IMPACT OF WORK OVERLOAD AS A JOB STRESSOR ON EMPLOYEES' INTENTION TO LEAVE: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT IN A SRI LANKAN APPAREL SECTOR ORGANISATION

Year 2023, , 110 - 117, 30.09.2023

Hemamali Ganewatta , N.l.d.h Hıroshıma

https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2023.1822

Abstract

Purpose- This article investigates the impact of work overload and work-family conflict as job stressors on employees' intention to leave in the Sri Lankan apparel sector, focusing on the mediating effect of work-family conflict. The study addresses concerns over high employee turnover rates among machine operators in the sector.
Methodology- The study collected primary data through a self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 106 machine operators working in a selected factory in the western province of Sri Lanka. The research adopted a cross-sectional quantitative survey design, and data analysis was performed using the SPSS PROCESS macro.
Findings- The study revealed that work overload positively influenced work-family conflict, indicating challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities. Further, work overload increased employees' intention to leave, suggesting its detrimental effects on employee motivation and job satisfaction. Work-family conflict serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between work overload and turnover intentions, playing a crucial role in transmitting adverse effects, leading to increased turnover intentions.
Conclusion- This research demonstrates the combined effects of work overload and work-family conflict on employee turnover intentions within the Sri Lankan apparel sector context. The findings highlight the importance of addressing work-related demands and resources to enhance job outcomes, such as employee turnover, in compliance with the Job Demands-Resources model. These insights provide practical implications for implementing strategies that promote work-life balance, reduce turnover intentions and enhance both employee and organisational performance.

Keywords

Work overload, work-family conflict, employee turnover intentions, job stressor, Sri Lankan apparel sector

References

• Adil, M. S., & Baig, M. (2018). Impact of job demands-resources model on burnout and employee's well-being: Evidence from the pharmaceutical organisations of Karachi. IIMB Management Review, 30(2), 119-133.
• Baker, A. B., Hakanen, J. J., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2007). Job resources boost work engagement, particularly when job demands are high. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 274.
• Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309-328.
• Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Verbeke, W. (2004). Using the job demands‐resources model to predict burnout and performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), 83-104.
• Baqutayan, S. M. S. (2015). Stress and coping mechanisms: A historical overview. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2 S1), 479-479.
• Barriga Medina, H. R., Campoverde Aguirre, R., Coello-Montecel, D., Ochoa Pacheco, P., & Paredes-Aguirre, M. I. (2021). The influence of work–family conflict on burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: The effect of teleworking overload. International Journal of Environmental Research And Public Health, 18(19), 10302.
• Baş, M., & Güney, S. (2022). The mediating role of work-family conflict in the relationship between work overload perception and job satisfaction. Journal of Information and Organisational Sciences, 46(2), 345-360.
• Basit, A., & Hassan, Z. (2017). Impact of job stress on employee performance. International Journal of Accounting and Business Management, 5(2), 13-33.
• Chrisangika Perera, J., & Kailasapathy, P. (2020). Individual, spousal factors and work–family conflict: A study from Sri Lanka. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 7(1), 91-120.
• Dodanwala, T. C., Santoso, D. S., & Yukongdi, V. (2022). Examining work role stressors, job satisfaction, job stress, and turnover intention of Sri Lanka’s construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management, 8, 1-10.
• Glaser, D. N., Tatum, B. C., Nebeker, D. M., Sorenson, R. C., & Aiello, J. R. (1999). Workload and social support: Effects on performance and stress. Human Performance, 12(2), 155-176.
• Gould‐Williams, J. S., Bottomley, P., Redman, T., Snape, E., Bishop, D. J., Limpanitgul, T., & Mostafa, A. M. S. (2014). Civic duty and employee outcomes: Do high commitment human resource practices and work overload matter? Public Administration, 92(4), 937-953.
• Hong, X., Liu, Q., & Zhang, M. (2021). Dual stressors and female pre-school teachers' job satisfaction during the COVID-19: the mediation of work-family conflict. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 691498.
• Jamal, M. (2007). Job stress and job performance controversy revisited: An empirical examination in two countries. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 175-186.
• Jensen, J. M., Patel, P. C., & Messersmith, J. G. (2013). High-performance work systems and job control: Consequences for anxiety, role overload, and turnover intentions. Journal of Management, 39(6), 1699-1724.
• Lakshani, K., & Weerasinghe, T. (2020). Nexus between work stress and employee turnover intention: Study of non-managerial female employees in apparel industry of Sri Lanka. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Business & Information (ICBI).
• Malik, N. (2011). A study on occupational stress experienced by private and public banks employees in Quetta City. African Journal of Business Management, 5(8), 3063-3081.
• Nanayakkara, A., & Chandrika, K. (2018). Impact of occupational stress on turnover intention of machine operators in selected apparel manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. Human Resource Management Journal, 6(1), 12-21.
• Nasurdin, A. M., & O'Driscoll, M. P. (2012). Work overload, parental demand, perceived organisational support, family support, and work-family conflict among New Zealand and Malaysian academics. New Zealand Journal of Psychology (Online), 41(1), 38-49.
• Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & McMurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work–family conflict and family–work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(4), 400-412.
• Nishanthi, H., & Thalgaspitiya, U. (2015). Impact of work and family life balance on job engagement of machine operators of the apparel sector in Dehiowita Divisional Sector, Kegalle District in Sri Lanka. In Proceedings of International HR Conference.
• Radzali, F. M., Ahmad, A., & Omar, Z. (2013). Workload, job stress, family-to-work conflict and deviant workplace behavior. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(12), 109-123.
• Rajapakshe, W. (2018). An analysis of major factors affecting labor turnover in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka: Policy alternations for solving the problem. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 7(3), 214-231.
• Rasheed, M. I., Okumus, F., Weng, Q., Hameed, Z., & Nawaz, M. S. (2020). Career adaptability and employee turnover intentions: The role of perceived career opportunities and orientation to happiness in the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 44, 98-107.
• Sewwandi, D.V.S., & Perera, G. D.N.(2016). The impact of job stress on turnover intention: A study of reputed apparel firm in Sri Lanka. 3rd International HRM Conference.
• Tabachnick, B. G., Fidell, L. S., & Osterlind, S. J. (2001). Using multivariate statistics. Allyn and Bacon, Boston.
• Vickovic, S. G., & Morrow, W. J. (2020). Examining the influence of work–family conflict on job stress, job satisfaction, and organisational commitment among correctional officers. Criminal Justice Review, 45(1), 5-25.
• Welmilla, I. (2020). Human Resources challenges in apparel industry in Sri Lanka. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 20(2), 45-55.