How does role overload effect burnout: The mediating role of job stress?
Keywords:
Role Overload, Job Stress, Burnout, JD-R Theory, LecturersAbstract
This study aims to analyze and explain the effect of role overload on burnout, with job stress as a mediating variable among lecturers at Primakara University. The conceptual framework of this study is grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Theory, which assumes that job demands exceeding an individual’s capacity can trigger work-related exhaustion. This research employs a quantitative explanatory design and uses a census method involving all active lecturers at Primakara University, totaling 100 respondents. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results indicate that role overload has a positive and significant effect on job stress and also exerts a significant direct effect on burnout. Furthermore, job stress is proven to act as a partial mediator (complementary partial mediation) that strengthens the effect of role overload on burnout. These findings suggest that the higher the role overload experienced by lecturers, the higher the level of job stress, which ultimately leads to more severe burnout. The conclusion of this study emphasizes that efforts to address burnout among lecturers should begin with the rational management of role demands. Based on these findings, the management of Primakara University is advised to conduct periodic evaluations of workload distribution, clarify job descriptions to minimize role ambiguity, and provide psychological support programs to mitigate job stress in order to maintain lecturers’ productivity and well-being within the institution.
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