THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL DETACHMENT, WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES OF THE BANKING SECTOR

Abstract

The mental health of employees has been given crucial priority on the UN agenda to ensure standardized mental and psychological health of employees. The Pakistani banking industry has been reported as one of the most stressful working environments due to its complex, dynamic, and tough routine. The employees face higher stress levels during working hours, and a demanding working environment requires endless efforts of front-line employees. This research effort incorporates psychological detachment, work-life balance, and emotional exhaustion to predict the psychological well-being of employees in the banking sector of Pakistan. The study extended the boundary of research through a novel description of crucial factors of psychological detachment and work-life balance to assess psychological well-being through the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion. The simple random sample technique was applied for the data collection, and Smart PLS was utilized for data analysis. The study reported that psychological detachment influences emotional exhaustion by reducing stress levels, which increases psychological well-being. The findings of the present research also depicted that work-life balance is an essential element at the workplace to harvest optimal output, while reducing work stress by ensuring effective work-life balance strategies. Due to higher stress, employees indulge in negative emotions that lead to hinder performance and negatively impact the working environment. Therefore, the banking sector must incorporate such strategies that are responsive to employees’ mental health, stress, and psychological behavior.