Workload and Job Stress as Antecedents of Burnout: The Mediating Role of Work-family conflict among Human Development Cadres

Abstract

This study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of workload and job stress on burnout through work-family conflict among Human Development Cadres, while modeling burnout and job stress as second-order constructs to assess the contribution of their respective dimensions. A quantitative approach was employed by collecting data from 110 Human Development Cadres in Padang Pariaman Regency using a census technique. Data were gathered through a five-point Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with the Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) approach. The findings reveal that workload and job stress exert positive and significant direct effects on burnout. Work-family conflict also significantly predicts burnout. Workload significantly increases work-family conflict, whereas job stress does not demonstrate a significant influence on work-family conflict. Furthermore, work-family conflict mediates the relationship between workload and burnout but does not mediate the relationship between job stress and burnout. The higher-order construct analysis confirms that all first-order dimensions significantly form their respective constructs. Emotional exhaustion shows the strongest contribution to burnout, followed by reduced personal accomplishment and depersonalization, while anxiety contributes more strongly to job stress than time stress. This study contributes to the burnout literature by emphasizing the multidimensional nature of burnout and job stress in community-based development roles and by demonstrating the selective mediating role of work-family conflict. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of balanced workload allocation and emotional support mechanisms to mitigate burnout among Human Development Cadres.