Consequences of family interference with work: The roles of emotional exhaustion, service sabotage, and negative affectivity

Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory and displaced aggression perspective, in this research our aim was to study the consequences of family interference with work (FIW) in a service setting. We examined the influence of FIW on service sabotage via the mechanism of emotional exhaustion, and the role of employees’ negative affectivity as a boundary condition. Based on 2 waves of data collected from 132 Chinese employees working in a call center, results showed a positive relationship between FIW and service sabotage, and emotional exhaustion acted as a mediator in this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.