21. The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion on the Relationship Between Job Factors and Turnover Intention Among Service Employees

Service employees are expected to portray a positive image in dealing with their day-to-day job. This image will be the first impression of customers or clients towards the services offered. A positive image can only be shown if the employees are happy with their job. In delivering services required by the customers, emotional exhaustion experienced by service employees is not inevitable and if it is not properly managed, it will lead to turnover intention. The objective of the study is to investigate the mediating role of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between job factors and turnover intention among service employees. Analysing 108 data collected from employees using a mediated regression analysis reveals that the emotional exhaustion did not have any mediation effect on the relationship between job factors (work balance, role conflict, role clarity and emotional labour) and turnover intention. The results indicate that employees will leave the organisation if there is low work life balance, high role conflict, low role clarity and low emotional labour. The implications of the study are further discussed in the paper.