Not All Demands Are Exhausted for Healthcare Workers. A Cross-Lagged Study on the Buffering Effect of Leadership Resources

This study investigated the cross-lagged effects of a three job demands on exhaustion and buffering function of leadership resources among Polish healthcare workers. Job demands include quantitative and two emotional (related to engaging in the patient's personal problems and related to hiding emotions) demands, while leadership resources include quality of leadership and trust in management. The study was conducted in two waves (both of them in COVID-19 pandemic), with a one-year interval between the measurements. Data were collected among 1251 healthcare workers. A moderated regression analysis showed that quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions (T1 but not emotionally engagement in the patient's personal problems) were related to high exhaustion (T2). Both leadership resources (T1) diminished the negative impact of quantitative (not emotional) demands on exhaustion, but the buffering effect of trust was stronger. Furthermore, the two leadership resources interact with each other and together neutralize the effects of quantitative demands. Specifically, the lowest level of exhaustion was observed in those healthcare workers who had high levels of both resources, measured one year before. The implications for theory and research on the effects of different job demands on exhaustion in pandemic are discussed.

Automated summary

This study examined the relationship between job demands and exhaustion among Polish healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and found that quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions were associated with high exhaustion. Leadership resources, particularly trust in management, were found to buffer the negative impact of job demands on exhaustion. Additionally, the interaction between leadership resources neutralized the effects of quantitative demands, resulting in lower levels of exhaustion in healthcare workers who had high levels of both resources measured one year earlier.