Meta-Analysis on Emotional Exhaustion

Meta-Analysis on Emotional Exhaustion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Meta-Analysis on Emotional Exhaustion Yin-Che Chen, Ya-Shan Lu, Hsueh-Ju Lo This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7668615/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Emotional exhaustion refers to the process in which an individual's emotional and psychological resources are gradually depleted due to prolonged exposure to stress or high-demand work environments. This state is characterized by extreme fatigue, often accompanied by persistent energy loss, feelings of helplessness, and psychological detachment. Emotional exhaustion significantly impacts an individual's work motivation, engagement, and organizational development. This study aims to explore the nature of emotional exhaustion and its effects by conducting a meta-analysis of empirical studies related to emotional exhaustion published in Taiwan from 2003 to 2023. Using Rosenthal’s ( 1991 ) meta-analysis technique, 26 studies that met the selection criteria were analyzed. The results indicate that emotional exhaustion is positively correlated with work stress, negatively correlated with leadership effectiveness, and negatively correlated with positive psychological traits. Practical recommendations are provided based on these findings: both employees and organizations should pay attention to emotional exhaustion caused by work stress, prioritize workplace mental health, establish effective feedback mechanisms, foster supportive cultures to reduce the impact of poor leadership, and create a positive work culture that offers growth opportunities. Health sciences/Health care Health sciences/Health occupations Biological sciences/Psychology Social science/Psychology emotional exhaustion work stress leadership effectiveness positive psychological traits Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Research Background and Motivation The "Great Resignation" has become a significant global workplace phenomenon, with an increasing number of employees choosing to resign in pursuit of better working conditions or to readjust their work-life balance. This trend is primarily driven by the drastic changes in the work environment and lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading employees to deeply reflect on the balance between work and life (Klotz, 2021). However, a deeper underlying reason may be the "Great Exhaustion." The Great Exhaustion is a short-term stress response during the pandemic transition, where many people continue to feel physically and mentally exhausted even as the pandemic subsides and the global economy recovers. This fatigue, which cannot be alleviated by rest or relaxation, has lasting effects on work attitudes and quality of life (Newport, 2023). This phenomenon highlights the imbalance between individual capacity and work demands in modern society, causing many employees to experience sustained and increasing levels of stress and emotional exhaustion (Mayer, 2021 ). As stress increases and emotional exhaustion deepens, the global workplace is entering an era of "Great Exhaustion." Newport (2023) describes this as a time when "people seek to rebuild their relationship with work to reduce the pervasive sense of fatigue," prompting us to re-examine emotional exhaustion and its underlying drivers. Emotional exhaustion typically occurs in high-stress, high-demand work environments, representing a stress response when work demands exceed an individual’s capacity, resources, or ability to cope (Abram & Jacobowitz, 2021 ). Research shows that when employees are unable to effectively manage work stress, the risk of emotional exhaustion significantly increases, especially when there is insufficient support and resources. Occupations that require a high degree of interpersonal interaction and emotional labor, such as healthcare workers, customer service representatives, and teachers, are at a higher risk of emotional exhaustion due to work stress. These professions not only demand professional skills but also require employees to display appropriate emotional responses, indirectly increasing the burden of emotional labor. If employees are continuously exposed to high-stress work environments, their psychological resources will be depleted, making them feel overwhelmed and unable to maintain effective work performance. This can lead to a loss of motivation, diminished interest in both work and life, and even result in dissatisfaction and burnout (Karasek & Theorell, 1990 ). Glazer and Liu ( 2017 ) classified work stress sources into organizational constraints, workplace mistreatment, role stress, work overload, and work-family conflict. Employees struggle to maintain a positive psychological state in high-demand work settings, ultimately leading to emotional exhaustion (Hobfoll, 1989 ). This, in turn, can lead to chronic