Work-Nonwork Interface and Career Success: Examining Behavioural and Affective Linking Mechanisms

ABSTRACT

Past research has illustrated that experiences at the work-nonwork interface are related to the achievement of objective and subjective career success. However, the mechanisms linking positive and negative work-nonwork experiences and career success have not received much attention. Based on the conservation of resources theory and the source attribution perspective, we propose behavioural (i.e., through career engagement) and affective (i.e., through positive and negative affect at work) mechanisms linking positive and negative work-nonwork experiences (i.e., work-to-nonwork enrichment and interference) to objective (i.e., salary) and subjective (i.e., career satisfaction) career success. The results of a time-lagged study (N = 812) performed over one year with three measurement waves with young employees (18–35 years old, 47% females) provided partial support for both mechanisms and showed that career engagement mediated the positive relation between work-to-nonwork enrichment and both career success dimensions. However, unexpectedly, work-to-nonwork interference was also positively associated with salary and career satisfaction through increased career engagement. Additionally, negative affect at work mediated the negative relation between work-to-nonwork interference and both career success dimensions, but this mediation was stronger for career satisfaction. The study implies that behavioural and affective mechanisms differentially link work-nonwork experiences and various forms of career success.

KEYWORDS:

• Work-nonwork enrichment
• work-nonwork interference
• affective mechanism
• behavioural mechanism
• career success

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. To rule out the possibility of reversed effects, we conducted an additional analysis, where we regressed salary and career satisfaction at T1 on our mediators, i.e., career engagement (salary: β = .02, p = .561; career satisfaction: β = −.00, p = .956) and positive (salary: β = −.04, p = .349; career satisfaction: β = .10, p = .082) and negative affective states (salary: β = .01, p = .778; career satisfaction: β = −.13, p = .002) at T2. Further, we regressed the mediators at T2 on work-to-nonwork enrichment (career engagement: β = .14, p = .024; positive affect: β = .30, p = .000; negative affect: .01, p = .846) and interference (career engagement: β = −.00, p = .976; positive affect: β = −.04, p = .481; negative affect: β = .05, p = .356) at T3. No significant mechanisms (indirect effects) were observed.