Unpacking the Pressure: The Mediating Role of Work Stress and Emotional Exhaustion in the Workload–Performance Link

This study aims to analyze the effect of workload and job demands on employee performance, with job stress and emotional exhaustion as intervening variables among the Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (APIP) in the Regional Inspectorates throughout the Riau Islands Province. Internal government supervision is a crucial element in realizing transparent, accountable, and efficient governance. However, high job demands and heavy workloads can increase job stress and emotional exhaustion, ultimately contributing to reduced employee performance. This research uses a quantitative approach with the Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 180 respondents, consisting of APIP personnel from various Regional Inspectorates in the Riau Islands Province. The variables in this study include workload and job demands as independent variables, job stress and emotional exhaustion as mediating variables, and employee performance as the dependent variable. The results show that workload and job demands have a significant effect on employee performance. Furthermore, this study analyzes the effects of workload and job demands on employee performance, with work stress and emotional exhaustion as mediators. The results show that workload and job demands negatively affect employee performance through increased work stress. However, emotional exhaustion does not mediate the relationship between workload or job demands and employee performance. These findings indicate that work stress plays a more important role than emotional exhaustion in explaining how workload and job demands influence employee performance. The study emphasizes the need for effective stress management to maintain employee performance. The insignificant result between emotional exhaustion and employee performance may be attributed to employee performance often being influenced by other factors, such as competence, motivation, and the work environment. When employees receive social support, this can mitigate the impact of emotional exhaustion.

Workload, Job Demands, Job Stress, Emotional Exhaustion

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