Rethinking the link between work-family conflict and turnover intentions in tourism and hospitality

Purpose Ongoing debate surrounds the effects of the two dimensions of work–family conflict – Family Interference with Work (FIW) and Work Interference with Family (WIF) – on key work outcomes such as turnover intentions. According to the cross-domain perspective, FIW is expected to be the stronger predictor of turnover intentions, whereas the matching-domain perspective argues that WIF should have the greater influence. This review examines how tourism and hospitality research engages with this theoretical debate. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted using a multi-source search strategy, drawing on peer-reviewed studies identified in prior reviews, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The review process follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Findings The review provides an up-to-date synthesis of empirical evidence, incorporating a substantial body of research published since the most recent reviews. The final dataset comprises 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2006 and 2025 by 60 contributing authors. Originality/value The review highlights four key avenues for future research: (1) broaden empirical focus beyond frontline employees and beyond Middle Eastern and Asian contexts (contextual); (2) adopt a bidirectional conceptualisation of work–family conflict by examining both WIF and FIW (conceptual); (3) employ source attribution theory to better explain why WIF predicts turnover intentions while FIW often does not (theoretical); and (4) identify mechanisms that may mitigate the impact of work–family conflict on turnover intentions (practical).