Work-family conflict and project performance of construction professionals in a developing country: testing the mediating–moderating effect of project management self-efficacy

Abstract

Purpose

Work-family conflict (WFC), a common problem in all sectors of every economy, has always been linked to negative consequences for individuals, families and employment organisations. However, owing to contextual and situational differences coupled with inconsistent findings, more studies on WFC are indispensable to disentangle the consequential effects of WFC, especially amongst construction professionals. More so, little is known about the dual role of project management self-efficacy (PMSE) in the WFC-performance relation. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to examine the mediating-moderating effects of PMSE on the WFC-performance nexus amongst construction professionals in a developing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study came from a cross-sectional survey (questionnaire) administered to 302 construction professionals in Ghana using convenience sampling technique. And partial least square-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed, which included the assessment of measurement and structural models.

Findings

The results of this study support the mediating–moderating model of WFC, in which PMSE simultaneously mediates and moderates the negative influence of WFC on project performance of construction professionals; thus, validating the dual role of PMSE through the lens of Hobfoll's (1989) conservation of resource theory.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected from a conveniently sampled construction professionals in Ghana. Thus, the sampling framework, including only the construction professionals in three regions of Ghana, does not ensure the full generalisation of the results.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide significant implication for construction organisations and practitioners. Construction organisations and practitioners seeking to mitigate the negative consequences of WFC on project performance should focus on building on PMSE of the construction professionals. Further, a responsive work environment is needed to cater for family needs of the construction professionals.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first to have tested a model including the mediating-moderating effects of PMSE in the construction industry from a developing country perspective. The study, therefore, enriches the prevailing literature from under-represented context by examining the mediating-moderating effects of PMSE on WFC and project performance nexus that has not been previously investigated.

Citation

Novieto, D.T. and Kportufe, G.S. (2022), "Work-family conflict and project performance of construction professionals in a developing country: testing the mediating–moderating effect of project management self-efficacy", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 29 No. 9, pp. 3331-3344. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-01-2021-0074