TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating roles of work and family demands and work-life balance on the relationship between self-efficacy (to regulate work and life) and work engagement. Specifically, it seeks to explain how self-efficacy influences employees’ thought patterns and emotional reactions, which in turn enable them to cope with work and family demands, and ultimately achieve work-life balance and work engagement.Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling (SEM) of survey data obtained from a heterogeneous sample of 1,010 Australian employees is used to test the hypothesised chain mediation model.Findings The SEM results support the hypothesised model. Self-efficacy was significantly and negatively related to work and family demands, which in turn were negatively associated with work-life balance. Work-life balance, in turn, enabled employees to be engaged in their work.Research limitations/implications The findings support the key tenets of social cognitive theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory and demonstrate how self-efficacy can lead to work-life balance and engagement despite the presence of role demands. Study limitations (e.g. cross-sectional research design) and future research directions are discussed.Originality/value This study incorporates COR theory with social cognitive theory to improve understanding of how self-efficacy enhances work-life balance and work engagement through a self-fulfilling cycle in which employees achieve what they believe they can accomplish, and in the process, build other skills and personal resources to manage work and family challenges.
VL  - 38
IS  - 6
SN  - 0143-7720
DO  - 10.1108/IJM-11-2015-0189
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-11-2015-0189
AU  - Chan Xi Wen
AU  - Kalliath Thomas
AU  - Brough Paula
AU  - O’Driscoll Michael
AU  - Siu Oi-Ling
AU  - Timms Carolyn
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - Self-efficacy and work engagement: test of a chain model
T2  - International Journal of Manpower
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 819
EP  - 834
Y2  - 2024/04/24
ER  -