The impact of work–family integration enactment on emotional exhaustion: a perspective of role conflict and role enhancement

Purpose This study aims to explore the dual effects of work–family integration enactment (WFIE) on emotional exhaustion. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, it examines the mediating roles of work–family conflict (WFC) and work–family positive spillover (WFPS), together with the moderating role of family role salience (FRS), to provide enhanced understanding of how WFIE influences employee well-being. Design/methodology/approach A three-wave survey was conducted with 204 employees in China. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized moderated dual mediation model, assessing the relationships between WFIE, WFC, WFPS, emotional exhaustion and FRS. Findings The results reveal that WFIE has a dual effect on emotional exhaustion. It increases emotional exhaustion through WFC while reducing it through WFPS. Importantly, the mediating effect of WFC is significantly stronger than that of WFPS, indicating that resource loss outweighs resource gain in shaping emotional exhaustion. Additionally, FRS strengthens the loss-based pathway, such that employees with high FRS experience a stronger positive association between WFIE and WFC. Originality/value Employing COR theory, this study constructs a theoretical framework that specifies the dual pathways through which WFIE affects emotional exhaustion, thereby expanding the understanding of work–family boundary management. Furthermore, it investigates the boundary conditions of this process by examining the moderating role of FRS, which enhances this work’s contribution to the literature on work–family integration and employee well-being.