EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE AS DETERMINANTS OF EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND WELL-BEING: MEDIATING AND MODERATING EFFECTS IN THE INDIAN BANKING INDUSTRY

Abstract

The current research explores the impact of work–life balance (WLB) on employee performance (EP) and employee well-being (EWB) in India's banking industry. It also explores the mediating effect of EWB and the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) in such relationships. Data were gathered from 300 bank staff from public, private, foreign, and cooperative banks through a standardized questionnaire based on validated scales. Reliability and validity were tested via Cronbach's alpha, correlation analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. Regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were performed using bootstrapping procedures, while structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the integrated model. Evidence shows that WLB significantly influenced both EWB and EP. Mediation analysis affirmed that EWB mediates the WLB–EP relationship partially, identifying well-being as a central pathway between balance and performance. SEM results supported the model with high factor loadings and appropriate fit indices. Moderation analysis did show, though, that POS fails to significantly modify the strength of WLB's impact on both EWB and EP, which supports its function as an independent resource rather than a moderator. The results highlight how crucial it is for banks to have HR procedures and policies that support employee well-being and work-life balance as strategic levers for long-term success. This work offers both theoretical and practical contributions by combining the Job Demands–Resources model with social exchange perspectives and presenting real data from the Indian banking industry using SEM.