Work-family conflict, coping strategies, and flourishing: Testing for mediation

Abstract

One way to reduce work-family conflict on the well-being is to have the ability to coping with demands effectively. Building upon the Cognitive Coping Theory and Self-determination Theory, this research tested the model combining of work-family conflict, coping strategies, and flourishing. The hypotheses are examined through correlation and path analysis of 173 adult learners using Partial Least Square (PLS) 3.0. Based on the findings, work-family conflict was found to have a significant relationship with problem-focused coping, emotional focused coping, and flourishing. The results further showed that the relationship between work-family conflicts and flourishing was mediated only by problem- focused coping. In general, the findings suggest organisations to offer emotional support and managerial understanding to their employed adult learners to help in reducing stress and lessening work-family conflict. Besides that, the management of distance education is crucial to improve student retention and completion rates, by providing emotional support to the adult learners until they survive the initial “online learning-curve hump.”