The pressure to be a good soldier at work and non-work life: the role of perceived flexibility

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how citizenship pressure contributes to job stress through the mediating role of work interfering with family (WIF) conflict, and how perceived workplace flexibility moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected across two waves with a time separation of one month in between waves. A total of 323 full-time workers across various US organizations (e.g. transportation) participated in the study. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted with Hayes PROCESS. Findings Results revealed that WIF conflict at Time 1 mediated the relationship between citizenship pressure at Time 1 and job stress at Time 2. To add, perceived flexibility partially moderated the relationship between citizenship pressure and WIF conflict. Practical implications Practical implications include encouraging organizations to recognize and manage citizenship pressure, embedding flexibility in HR practices and fostering a culture where flexible work arrangements are genuinely supported. Originality/value The current study is one of the first to show perceived flexibility as a significant moderator between citizenship pressure and WIF conflict. The findings offer valuable insights into how organizations can mitigate stress by addressing the interplay between citizenship pressure, WIF conflict and perceived flexibility.