Linking HR to Work Intensification and Exhaustion in the Public Sector: A Moderated-Mediation Model

This paper reports on findings of a study that explores the relationship between perceptions of human resource (HR) practices and employees’ ill-health among public sector employees in Ireland. It investigates how five HR system components, i.e. training, fairness of rewards, performance management, promotion opportunities and involvement, influence public sector workers’ emotional exhaustion. We propose this link occurs through the mediator of work intensification. In addition, we propose that perceived organizational support moderates this mediational model. Using data collected from 2273 participants in a large public sector organization, we find general support for the integrated moderated mediation model. The findings suggest that employee experiences relating to training, fairness of rewards and involvement negatively influence emotional exhaustion through their negative effects on work intensification. The indirect effects are weaker when perceived organizational support is high. Interestingly, we find the opposite conditional effects for performance management and promotional opportunities. This indicates that employees’ experiences related to performance management and promotion opportunities positively influence emotional exhaustion through their positive effect on work intensification. The indirect effects are stronger when perceived organizational support is low for performance management and high for involvement. The implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.