This empirical investigation analyzes the extent to which personal relationship satisfaction serves as a moderating variable in the connection between work-related smartphone utilization during non-working hours and the resultant work-life conflict. The data were obtained via an online survey targeting 109 Malaysian administrative and diplomatic officials situated in Sarawak. The findings indicate a statistically significant positive correlation between work-related smartphone usage after hours and work-life conflict, with excessive professional smartphone engagement outside of standard working periods being associated with an increase in work-life conflict. Furthermore, moderation analysis elucidates that personal relationship satisfaction plays a crucial role in diminishing the detrimental effects of after-hours work-related smartphone use on work-life conflict. These results imply that organizations ought to foster supportive environments that facilitate employees in delineating clear boundaries between their occupational and personal spheres. The study concludes by offering suggestions for prospective research trajectories within this domain.
Bakker, A. B., & de Vries, J. D. (2021). Job Demands–Resources theory and self-regulation: New explanations and remedies for job burnout. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 34(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1797695
Bautista, J. R., Rosenthal, S., Lin, T. T., & Theng, Y. L. (2018). Predictors and outcomes of nurses’ use of smartphones for work purposes. Computers in Human Behavior, 84, 360–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.03.008
Birditt, K. S., Sherman, C. W., Polenick, C. A., Becker, L., Webster, N. J., Ajrouch, K. J., & Antonucci, T. C. (2020). So Close and Yet So Irritating: Negative Relations and Implications for Well-being by Age and Closeness. The Journals of Gerontology, 75(2), 327–337. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby038
Blom, N. (2019). Partner relationship quality under pressing work conditions: Longitudinal and cross-national investigations (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Radboud University, Netherlands. https://hdl.handle.net/2066/200804
Bonfils, K.A., Rand, K.L., Luther, L., Firmin, R.L., & Salyers, M.P. (2016). The romantic relationship functioning scale: Development and preliminary validation in two samples. Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences, 3(3), 117-130.
Butts, M. M., Becker, W. J., & Boswell, W. R. (2015). Hot buttons and time sinks: The effects of electronic communication during non-work time on emotions and work-nonwork conflict. Academy of Management Journal, 58(3), 763-788. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0170
Cepukiene, V. (2019). Does relationship satisfaction always mean satisfaction? Development of the Couple Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Relationships Research, 10, Article e14. https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2019.12
Debrot, A., Siegler, S., Klumb, P. L., & Schoebi, D. (2018). Daily work stress and relationship satisfaction: Detachment affects romantic couples’ interactions quality. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19, 2283-2301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9922-6
Demirtas, S. C., & Tezer, E. (2012). Romantic relationship satisfaction, commitment to career choices and subjective well-being.?Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,?46, 2542-2549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.519
Derks, D., & Bakker, A. B. (2014). Smartphone use, work–home interference, and burnout: A diary study on the role of recovery. Applied Psychology, 63(3), 411–440. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2012.00530.x
Derks, D., Bakker, A. B., Peters, P., & van Wingerden, P. (2016). Work-related smartphone use, work–family conflict and family role performance: The role of segmentation preference. Human Relations, 69(5), 1045–1068. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715601890
Dettmers, J. (2017). How extended work availability affects well-being: The mediating roles of psychological detachment and work-family-conflict. Work & Stress, 31(1), 24–41. https//doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2017.1298164.
Dettmers, J., Bamberg, E., & Seffzek, K. (2016). Characteristics of extended availability for work: The role of demands and resources. International Journal of Stress Management, 23(3), 276–297. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000014
Dishon-Berkovits, M. (2014). Burnout Contributing and Protecting Factors Within the Work–Family Interface. Journal of Career Development, 41(6), 467–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845313512181
Eby, L. T., Maher, C. P., & Butts, M. M. (2010). The intersection of work and family life: The role of affect. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 599-622. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100422
Fritz, C., & Taylor, M. (2020). Detaching from and reattaching to work. Organizational Dynamics, 49, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2019.04.010
Gadeyne, N., Verbruggen, M., Delanoeije, J., & De Cooman, R. (2018). All wired, all tired? Work-related ICT-use outside work hours and work-to-home conflict: The role of integration preference, integration norms and work demands. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107, 86–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.03.008
Geraldes, D., Madeira, E., Carvalho, V. S., & Chambel, M. J. (2019). Work-personal life conflict and burnout in contact centers: The moderating role of affective commitment. Personnel Review, 48(2), 400–416. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2017-0352
Gerlach, T.M., Driebe, J.C., & Reinhard, S.K. (2020). Personality and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction. In Zeigler-Hill V. & Shackelford T.K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_718
