Buffer or burden? The conditional effect of supervisor support on work-family conflict and wellbeing under backlash

Supervisor support plays a key role in ensuring employee wellbeing, but little research has examined the conditions under which its effects are enhanced or mitigated. Drawing on the job demands–resources (JD–R) model and conservation of resources (COR) theory, in this study we propose that work-family conflict (WFC) mediates the relationship between supervisor support and employee well-being (i.e. emotional exhaustion and disengagement) and that perceived work-family backlash moderates the effectiveness of supervisor support. We used a mixed methods approach: a cross-sectional survey (N = 203 employees) and a qualitative phase with 16 supervisors and 78 employees of a multinational manufacturing company. The quantitative results show that supervisor support is negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and disengagement, both directly and indirectly by reducing work-family conflict. The strength of these relationships depends on the perceived backlash: when the backlash is low, the positive effects of supervisor support are stronger; when the backlash is high, these effects weaken. The qualitative analysis evidence that organisational culture regarding employees’ family needs in the is crucial in influencing the quality of life at work. This study also provides practical implications for fostering effective support systems that promote employee resilience in different organisational contexts.