A multilevel mediational model applied to a daily diary study on work-family balance

Change and developmental studies are now common in scientific enquiry and require longitudinal and of-ten diary data. The dynamics pertaining to work-family interface such as conflict, enrichment, has received considerable scholarly attention. However, the daily processes that are involved have been examined to a lesser extent, least of all including the role played by emotions. This study aimed at examining, through a multilevel mediational model, if positive and negative affect experienced during the working day played a mediational role in the associations between daily levels of work-family conflict and work-family enrich-ment on one side, and work-family balance on the other. Moreover, the moderating cross-level role of trait emotional stability was examined. The study involved a sample of 104 Italian employees who completed a diary-book over five consecutive working days. Multilevel-modelling results highlighted, controlling for emotional stability, a mediational role of daily positive affect in the relationships between both work-family conflict and enrichment on the one side and work-family balance on the other. This study contributed to the literature emphasizing the role of positive affective states experienced at the workplace and their connec-tions with the private life.