via job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach: Relationships were tested on two samples: (1) an international employee cohort (n = 269) and (2) a New Zealand employee sample (n = 475) and similar effects were found in both studies.Findings: PsyCap was found to influence job satisfaction and creativity, with job satisfaction partially mediating this direct effect. Job stress has a positive moderation effect with PsyCap toward creativity, supporting Conservation of Resources theory, which suggests that high PsyCap individuals would have the psychological resources to leverage stress beneficially, making their behaviors more creative. Significant moderated mediation effects indicate complex indirect effects with PsyCap on creativity (via job satisfaction) increasing as job stress gets higher.Practical implications: This study calls for researchers' attention toward potentially positive influences of stress when considered in combination with high psychological resources. Practical implications focus manager's and leader's attention toward the enhancement of employees' psychological resources for its stress and creativity related benefits.Originality/value: The findings provide new theoretical support for understanding how stress can positively influence creativity. The use of two samples improves confidence in these findings.