Two sides of the same coin: how does civil servants’ public service motivation affect work-family conflict?

Drawing upon the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study explores the double-edged effect of PSM on work-family conflict (WFC). Through a three-wave survey involving 228 Chinese civil servants, the findings show that PSM is positively related to WFC via workload; PSM is negatively related to WFC via positive emotion; the resource-loss path via workload is stronger when the perceived organizational caring ethic is low, and the resource-gain path via positive emotions is stronger when the perceived caring ethic is high. This study highlights the importance of considering both the positive and negative effects of PSM on WFC.