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Original scientific article

THE EFFECT OF WORK LIFE BALANCE ON THE HAPPINESS OF OFFICE WORKERS IN HANOI AND THE ROLE OF INTERMEDIATE WORK SATISFACTION

By
Nguyen Thi Mo Orcid logo ,
Nguyen Thi Mo
Contact Nguyen Thi Mo

Faculty of Business Administration, Phenikaa University, Duong Noi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Do Ba Hieu Orcid logo ,
Do Ba Hieu

Faculty of Business Administration, Phenikaa University, Duong Noi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Ngo Thuy Trang Orcid logo ,
Ngo Thuy Trang

Faculty of Business Administration, Phenikaa University, Duong Noi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Vu Tri Duc Orcid logo ,
Vu Tri Duc

Faculty of Business Administration, Phenikaa University, Duong Noi, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Le Luu Ly Orcid logo
Le Luu Ly

Faculty of Business Administration, Phenikaa University, Duong Noi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

This empirical study investigates the impact of work-life balance on the happiness of office workers in Hanoi's inner city, while also evaluating job satisfaction as a mediating variable in this relationship. In  light of the digital revolution, escalating work pressures, and the blurring boundaries between professional and personal life, it is crucial to understand these psychological mechanisms within modern human resource management. The study employed a mixed-methods research design. To validate the measurement scales and preliminary questionnaire, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, and qualitative data from these interviews were utilized. Then, quantitative survey data was gathered from a valid sample of 462 office workers in Hanoi. Data processing was conducted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in SPSS and structural model validation via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. Empirical testing revealed that work-life balance has a positive and significant impact on both job satisfaction (β=0.521, p<0.001) and employee happiness (β=0.218, p<0.001). Furthermore, job satisfaction exerts a significant positive direct influence on employee happiness (β=0.377, p<0.001) and also mediates the relationship between work-life balance and employee happiness (β=0.196, p<0.001). The structural model explains 27.1% of the variance in job satisfaction (R2=0.271), and 27.6% of the variance in employee happiness (R2=0.276). The organizational leaders and human resource practitioners should emphasize the policies of the work life which are substantive and improve managerial competence. Job satisfaction can act as a critical operational link, moving from good working conditions to workforce health, employee engagement, and
staff retention in the ongoing fight for talent in urban markets.

References

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Citation

This is an open access article distributed under the  Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 

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