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The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Vietnamese Employees: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance

Received: 17 July 2026     Accepted: 28 July 2026     Published: 18 August 2026
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Abstract

This study examined how personality traits relate to work-life balance and psychological well-being among 733 young Vietnamese employees, and tested work-life balance as a mediating mechanism in these associations. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from young employees in urban workplaces who completed measures of personality traits, work-life balance, and psychological well-being. Descriptively, participants reported high conscientiousness and relatively elevated psychological well-being, particularly in positive relations and personal growth, alongside moderately high work-life balance but notable role interference between work and personal domains. Mediation analyses indicated that neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were significantly associated with both work-life balance and psychological well-being, and that work-life balance partially mediated these relationships, whereas extraversion did not show unique effects once other traits were controlled. These findings suggest that, in the context of rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam, personality-based resources (e.g., conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness) and vulnerabilities (neuroticism) play a central role in shaping young employees’ ability to manage work-life demands and maintain psychological functioning. The study contributes to the literature by integrating personality and work-life perspectives in an emerging-economy context and highlights the need for organizational interventions that both enhance work-life balance and account for individual differences in personality when promoting employee well-being.

Published in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (Volume 15, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13
Page(s) 76-86
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Personality Traits, Psychological Well-being, Work-life Balance, Vietnamese Employee

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Phan, K. L. M., Kieu, T. T. T. (2026). The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Vietnamese Employees: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 15(4), 76-86. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13

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    ACS Style

    Phan, K. L. M.; Kieu, T. T. T. The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Vietnamese Employees: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance. Psychol. Behav. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 76-86. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13

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    AMA Style

    Phan KLM, Kieu TTT. The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Vietnamese Employees: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance. Psychol Behav Sci. 2026;15(4):76-86. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13,
      author = {Khue Le Minh Phan and Tra Thi Thanh Kieu},
      title = {The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Young Vietnamese Employees: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance},
      journal = {Psychology and Behavioral Sciences},
      volume = {15},
      number = {4},
      pages = {76-86},
      doi = {10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20261504.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pbs.20261504.13},
      abstract = {This study examined how personality traits relate to work-life balance and psychological well-being among 733 young Vietnamese employees, and tested work-life balance as a mediating mechanism in these associations. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from young employees in urban workplaces who completed measures of personality traits, work-life balance, and psychological well-being. Descriptively, participants reported high conscientiousness and relatively elevated psychological well-being, particularly in positive relations and personal growth, alongside moderately high work-life balance but notable role interference between work and personal domains. Mediation analyses indicated that neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were significantly associated with both work-life balance and psychological well-being, and that work-life balance partially mediated these relationships, whereas extraversion did not show unique effects once other traits were controlled. These findings suggest that, in the context of rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam, personality-based resources (e.g., conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness) and vulnerabilities (neuroticism) play a central role in shaping young employees’ ability to manage work-life demands and maintain psychological functioning. The study contributes to the literature by integrating personality and work-life perspectives in an emerging-economy context and highlights the need for organizational interventions that both enhance work-life balance and account for individual differences in personality when promoting employee well-being.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

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    AU  - Khue Le Minh Phan
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    AB  - This study examined how personality traits relate to work-life balance and psychological well-being among 733 young Vietnamese employees, and tested work-life balance as a mediating mechanism in these associations. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from young employees in urban workplaces who completed measures of personality traits, work-life balance, and psychological well-being. Descriptively, participants reported high conscientiousness and relatively elevated psychological well-being, particularly in positive relations and personal growth, alongside moderately high work-life balance but notable role interference between work and personal domains. Mediation analyses indicated that neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were significantly associated with both work-life balance and psychological well-being, and that work-life balance partially mediated these relationships, whereas extraversion did not show unique effects once other traits were controlled. These findings suggest that, in the context of rapid socio-economic change in Vietnam, personality-based resources (e.g., conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness) and vulnerabilities (neuroticism) play a central role in shaping young employees’ ability to manage work-life demands and maintain psychological functioning. The study contributes to the literature by integrating personality and work-life perspectives in an emerging-economy context and highlights the need for organizational interventions that both enhance work-life balance and account for individual differences in personality when promoting employee well-being.
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    IS  - 4
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