The integrative relationship between work–family conflict and turnover intention: a meta-analysis

verifiedrich profile · Frontiers in Public Health · 2025

Li, Guanghua; Zhou, Yuhan; Zhang, Xinyue; Martek, Igor

10.3389/fpubh.2025.1642843 · CrossRef: verified

How this was studied

paradigm: positivistpurpose: explanatory causaldesign: meta analytic synthesisidentification: nonetime: cross sectionaldata: quantitative survey

A meta-analytic synthesis — it pools many primary studies rather than running a single design, so there is no single-study diagram.

analysis: meta analysis · validity (validity): internal unclear · external addressed · construct addressed · statistical addressed · classifier confidence 0.85

What this article reports

The findings we extracted from this work, normalized into Principia’s relationship form (X → Y). Each feeds the synthesized models below.

work life conflict wlcturnover intention

r = 0.446 · k=17 · grade A · unverified

work family conflictturnover intention

r = 0.446 · k=17 · grade A · unverified

work family conflictturnover intention

r = 0.318 · k=90 · grade A · unverified

family work conflictturnover intention

r = 0.261 · k=53 · grade A · unverified

work interference with family wifturnover intention

r = 0.318 · k=90 · grade A · unverified

work family conflictturnover intention

r = 0.446 · k=17 · grade A · unverified

work family conflictturnover intention

r = 0.446 · k=122 · grade B · unverified

Models this article informs

The meta-analytic priors this article contributes evidence to — its place in the broader synthesis.

In the authors’ words

The article’s own abstract.

The impact of work-family conflict on employee turnover intention has become a significant topic in organizational behavior research. However, existing findings show significant discrepancies, lacking systematic quantitative integration. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between work-family conflict, work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and employee turnover intention. It considers the moderating effects of national culture, occupation type, age, gender, and measurement tools. Methodology utilizes meta-analysis of large sample data, based on 122 empirical studies. It is found that: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between overall work-family conflict and turnover intention (r = 0.446), with both work-to-family conflict (r = 0.318) and family-to-work conflict (r = 0.261); (2) National culture (individualism/collectivism), occupation type, and measurement tool differences significantly moderate these three relationships; (3) Age only moderates the relationship between family-to-work conflict and turnover intention, while gender moderation effects are not supported. These findings enrich the knowledge system of turnover intention research and provide practical guidance on the implementation of effective measures to reduce turnover.

What the literature says about it

Attributed, open-access quotes from other works that cite this article, plus the citation-graph verdict tally. Corroborations and disputes, in one place — the honest-broker view.

6 supporting

Ancillary research

Neighbouring works in the citation graph around this article.

Assembled from Principia’s registry — bibliographic record, extracted effect sizes, the models they inform, and open-access citing literature.