Balancing act: exploring the mediating role of work–life balance on improving work engagement through organisational support

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of work–life balance on the relationship between organisational support and work engagement. This research is based on the JD-R theory. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional research design wherein both descriptive and explanatory approaches were used. This study uses a survey method and a structured questionnaire to collect data from IT women employees in Kerala. A regression analysis is used to measure the direct effects of the hypothesised relationships. Sobel’s test was used to measure the indirect effects of the hypothesised relationship. Findings Organisational support is found to foster work–life balance and work engagement. Work–life balance fully mediates the relationship between organisational support and work engagement. Originality/value This study attempts to integrate two streams of research (work–life balance and work engagement), which, despite being similar in focus, have been developed independently. This is one of the first studies to incorporate access to, utilisation and perceived future use of these practices in a single study. It also adds to the literature by investigating antecedents of work engagement and analysing it as a mediator between organisational support and work engagement, which has been highlighted as a gap in the literature.