The self as a stress-regulating factor: Core self-evaluations moderate the job demands-emotional exhaustion relationship

Abstract

We examined whether core self-evaluations (CSE) are negatively associated with perceived job demands and emotional exhaustion (EE) (differential exposure hypothesis), as well as decrease the relationship between job demands and EE (differential reactivity hypothesis, DRH). This study is the first to examine the DRH with EE as strain outcome. Employees of diverse backgrounds (N = 296) completed a survey measuring each variable. Results from conditional process analyses corroborate both hypotheses. The more employees had high CSE (1) the less they perceived high job demands, (2) the less they had exhaustion symptoms, and (3) the less job demands were associated with exhaustion. Accordingly, CSE is a personal protective resource that must be taken into account in burnout-related interventions (e.g., using coaching practices tailored to favor high CSE).