Cultivation Or Exploitation? The Double-Edged Sword Effect Of Subordinates’ Work Overload On Their Work Effort And Turnover Intention

Work overload is one of the major stressors in the workplace,but existing research has contradictory findings in explaining the mechanisms by which employees respond to work overload.Based on the exchange perspective,this study integrates the existing contradictory research conclusions,and further explores the double-edged sword effect of work overload on employees’ work effort and turnover intention,as well as the moderating effect of the leader member exchange.In this study,the hypothesis was tested by an experiment and a survey.Based on a situational experiment with 220 current employees,study 1 verifies the double-edged sword effect of work overload.On the one hand,work overload will increase employees’ perceived exploitation and further increase their turnover intention;on the other hand,work overload will increase employees’ perception of development practices.In turn,it reduces its turnover intention and increases its work effort.In addition,study 1 not only verified the moderate effect of leadership member exchange(LMX)on the indirect effects of work overload that affect turnover intention and work effort through perceived exploitation.Study 1 also verified the moderate effect of LMX on the indirect effects of work overload that affect turnover intention and work effort through perception of employee development practices.Based on the three-phase survey of 400 current employees(Completed 293),the second study repeatedly verified the doubleedged sword effect of work overload.In addition,Study 2 only verified the moderate effect of LMX on the indirect effects of work overload that affect turnover intention and work effort through perceived exploitation.This study explains the psychological mechanism and boundary conditions of the dual effects of employee’s work overload on work effort and turnover intention from the leader member exchange perspective,which is a good viewpoint to integrate the contradictory research conclusions of occupational health and stress assessment.In addition,this research discovers the negative exchange mechanism between leaders and members which is an extension of the leader-member exchange literature.In terms of management practice,the findings of this study have strong managerial implications for stress management and leader member exchange practices.