Too much work frustrates me! A mediation model of career-related outcomes of work overload

Purpose Work overload implies that there are excessive work demands that cannot be adequately fulfilled within the given deadlines. This research examines the effect of work overload on career outcomes, i.e. career satisfaction and occupational commitment through the mediating role of work frustration. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from employees working in the schools of Punjab, Pakistan in three waves. Out of the total, 248 valid responses were analyzed by PROCESS model 4 using SPSS 24. Findings Based on affective event theory (AET) the results demonstrated that negative workplace events such as work overload create negative emotions like frustration at work and cause poor job outcomes (i.e. low satisfaction and commitment). Research limitations/implications However, the outcomes should be interpreted in the light of single sector and time-lagged data tested on the mediation-only model. Practical implications The current study has implications for workload management in school staff to retain their career satisfaction and commitment. Social implications This study has implications for society by offering to enhance the career outcomes of school staff that are prime institutions for socio-economic development. Originality/value This is one of the initial research studies that have examined the career-related outcomes of work overload based on AET via the mediating role of work frustration.