Using Structural Equation Modeling to Understand the Pathway between Competing Work Demands and Instrumental Organizational Support. a Work-Life Conflict and Job Satisfaction Model

Background: The contemporary working environments are characterized by newer technological advances in completing work assignments and extended hours of work with a high caseload impact on employees' time. With higher levels of exposure to stress due to COVID-19, employees in different organizations are expected to balance multiple roles while maintaining maximum productivity. Past research studies analyzed work-life conflict and its connection to job characteristics without adequate integration of competing work demands and workplace organizational support in a research model. This research study aims to fill the gap and explain the impact of work demands and instrumental organizational support on work-life conflict and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to answer three research questions? Which job characteristics most strongly predicts work-life conflict and job satisfaction?Does work demands and control over one's work schedule negatively impact work-life conflict and job satisfaction? There is a mediating effect of work demands and schedule control between work-life conflict and job satisfaction.

Methods: An empirical study on a sample of 260 healthcare employees in emergency medicine settings in New York City explores the relationship between job characteristics and wellness. The online and in-person cross-sectional survey used standardized scales comprising Likert scales adopted from previous studies to measure the hypothesized variables in the research model. The structural equation model tested relationships between job characteristics, organizational support, work-life conflict, and job satisfaction. Confirmatory factors Analysis with maximum likelihood estimation was performed using Structural equation modeling (SEM) software in AMOS 27. Hayer's (2009) procedures were followed to formulate the mediating hypotheses.

Results: The findings suggest that job characteristics and organizational support influenced work-family conflict and job satisfaction. When employees experience higher work demands and less organizational support, employees are highly unsatisfied; job satisfaction will decrease accordingly. The mediation test indicated that work-life conflict indirectly affected job satisfaction when work demands, and organizational support were mediators.

Conclusions: The research study contributes to a better understanding of work-life conflict and job satisfaction, the psychology of employees, and job performance. The study provides valuable insight to the organization on ways to increase employee productivity and effectiveness and ensure better performance by preventing work-life conflict from happening.This study is essential since it is detached from the prior research focused on observing the consequence of work-life conflict in employees' well-being and centers on analyzing the nature of job characteristics instead. Innovative points of study translate to practical implications for managers and leaders, suggesting they must foster a supportive and healthy work environment that motivates employees to reach their full potential, thus increasing job satisfaction and alleviating work-life conflict.