Family-to-Work Conflict and Job Satisfaction in Chinese Teachers: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion and the Differential Moderating Effects of Dual Filial Piety

Abstract Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study examined the relationship between family-to-work conflict and job satisfaction, paying particular attention to the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the boundary conditions of dual filial piety. We measured family-to-work conflict, dual filial piety, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction among 781 Chinese teachers. The results indicated that: family-to-work conflict significantly and negatively predicted job satisfaction; emotional exhaustion fully mediated the relationship between family-to-work conflict and job satisfaction; and the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion was moderated by reciprocal filial piety but not by authoritative filial piety. Specifically, reciprocal filial piety—rooted in affection and voluntary choice—functions as a vital ‘‘personal resource,’’significantly buffering the resource-draining impact of conflict on emotional exhaustion. Conversely, the non-significant effect of authoritative filial piety highlights a societal transition, suggesting that rigid hierarchical obligations no longer serve as effective psychological resources to buffer the impact of family-to-work conflict in modern China.