Mediator analysis job satisfaction: The relationship between work life balance and turnover intentions
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May 7, 2026
Keywords:
Job Satisfaction, Turnover Intention, Work-Life Balance
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Abstract
This study aims to analyze the effect of work-life balance on turnover intention with job satisfaction as a mediating variable in employees of PT San Fang Indonesia. This study used a quantitative approach with saturated sampling techniques involving 95 respondents. Data were collected through a Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with SmartPLS 4. The results of the study show that work-life balance has a negative and significant effect on turnover intention, as well as a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction has also been shown to have a significant negative effect on turnover intention. In addition, job satisfaction plays a significant mediator in the relationship between work-life balance and turnover intention. These findings indicate that improving work-life balance not only directly decreases employee exit intentions, but also through increased job satisfaction. This research emphasizes the importance of organizational policies that support work-life balance to increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates. The results of this study make an empirical contribution to the development of human resource management strategies, especially in the manufacturing sector.
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How to Cite
Sumarjo, W., Kurniasih, D., Chaidir, J., Tajudin, T., & Alam, S. (2026). Mediator analysis job satisfaction: The relationship between work life balance and turnover intentions. Indonesia Auditing Research Journal, 15(2), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.35335/arj.v15i2.660
References
Adriano, J., & Callaghan, C. W. (2020). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and retention: Turnover intentions of professionals in part-time study. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 23(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v23i1.3028
Alves, I., Limão, M., & Lourenço, S. M. (2024). Work Overload, Work–Life Balance and Auditors’ Turnover Intention: The Moderating Role of Motivation. Australian Accounting Review, 34(1), 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12417
Anwar, Y., Suwarno, B., & Harianti, S. (2023). The effect of teacher motivation, compensation, and workload on turnover intention through job satisfaction as a mediating variable. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 21(4), 1109–1122. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2023.021.04.18
Bai, Y., & Zhou, J. (2025). Coworker support, work–family conflict, job satisfaction, and turnover intention: female employees in post-organizational socialization. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1472977
Bocean, C. G., Popescu, L., Varzaru, A. A., Avram, C. D., & Iancu, A. (2023). Work-Life Balance and Employee Satisfaction during COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability, 15(15), 11631. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511631
Dorta-Afonso, D., Cuéllar-Molina, D., Rodríguez-Robaina, C., & De Saá-Pérez, P. (2025). Servant leadership and HPWS for work-life balance and job satisfaction in the hotel industry: perspectives from conservation of resources theory. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(5), 2011–2030. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-06-2024-0631
Gaur, J., & Tarkar, P. (2025). Relationship Between Work life Balance with Job Satisfaction in Organization: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Research. Management, 1, 826–855. https://doi.org/10.58691/man/207992
Gautam, P. K., Gautam, D. K., & Bhetuwal, R. (2025). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and turnover intentions among nurses. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 33(3), 538–557. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-09-2023-4002
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
IBM. (2023). As transformation accelerates—and the demand for digital skills skyrockets—leaders need to adapt to a changing workforce. IBM. https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/seven-bets/work-life
Irawanto, D., Novianti, K., & Roz, K. (2021). Work from Home: Measuring Satisfaction between Work–Life Balance and Work Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. Economies, 9(3), 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030096
Jackson, L. T. B., & Fransman, E. I. (2018). Flexi work, financial well-being, work–life balance and their effects on subjective experiences of productivity and job satisfaction of females in an institution of higher learning. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v21i1.1487
Jeong, K.-Y., Yun, M., & Choi, E.-H. (2025). The effects of communication competence, meaning of work, and work-life balance on turnover intention in Generation Z nurses in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. Applied Nursing Research, 83, 151952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151952
Kalev, A., & Dobbin, F. (2022). The surprising benefits of work/life support. Harvard Business Review Magazine, 1. https://www.ichpnet.org/diversity/Work-Life_Support_HBR.pdf
Karolina, N., & Saryatmo, M. A. (2024). Employee engagement, work life balance, dan turnover intention pada karyawan Generasi Z di Jabodetabek: Peran mediasi job satisfaction. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Dan Kewirausahaan, 8(2), 306–320. https://doi.org/10.24912/jmbk.v8i2.29657
Kotini-Shah, P., Man, B., Pobee, R., Hirshfield, L. E., Risman, B. J., Buhimschi, I. A., & Weinreich, H. M. (2022). Work–Life Balance and Productivity Among Academic Faculty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Class Analysis. Journal of Women’s Health, 31(3), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2021.0277
Legate, A. E., Hair, J. F., Chretien, J. L., & Risher, J. J. (2023). PLS-SEM: Prediction-oriented solutions for HRD researchers. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 34(1), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21466
