Job Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, and Job Involvement among Food and Beverage Employees in Taiwan

Food and beverage employees work under time pressure, variable schedules, intensive customer contact, and interdependent service routines. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources model and conservation of resources theory, this study examined the relationships among job stress, emotional exhaustion, and job involvement. A cross-sectional electronic survey yielded 106 valid responses from currently employed food and beverage workers in Taiwan. Job stress, emotional exhaustion, and job involvement were measured with multi-item five-point Likert scales. All three scales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .842-.881). Job stress was strongly and positively associated with emotional exhaustion (r = .836, p < .001). Job stress was negatively associated with job involvement (r = -.201, p = .039), while emotional exhaustion showed a substantially stronger negative association with job involvement (r = -.674, p < .001). Hierarchical regression showed that the absolute coefficient for job stress declined after emotional exhaustion entered the model. Because coefficient attenuation is not a direct test of an indirect effect, the findings support the three bivariate hypotheses but do not establish statistical mediation. Emotional exhaustion nevertheless emerged as the correlate most strongly associated with diminished job involvement. The results support demand-sensitive staffing, predictable scheduling, recovery opportunities, supervisor support, and early assistance for newly hired employees.

job stress; emotional exhaustion; job involvement; food and beverage employees; Taiwan; mediation

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