Workplace Conflict Escalates Stress into Emotional Exhaustion in Teachers: The Significance of Functional Coping Strategies

Evidence has documented several affective consequences of stress (e.g., burnout) in the workplace, particularly for teachers in the public sector, due to inadequacies within their work environments. However, limited research has examined the association between occupational stress and emotional exhaustion (EE) and the underlying mechanisms of this association in teachers. This study is an attempt to investigate whether workplace conflict mediates the well-established association between occupational stress and EE and if the mediating effect is moderated by teachers' coping skills. A cross-sectional survey using a validated battery of measurement tools was conducted with public school teachers (N = 364) to examine the theoretical model of the study. Participant teachers were recruited through snowball sampling, and the data were collected at a single point in time. The results revealed a positive association between occupational stress and EE, which was mediated by workplace conflict. Additionally, moderated mediation analysis indicated a stronger association between workplace conflict and EE for teachers with poor coping than for teachers with strong coping skills. Contrary to our expectations, functional coping strategies did not moderate the relationship between occupational stress and EE, implying the probability of prolonged and chronic stress in these teachers. These results hold significance for improving our understanding of the EE model, as well as for developing educational settings that enhance teachers' retention, mental health, and coping skills.