Maharani, A., & Tamara, D. (2024). The occupational stress and work-life balance on turnover intentions with job satisfaction as mediating. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 22, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v22i0.2369
Maurer, R. (2024). Workers Are Quitting Because of Work/Life Imbalance, Lack of Career Development. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/workers-are-quitting-because-work-life-balance-career-development
Nawawi, N., Wahyudi, W., & Abdurrohman, A. (2025). Analysis of Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction in Improving Employee Performance Mediated by Work Motivation. Almana : Jurnal Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 9(1), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.36555/almana.v9i1.2798
Ning, L., Jia, H., Gao, S., Liu, M., Xu, J., Ge, S., Li, M., & Yu, X. (2023). The mediating role of job satisfaction and presenteeism on the relationship between job stress and turnover intention among primary health care workers. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), 155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-01971-x
Nurhidayati, M., & Dini, Y. I. F. (2023). Pengaruh Work-life Balance dan Work Stress terhadap Turnover Intention dengan Job Satisfaction sebagai Variabel Mediasi pada Karyawan Kontrak BP Batam. Jurnal Madani: Ilmu Pengetahuan, Teknologi, Dan Humaniora, 6(2), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.33753/madani.v6i2.272
O’Callaghan, C., & Sadath, A. (2025). Exploring job satisfaction and turnover intentions among nurses: insights from a cross-sectional study. Cogent Psychology, 12(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2025.2481733
Prasad C V, & Pasupathi, G. (2025). Exploring the Influence of Work-Life Balance and Work Environment on Job Satisfaction among College Teachers. Public Organization Review, 25(2), 419–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-024-00807-8
Robinson, J. (2023). Likert Scale. In F. Maggino (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (2nd ed., pp. 3917–3918). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_1654
Salsabila, R. (2023). Survei: 75% Orang Indonesia Puas dengan Pekerjaannya, Anda? PwC. https://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/pwc-in-news/2023/indonesian/survei-75-persen-orang-indonesia-puas-dengan-pekerjaannya-anda.html
Soleha, N., & Wulandaru, D. R. (2025). Pengaruh Work-Life Balance Terhadap Turnover Intention Dengan Mediasi Kepuasan Kerja Pada Generasi Z. Journal Financial, Business and Economics, 3(1), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.57176/jfine.v3i1.34
Sumarjo, W., Haerofiatna, H., & Wahyudi, W. (2025). The role of organizational culture in improving employee performance through organizational commitment. Journal of Management Science (JMAS), 8(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.35335/jmas.v8i1.610
Susanto, P., Hoque, M. E., Jannat, T., Emely, B., Zona, M. A., & Islam, M. A. (2022). Work-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance of SMEs Employees: The Moderating Role of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906876
Tatel, C., & Wigert, B. (2024). 42% of Employee Turnover Is Preventable but Often Ignored. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404978/engaging-site-workers-keys-promoting-retention.aspx
Töller, A. E. (2012). Causality in Quantitative Approaches. In Research Design in European Studies (pp. 44–63). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137005090_3
Waworuntu, E. C., Kainde, S. J. R., & Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction and Performance Among Millennial and Gen Z Employees: A Systematic Review. Society, 10(2), 384–398. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v10i2.464
Wirtadipura, D., & Wahyudi. (2025). Transformational Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Moderating the Organizational Climate. Jurnal Teknologi Dan Manajemen Industri Terapan, 4(2), 420–428. https://doi.org/10.55826/jtmit.v4i2.689
Zhang, S., Wang, J., Ke, Y., Li, N., & Su, Z. (2025). Exploring the impact of job satisfaction on turnover intention among professionals in the construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(11), 7426–7448. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-11-2023-1179
Alves, I., Limão, M., & Lourenço, S. M. (2024). Work Overload, Work–Life Balance and Auditors’ Turnover Intention: The Moderating Role of Motivation. Australian Accounting Review, 34(1), 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12417
Anwar, Y., Suwarno, B., & Harianti, S. (2023). The effect of teacher motivation, compensation, and workload on turnover intention through job satisfaction as a mediating variable. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 21(4), 1109–1122. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2023.021.04.18
Bai, Y., & Zhou, J. (2025). Coworker support, work–family conflict, job satisfaction, and turnover intention: female employees in post-organizational socialization. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1472977
Bocean, C. G., Popescu, L., Varzaru, A. A., Avram, C. D., & Iancu, A. (2023). Work-Life Balance and Employee Satisfaction during COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability, 15(15), 11631. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511631
Dorta-Afonso, D., Cuéllar-Molina, D., Rodríguez-Robaina, C., & De Saá-Pérez, P. (2025). Servant leadership and HPWS for work-life balance and job satisfaction in the hotel industry: perspectives from conservation of resources theory. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(5), 2011–2030. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-06-2024-0631
Gaur, J., & Tarkar, P. (2025). Relationship Between Work life Balance with Job Satisfaction in Organization: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Research. Management, 1, 826–855. https://doi.org/10.58691/man/207992
Gautam, P. K., Gautam, D. K., & Bhetuwal, R. (2025). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and turnover intentions among nurses. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 33(3), 538–557. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-09-2023-4002
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
IBM. (2023). As transformation accelerates—and the demand for digital skills skyrockets—leaders need to adapt to a changing workforce. IBM. https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/seven-bets/work-life
