Drained by the balance: unpacking the well-being pathway between work-life conflict and job outcomes

Purpose This study investigates the mediating role of employee well-being in the relationship between work–life conflict (WLC) and four key work-related outcomes, job performance, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior toward the organization (OCBO) and turnover intention, among banking employees in Vietnam. This study aims to clarify how WLC, as a job demand, influences both attitudinal and behavioral outcomes through psychological mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the Conservation of Resources theory, the Job Demands–Resources model and the Happy–Productive Worker Thesis, the study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 308 full-time banking employees in Can Tho City using an online survey. Validated scales were used to measure all constructs, and partial least squares structural equation modeling with bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) was applied to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The findings reveal that the WLC significantly reduces employee well-being, which in turn negatively affects job performance, job satisfaction and OCBO, while increasing turnover intention. All four mediation hypotheses were supported, confirming that well-being is a critical psychological mechanism linking work-life stressors to workplace outcomes. Practical implications The results highlight the importance of integrating well-being-oriented strategies, such as flexible scheduling, workload management and psychological support, into human resource practices to mitigate WLC and sustain employee engagement in the banking sector. Originality/value By integrating three theoretical frameworks and extending empirical evidence to an emerging Asian economy, this study offers a comprehensive model that explains how WLC depletes psychological resources and shapes employee outcomes, contributing to the growing literature on occupational well-being and sustainable organizational behavior.