Spillover of interpersonal conflicts from work into nonwork: A daily diary study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Work-Life Balance Research
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• The Job-Demands (JD-R) theory provides a framework for understanding workplace stress.
• Interpersonal conflicts at work can negatively impact employees' well-being.
• Understanding how work-related issues spill over into personal life is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the daily spillover of interpersonal conflicts (task and relationship) from work to the nonwork domain.
• To investigate the buffering role of daily personal resources in this spillover process.
• To extend the JD-R theory by incorporating daily dynamics of conflict and resources.

Main Methods:

• A daily diary study was conducted over 5 consecutive working days.
• 113 employees completed evening questionnaires assessing daily experiences.
• Multilevel analysis was used to analyze the data (n = 565 occasions).

Main Results:

• Daily personal resources significantly buffered the spillover of interpersonal conflict from work to nonwork.
• On days with low optimism or resilience, interpersonal conflicts led to increased strain-based work-life conflict.
• The findings highlight the critical role of personal resources in mitigating negative spillover.

Conclusions:

• Daily personal resources are essential for preventing interpersonal conflicts at work from negatively affecting nonwork life.
• Enhancing employee optimism and resilience can help avoid unfavorable effects of daily interpersonal conflicts.
• The study offers practical implications for managing work-life conflict and improving employee well-being.