Irawanto, D., Novianti, K., & Roz, K. (2021). Work from Home: Measuring Satisfaction between Work–Life Balance and Work Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. Economies, 9(3), 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030096
Jackson, L. T. B., & Fransman, E. I. (2018). Flexi work, financial well-being, work–life balance and their effects on subjective experiences of productivity and job satisfaction of females in an institution of higher learning. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v21i1.1487
Jeong, K.-Y., Yun, M., & Choi, E.-H. (2025). The effects of communication competence, meaning of work, and work-life balance on turnover intention in Generation Z nurses in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. Applied Nursing Research, 83, 151952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151952
Kalev, A., & Dobbin, F. (2022). The surprising benefits of work/life support. Harvard Business Review Magazine, 1. https://www.ichpnet.org/diversity/Work-Life_Support_HBR.pdf
Karolina, N., & Saryatmo, M. A. (2024). Employee engagement, work life balance, dan turnover intention pada karyawan Generasi Z di Jabodetabek: Peran mediasi job satisfaction. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Dan Kewirausahaan, 8(2), 306–320. https://doi.org/10.24912/jmbk.v8i2.29657
Kotini-Shah, P., Man, B., Pobee, R., Hirshfield, L. E., Risman, B. J., Buhimschi, I. A., & Weinreich, H. M. (2022). Work–Life Balance and Productivity Among Academic Faculty During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Class Analysis. Journal of Women’s Health, 31(3), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2021.0277
Legate, A. E., Hair, J. F., Chretien, J. L., & Risher, J. J. (2023). PLS-SEM: Prediction-oriented solutions for HRD researchers. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 34(1), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21466
Maharani, A., & Tamara, D. (2024). The occupational stress and work-life balance on turnover intentions with job satisfaction as mediating. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 22, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v22i0.2369
Maurer, R. (2024). Workers Are Quitting Because of Work/Life Imbalance, Lack of Career Development. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/workers-are-quitting-because-work-life-balance-career-development
Nawawi, N., Wahyudi, W., & Abdurrohman, A. (2025). Analysis of Work-Life Balance and Job Satisfaction in Improving Employee Performance Mediated by Work Motivation. Almana : Jurnal Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 9(1), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.36555/almana.v9i1.2798
Ning, L., Jia, H., Gao, S., Liu, M., Xu, J., Ge, S., Li, M., & Yu, X. (2023). The mediating role of job satisfaction and presenteeism on the relationship between job stress and turnover intention among primary health care workers. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), 155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-01971-x
Nurhidayati, M., & Dini, Y. I. F. (2023). Pengaruh Work-life Balance dan Work Stress terhadap Turnover Intention dengan Job Satisfaction sebagai Variabel Mediasi pada Karyawan Kontrak BP Batam. Jurnal Madani: Ilmu Pengetahuan, Teknologi, Dan Humaniora, 6(2), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.33753/madani.v6i2.272
O’Callaghan, C., & Sadath, A. (2025). Exploring job satisfaction and turnover intentions among nurses: insights from a cross-sectional study. Cogent Psychology, 12(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2025.2481733
Prasad C V, & Pasupathi, G. (2025). Exploring the Influence of Work-Life Balance and Work Environment on Job Satisfaction among College Teachers. Public Organization Review, 25(2), 419–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-024-00807-8
Robinson, J. (2023). Likert Scale. In F. Maggino (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (2nd ed., pp. 3917–3918). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_1654
Salsabila, R. (2023). Survei: 75% Orang Indonesia Puas dengan Pekerjaannya, Anda? PwC. https://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/pwc-in-news/2023/indonesian/survei-75-persen-orang-indonesia-puas-dengan-pekerjaannya-anda.html
Soleha, N., & Wulandaru, D. R. (2025). Pengaruh Work-Life Balance Terhadap Turnover Intention Dengan Mediasi Kepuasan Kerja Pada Generasi Z. Journal Financial, Business and Economics, 3(1), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.57176/jfine.v3i1.34
Sumarjo, W., Haerofiatna, H., & Wahyudi, W. (2025). The role of organizational culture in improving employee performance through organizational commitment. Journal of Management Science (JMAS), 8(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.35335/jmas.v8i1.610
Susanto, P., Hoque, M. E., Jannat, T., Emely, B., Zona, M. A., & Islam, M. A. (2022). Work-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction, and Job Performance of SMEs Employees: The Moderating Role of Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906876
Tatel, C., & Wigert, B. (2024). 42% of Employee Turnover Is Preventable but Often Ignored. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404978/engaging-site-workers-keys-promoting-retention.aspx
Töller, A. E. (2012). Causality in Quantitative Approaches. In Research Design in European Studies (pp. 44–63). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137005090_3
Waworuntu, E. C., Kainde, S. J. R., & Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-Life Balance, Job Satisfaction and Performance Among Millennial and Gen Z Employees: A Systematic Review. Society, 10(2), 384–398. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v10i2.464
Wirtadipura, D., & Wahyudi. (2025). Transformational Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Moderating the Organizational Climate. Jurnal Teknologi Dan Manajemen Industri Terapan, 4(2), 420–428. https://doi.org/10.55826/jtmit.v4i2.689
Zhang, S., Wang, J., Ke, Y., Li, N., & Su, Z. (2025). Exploring the impact of job satisfaction on turnover intention among professionals in the construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(11), 7426–7448. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-11-2023-1179
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