Work-Family Conflict and Job Burnout Among Police Officers in China

Police work can lead to significant work-family conflict (WFC), which may contribute to job burnout. This study examined the relationships between four major WFC measures (time-based, behavior-based, strain-based, and family-based) and three burnout dimensions – emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of accomplishment – among police officers in China. Findings indicate that, except for time-based conflict, all WFC types were positively associated with emotional exhaustion. Behavior-based and family-based conflicts were significantly negatively related to depersonalization, whilst time-based WFC had a significant negative effect on depersonalization, and strain-based WFC had no significant effect. Time-based conflict was negatively associated with a reduced sense of accomplishment, whereas behavior-based conflict showed a significant positive association. Strain-based and family-based conflicts did not significantly affect the reduced sense of accomplishment. The results suggest that WFC impacts burnout dimensions differently and contributes to job burnout among police officers in China, similar to findings in other nations.