Open Access

ARTICLE

Leader workaholism and employee work fatigue: The role of emotional exhaustion and family support

Wenjie Qiu¹, Jiyuan Wang², Zheng Zhang^3,*

1 School of Entrepreneurship, Yiwu Industrial and Commercial College, Jinhua, 321000, China
2 School of Business Administration, Keimyung University, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea
3 Business School, Xianda College of Economics and Humanities, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, 200089, China

* Corresponding Author: Zheng Zhang. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2025, 35(6), 815-823. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.070151

Received 09 July 2025; Accepted 03 November 2025; Issue published 30 December 2025

Abstract

This study examined emotional exhaustion and family support in the relationship between leader workaholism and employee work fatigue. The participants were 408 employed adults (74% female, age range 25 to 27 years) across five industries: sales (31.65%), finance (25.32%), education (20.25%), public administration (12.66%), and technology (10.13%), from 79 work teams in China. Survey data were collected at three time points over a three-month period. The results from structural equation modeling indicated that leader workaholism was associated with higher employee work fatigue. Emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship, contributing to higher levels of employee fatigue. Furthermore, family support moderated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work fatigue. These findings align with the conservation of resources theory and the social support buffering model, both of which propose that resources, such as family support, can help buffer the negative effects of stressors like workaholism. The implications of these findings highlight the significance of family support as a valuable resource in reducing work fatigue and emotional exhaustion among employees, particularly in environments where leader workaholism is prevalent.

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Keywords

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