Ghislieri, C., Emanuel, F., Molino, M., Cortese, C. G., & Colombo, L. (2017). New technologies smart, or harm work-family boundaries management? Gender differences in conflict and enrichment using the JD-R theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1070. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01070
Glavin, P., & Peters, A. (2015). The costs of caring: Caregiver strain and work-family conflict among Canadian workers. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 36(1), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-014-9423-2
Gustavson, K., Røysamb, E., Borren, I., Torvik, F. A., & Karevold, E. (2016). Life satisfaction in close relationships: Findings from a longitudinal study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(3), 1293–1311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9643-7
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Partial, conditional, and moderated mediation: Quantification, inference, and interpretation. Communication Monographs, 85(1), 4–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2017.1352100
Jiang, W.Y. & Wrzesniewski, A. (2022). Misaligned Meaning: Couples’ Work-Orientation Incongruence and Their Work Outcomes. Organization Science, 33(2), 785–809. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1453
Lesener, T., Gusy, B., & Wolter, C. (2019). The job demands-resources model: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies. Work & Stress, 33(1), 76-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2018.1529065
MacCormick, J. S., Dery, K., & Kolb, D. G. (2012). Engaged or just connected? Smartphones and employee engagement. Organizational Dynamics, 41(3), 194–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2012.03.007
Ninaus, K., Diehl, S., & Terlutter, R. (2021). Employee perceptions of information and communication technologies in work life, perceived burnout, job satisfaction and the role of work-family balance. Journal of Business Research, 136, 652–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.007
Ohly, S., & Latour, A. (2014). Work-related smartphone use and well-being in the evening. Journal of Personnel Psychology. 13(4), 174-183. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000114
Omar Lim, S. L., Wong, E., & Zahit, R. A. (2022). Smartphone use for work during personal activities: An investigation into work-life conflict. Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, 8(1), 89-99. https://doi.org/10.33736/jcshd.4590.2022
Perlman, D. (2007). The best of times, the worst of times: The place of close relationships in psychology and our daily lives. Canadian Psychology, 48(1), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/cp2007003
Rashmi, K., & Kataria, A. (2021). Work–life balance: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2021-0145
Røsand, G. M. B., Slinning, K., Eberhard-Gran, M., Røysamb, E., & Tambs, K. (2012). The buffering effect of relationship satisfaction on emotional distress in couples. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-66
Rothbard, N. P., Phillips, K. W., & Dumas, T. L. (2005). Managing multiple roles: Work-family policies and individuals’ desires for segmentation. Organization Science, 16(3), 243-258. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0124
Sarker, S., Ahuja, M., Sarker, S., & Bullock, K. M. (2021). Mobile Technologies and Work–Life Conflict (pp. 117–142). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72759-8_5
Shi, S., Chen, Y., & Cheung, C. M. (2023). How technostressors influence job and family satisfaction: Exploring the role of work–family conflict. Information Systems Journal, 33(4), 953-985. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12431
Son, J. S., & Chen, C. C. (2018). Does using a smartphone for work purposes “ruin” your leisure? Examining the role of smartphone use in work–leisure conflict and life satisfaction. Journal of Leisure Research, 49(3–5),236–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2018.1534074
Sonnentag, S., & Niessen, C. (2020). To detach or not to detach? Two experimental studies on the affective consequences of detaching from work during non-work time. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 560156. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560156
Therése, N., & Reinholdsson, S. (2016). The features behind relationship satisfaction in friendship and romantic relationships (Dissertation). Retrieved from https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-130015
Totenhagen, C. J., Randall, A. K., Bar-Kalifa, E., Ciftci, O., & Gleason, M. (2022). Daily stress and relationship quality: A two-decade scoping review from an intersectional lens. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(3), 773-811. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221095870
Vlaardingerbroek, G. D., Kluwer, E. S., Van Steenbergen, E. F., & van der Lippe, T. (2013). Knock, knock, anybody home? Psychological availability as link between work and relationship. Personal Relationships, 20(1), 52-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2012.01396.x
Wang, H., Liu, P., Zhao, X., Li, A., & Xiao, C. (2022). Work-Related Use of Information and Communication Technologies After Hours (W_ICTs) and Work-Family Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Model. Sage Open, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221120169
Wayne, J. H., Mills, M. J., Wang, Y. R., Matthews, R. A., & Whitman, M. V. (2023). Who’s remembering to buy the eggs? The meaning, measurement, and implications of invisible family load. Journal of Business and Psychology, 38(6), 1159-1184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09887-7
Wilkinson, F. S. O., & Haar, J. M. (2023). Smart device use in a COVID?19 world: Exploring work–family conflict and turnover intentions. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12370
Chang, L. H., & Lim, S. L. O. (2026). When Work Follows You Home: How Relationship Satisfaction Moderates the Link between After-Hours Smartphone Use and Work-Life Conflict. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(2), 173–189.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
