Mediator role of resilience in the relationship between social support and work life balance

ABSTRACT Objective In this study, we examined the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between social support and work–life balance. Method Questionnaires administered face-to-face were completed by 434 volunteer participants working in the service sector in the Kocaeli province of Turkey who were recruited through convenience sampling. Structural Equation Model was performed on the collected data. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 21 and AMOS 22. Results Findings showed that resilience had a mediating role in the relationship between social support and work–life balance, and the three variables were positively related to each other. Conclusions Social support primarily affects the resilience levels of individuals, which, in turn, affects work–life balance. The increase in the level of social support of individuals also increases their resilience, and this positive change in the level of resilience positively affects work-life balance. The findings of the study are discussed on the basis of the relevant literature.KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Recent changes in organisations and employee demographics have made work–life balance more important. (2) Ensuring work–life balance is important for both organisations and individuals. (3) Both personal and social determinants play an important role in ensuring work–life balance. What this topic adds: (1) There are few studies showing the effect of resilience on the relationship between social support and work–life balance. (2) Social support is considered one of the protective factors of resilience. (3) Resilience is considered a personality trait that is effective in maintaining work–life balance.