How Does Work--Family Conflict Affect the Service Performance of Lawyers? TheMediating Role of Role Stress and the Moderating Effect of Psychological Resilience

Abstract

    In the high-intensity and responsibility-oriented profession of legal services, work--family conflict has become a salient practical issue affecting lawyers' professional performance. To examine the impact of work--family conflict on lawyers' service performance and to explore the roles of role stress and psychological resilience, a survey was conducted among 600 practicing lawyers. The results indicate that: (1) work--family conflict significantly and positively predicts lawyers' role stress; (2) role stress mediates the relationship between work--family conflict and lawyers' service performance; and (3) psychological resilience moderates the relationship between role stress and service performance, such that among lawyers with higher levels of psychological resilience, the negative effect of role stress on service performance is stronger, whereas this effect is not significant among lawyers with lower levels of psychological resilience.