Social Exchange, Organizational Justice, And Work–Life Dynamics: An Integrative Analysis Of Job Satisfaction, Wellbeing, And Employee Performance In Contemporary Organizations

Abstract

Organizational environments across the globe are undergoing profound transformations driven by globalization, technological change, demographic shifts, and evolving employee expectations regarding fairness, wellbeing, and work–life balance. Within this context, understanding the mechanisms through which organizational justice, social exchange relationships, and work–life dynamics shape job satisfaction, wellbeing, and employee performance has become an urgent scholarly and practical concern. Drawing exclusively on established theoretical and empirical literature, this study develops an integrative research framework that connects social exchange theory, organizational justice, work–family conflict, work–life balance, emotional intelligence, and employee wellbeing to key organizational outcomes, including job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, commitment, and performance. The article adopts a comprehensive qualitative and conceptual methodology grounded in systematic theoretical synthesis, enabling a deep exploration of causal pathways, mediating mechanisms, and contextual contingencies. The findings suggest that perceptions of fairness and reciprocity embedded in social exchange relationships constitute a foundational mechanism through which organizations influence employee attitudes and behaviors. Job satisfaction and wellbeing consistently emerge as central mediators linking work–life experiences and organizational practices to individual and collective performance outcomes. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the differentiated effects of work–family conflict across occupational groups, genders, and generational cohorts, emphasizing the growing importance of flexible and family-supportive organizational policies. By integrating diverse streams of literature into a unified explanatory model, this article contributes to organizational behavior theory by clarifying how justice-based exchanges and work–life balance jointly shape sustainable performance. The study also offers important implications for managers and policymakers seeking to design humane, equitable, and high-performing workplaces in post-pandemic and future-oriented organizational contexts.