Workaholism or Satisfaction? The Dual Pathways of Living a Calling

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study explores the dual mechanisms linking living one’s calling to work-family conflict through two contradictory pathways. The first pathway suggests that individuals who actively live out their calling may develop workaholic tendencies-particularly through excessive working behaviors- which in turn exacerbate strain-based work-family conflict. In contrast, the second pathway posits that living a calling enhances life satisfaction, which serves to mitigate such conflict. Using survey data collected from 205 full-time employees in China, the study employs parallel mediation analysis to test these competing mechanisms. The results reveal inconsistent mediation effects: living a calling is positively associated with both excessive working and life satisfaction, which exert opposing effects on work-family conflict. Importantly, the total effect of living a calling on work-family conflict was not statistically significant, suggesting that the two indirect effects may counterbalance each other. By integrating the construct of living one’s calling with the work-family interface, this study offers a nuanced perspective on Work as Calling theory, extending its scope and validating its relevance in understanding the complexities of work-family dynamics. The study underscores the need for organizations to consider both the motivational advantages and the possible relational drawbacks of employees pursuing their calling, especially with regard to their lives outside of work.