Open Access

The role of psychological meaningfulness in the relationship between job complexity and work-family conflict among secondary school teachers in Nigeria

Gabriel C. Kanu^1,*, Noah Adeji¹, Tobias C. Obi², Elom S. Omena³, Raphael U. Anike⁴, Alexander U. Amaechi¹

1 Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Nigeria
2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Management and Social Sciences, Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, 400201, Nigeria
3 Social Sciences Department, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, 490003, Nigeria
4 Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu, PMB 01660, Nigeria

* Corresponding Author: Gabriel C. Kanu. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2025, 35(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.065768

Received 02 August 2024; Accepted 30 November 2024; Issue published 30 April 2025

Abstract

This study examined how psychological meaningfulness moderates job complexity and work-family conflict in Nigerian secondary school teachers. This study included 1694 teachers from 17 Nigerian secondary schools (female = 69.54%, mean age = 33.19, SD = 6.44 years). The participants completed the Work-family Conflict Scale, Job Complexity Scale, and Psychological Meaningfulness Scale. Study design was cross-sectional. Hayes PROCESS macro analysis results indicate a higher work-family conflict with job complexity among the secondary school teachers. While psychological meaningfulness was not associated with work-family conflict, it moderated the link between job complexity and work-family conflict in secondary school teachers such that a meaningful work endorsement is associated with lower employee’s work-life conflict. These findings point to the importance of job functions to quality of family life. The study findings also suggest a need for supporting psychological meaningfulness for healthy work related quality of family life based on balancing work and family role demands.

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Keywords

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