Balancing Acts: The Impact of Workload, Supervisory Support, and Emotional Exhaustion on Job Embeddedness among Hospitality Employees

Although prior research has explored the impact of job demands and resources on employee outcomes, limited attention has been paid to the psychological mechanisms linking these factors to job embeddedness, particularly in frontline hospitality roles in emerging economies. Data were collected from 280 frontline hotel employees in India and analysed using PLS modelling. The results reveal that workload increases emotional exhaustion, while supervisory support reduces it. Emotional exhaustion partially mediates the relationship between workload and supervisory support, and job embeddedness. These findings underscore the critical role of emotional exhaustion in shaping employees’ intentions to remain within their organisations. This study offers practical recommendations for managers, including implementing strategies that mitigate emotional exhaustion, such as fostering supportive supervision, offering employee assistance programs, and addressing workload-related challenges. This study contributes to the literature on job embeddedness by providing insights into the interplay between job demands, resources, and employee retention.