Abstract

RADEBE, Patrick Qena  and  NCUBE, Bekezela. Conflicting work-family lives as drivers of work tension and turnover intention in a construction company in southern Gauteng. JCMAN [online]. 2025, vol.22, n.1, pp.1-29. ISSN 1815-7440.  https://doi.org/10.35683/jcman1136.297.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The primary objective was to probe the predictive association between work-family conflict, family-work conflict, work tension, and turnover intention among construction employees at a construction company. Effective management of these work-family lives could improve the work-life balance for construction employees, resulting in lower levels of work tension and turnover intention. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A descriptive research design and a quantitative research approach were utilised. Participants were selected using the non-probability convenience sampling technique. Only 285 questionnaires were completed and retrieved, representing a return rate of 71.25%. Data were analysed using SPSS and AMOS version 28. Data analysis was executed through descriptive statistics, such as frequencies for biographical information. SEM was invoked to assess the fitness of the measurement and structural models, after which the path analysis was performed. FINDINGS: The SEM demonstrated acceptable fitness for the measurement and structural models. Path analysis further confirmed a predictive relationship between work-family conflict and work tension, family-work conflict and work tension, work-family conflict and turnover intention, and work tension and turnover intention. RECOMMENDATIONS/VALUE: Efforts at harmonising work-family conflict and family-work conflict should be robustly implemented because empirical evidence demonstrates these are the root causes of work tension and turnover intention among construction employees in this construction company. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: This study's findings call for innovative management philosophies and practices to ensure timely project completion with less strain on workers. These management practices include equitable workload distribution, offering competitive salaries and incentives, flexible work arrangements, job sharing, counselling, remote working, and creative efforts by the human resource unit to create time and opportunity for construction workers to attend to their family demands. Projects nearer to workers' homes should be a priority when employees are assigned to projects. JEL CLASSIFICATION: O15

Keywords : Family-work conflict; spillover theory; turnover intention work-family conflict; work tension.

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