Shaping work-life balance in an emerging economy: a signalling theory perspective

Managing work-life balance (WLB) is a widely debated yet persistent challenge, especially in contexts with limited policy support. Prior research, largely from Western settings, highlights the enabling role of line manager, this study shifts focus to China—a state-led economy where regulation is high but enforcement is discretionary. Drawing on signalling theory in Human Resource Management (HRM), we examine how organisational work–life culture shapes employees’ WLB. Using 312 survey responses and 23 supplementary interviews from two large Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), we confirm a positive and direct effect of work–life culture on WLB in line with existing literature. More importantly, we unpack the underlying mechanism through sequential mediation: a pathway relying solely on line manager support is insignificant, whereas organisational work-life culture improves WLB when senior leaders signal support, which enables line managers to provide meaningful support, ultimately reducing employees’ perceived workload. The study extends the understanding of cultural dimension’s impact on WLB and advances signalling theory by identifying senior leaders as upstream signal initiators and specifying a cascading mechanism through managerial support and workload management. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of aligning cultural messaging with formal authorisation, empowering managers to translate signals into concrete, workload-protective practices.