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Psychology Research and Behavior Management
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY NC
Data sources: Crossref
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PubMed Central
Other literature type . 2025
License: CC BY NC
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Assessing Work–Life Balance in Malta and Italy: A Cross-Cultural Investigation Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM)

Authors: Rossella Bottaro; Katya De Giovanni; Palmira Faraci;

Assessing Work–Life Balance in Malta and Italy: A Cross-Cultural Investigation Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM)

Abstract

Work-life balance (WLB) represents a well-established construct in several fields. However, the post-pandemic period has prompted substantial re-evaluations of the boundaries between professional and personal life among the general population, highlighting a critical need for renewed theoretical frameworks and empirical updates in this field. Our research focuses on the procedure of effectively assessing WLB in different cultural contexts, grounded in well-established theoretical foundations and involving the testing of measurement quality. Thus, the present cross-cultural study aimed to provide new evidence about the dimensionality, validity, reliability, and cultural invariance of the Work-Life Balance Scale and its practical impact on employee well-being.A sample of 362 employees (50% Maltese; 50% Italian), with a mean age of 43.36 (SD = 11.51) completed the WLBS in an online survey from March to April 2023. The cultural invariance was tested using the 13-model ESEM taxonomy of full measurement invariance. Moreover, through Network Analysis, the life satisfaction and optimism scales were administered to test the WLBS validity across countries.Results showed ESEM model good fit (X2=127.609, df = 63, CFI = 0.963, TLI = 0.939, RMSEA = 0.053 [0.040-0.066]) and less correlated latent factors than CFA. Tests of cultural invariance supported a weak invariance (ie, factor loadings and item uniqueness or factor variance/covariance matrix) across countries. Furthermore, the findings supported the validity and reliability of the scale.In conclusion, new evidence about the WLBS theoretical framework and dimensionality was provided by using the ESEM as a challenging psychometric approach. Results from this study also supported its psychometric features and the cross-cultural applicability of the WLBS in two different European countries. The practical recommendations for government policy were discussed.

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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