diseases, accidents, burnout, family issues, decreased productivity, and poor mental health (Goh et al., 2015 ; Sohail & Rehman, 2015 ). As such, effectively managing work stress and creating a supportive work environment to prevent emotional exhaustion has become a crucial issue in organizational management today. With the onset of the "Great Resignation" and the "Great Exhaustion," how individuals perceive and respond to these challenges has become a key factor in determining the severity of emotional exhaustion. Personality traits are important predictors of job performance and emotional exhaustion (Salgado, 1997 ). Among the Big Five personality traits, extroversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability are associated with lower levels of work stress, which can effectively reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion. In contrast, employees with high neuroticism are more likely to experience stress, which can trigger emotional exhaustion (Huang & Wang, 2013 ; Fostervold & Watten, 2022 ; Törnroos et al., 2013 ). These findings suggest that positive psychological traits play an important role in how employees cope with work stress. For example, optimistic employees tend to maintain a positive attitude when faced with stress, viewing difficulties as growth opportunities rather than threats (Chen et al., 2015 ). Employees with high emotional intelligence are better at regulating both their own emotions and the emotions of others, enabling them to effectively handle emotional challenges in high-pressure work environments (Lin & Miao, 2020 ; Hsiao, 2013 ). Employees with high self-efficacy believe in their ability to complete tasks, allowing them to maintain high performance even when facing difficulties and stress (Ho, Tsai, & Chang, 2017 ; Weng & Chien, 2003 ). Employees with high resilience view challenges as learning and growth opportunities rather than threats, allowing them to remain calm and stable in stressful situations (Yeh, 2022 ). Psychological empowerment provides employees with intrinsic motivation, making them feel that their work is meaningful, giving them greater autonomy, and enabling them to believe they can influence their work environment and outcomes (Chen & Hsieh, 2018 ). Employees with positive psychological traits tend to cope more effectively with work stress, reducing emotional depletion, and recovering more quickly from stressful situations (Luthans et al., 2006 ). However, these traits can sometimes lead to emotional exhaustion in certain situations. Therefore, organizations must appropriately manage and guide employees based on specific circumstances to optimize the benefits of positive psychological traits and reduce emotional exhaustion. Although emotional exhaustion has become an important research area in organizational behavior and psychology, there is still a lack of meta-analyses on emotional exhaustion. Existing studies are mostly cross-sectional or case studies, lacking systematic data integration and theoretical validation, which limits the comprehensive understanding of the causes and factors influencing emotional exhaustion. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) can provide more reliable conclusions by integrating the results of multiple studies, pointing the way for future research. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting meta-analyses of emotional exhaustion to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon and to provide scientific evidence for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. Emotional Exhaustion Emotional exhaustion originates from burnout. Graham Greene used the term “burnout” to describe a state in which a character, an architect, finds no meaning in his profession and no joy in life (Edú-Valsania et al., 2022 ). Later, American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger ( 1974 ) introduced this concept into the field of psychology. He observed that helpers, particularly after one year of working under conditions of prolonged labor, work overload, continuous job pressure, and an imbalance between work and life, often feel exhausted, depressed, and demotivated. This state is characterized by physical and emotional fatigue related to work, and the level of exhaustion varies by individual. Freudenberger termed this condition "burnout." Soon after Freudenberger proposed the concept of burnout, Maslach ( 1976 ) introduced it into scientific research, defining burnout as a process where professionals in helping fields begin to reduce their emotional investment in work. They interact with people with a more deprecatory and indifferent attitude to avoid emotional overload from excessive empathy, which could otherwise lead to overwhelming emotional pressure. Consequently, these professionals respond to work demands with mechanical, bureaucratic interactions that lack flexibility. Following multiple empirical studies, Maslach and Jackson ( 1981 ) redefined burnout, moving beyond a singular definition. They conceptualized burnout as a psychological syndrome that involves a series of responses to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. This syndrome refers to a set of symptoms that occur simultaneously or sequentially. Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Work Stress Glazer and Liu ( 2017 ) classified the sources of work stress into organizational constraints, workplace mistreatment, role stress, work overload, and work-family conflict. Prolonged work stress is associated with chronic illness, accidents, burnout, family issues, decreased productivity, and poor mental health (Goh et al., 2015 ; Sohail & Rehman, 2015 ). Thus, workplace awareness of work stress is crucial. Regarding organizational constraints, companies often use training, reward systems, and internal communication to encourage frontline employees to display appropriate service attitudes that meet organizational expectations (Hsieh, Lin, & Wu, 2023 ; Frye et al., 2020 ; Yu et al., 2019 ). Employees' perception of supervisory support and incentive systems can alleviate the impact of emotional exhaustion. When internal resources are depleted, external resources can support employees' psychological resources, helping them cope with the stress of complex tasks and reducing emotional exhaustion (Hsiao, 2013 ). Additionally, fair resource allocation affects employees' attitudes and feelings toward work (Huang, 2006 ). However, employees as internal customers of an organization may not develop strong service awareness solely through training. Only when employees identify with organizational goals and values can emotional labor be reduced (Hsieh, Lin, & Wu, 2023 ; Chu, Chou, & Tseng, 2017 ). Alonso et al. ( 2020 ) pointed out that the lack of necessary resources in the workplace can lead to negative emotions like frustration. Therefore, organizations can improve physical, psychological, and social environments to reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion, creating a healthy work environment (Kao, Cheng, Wu, Chen, & Huang, 2021 ). Regarding workplace mistreatment, Ho, Tsai, and Chang ( 2017 ) noted that employees who perceive higher levels of supervisor neuroticism endure more emotional regulation pressure. Emotional labor positively affects emotional exhaustion, and different leadership styles place varying burdens on emotional labor. Research by Shu and Jhan ( 2014 ) suggested that authoritarian leadership increases surface acting, which exacerbates emotional labor. Particularly, abusive supervision depletes employees' emotional resources (Wu, 2008 ; Hung, Cho, & Hung, 2011 ; Han, Huang, & Wang, 2014 ; Hassan, 2024). Wu ( 2008 ) found that when employees perceive greater supervisor power, the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional labor becomes stronger. According to the Conservation of Resources Theory, employees expend internal resources on emotional labor, eventually leading to resource depletion and emotional exhaustion. Buruck et al. ( 2020 ) also found that participative leadership, which involves employees in decision-making and creates a supportive environment, can reduce emotional exhaustion and work-family conflict. Furthermore, workplace incivility is a source of interpersonal stress, leading to employee dissatisfaction, reduced work motivation, and impaired social adaptability, resulting in emotional exhaustion (Alola et al., 2019 ; Butt & Yazdani, 2021 ; Kyei-Poku, 2019 ). Chang, Peng, and Zhuang ( 2018 ) unexpectedly found that 73.45% of campus staff experienced workplace bullying, indicating that workplace bullying is a significant source of work stress today (Nielsen & Einarsen, 2018 ). Regarding role stress, role stress theory posits that role conflict occurs when individuals cannot meet inconsistent expectations; role ambiguity arises when individuals lack sufficient information to understand their role expectations and achieve work goals; role overload occurs when role demands exceed an individual's ability and motivation to complete tasks (Singh, 1998 ). Vandenberghe et al. ( 2011 ) considered role stress a component of work stress. Acker ( 2018 ) found that role stress predicts job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Employees providing customer service are required to exhibit emotions and behaviors aligned with organizational expectations. Such roles often involve boundary-spanning tasks, creating uncertainty and role stress. When employees face multiple, inconsistent expectations from internal and external stakeholders or lack clarity about their job duties, they experience frustration and tension (Chiu & Chiang, 2016 ). Moreover, in professions with high ethical standards, greater perceived role stress correlates with a higher likelihood of encountering ethical dilemmas. Chen and Hsiao ( 2021 ) found that financial advisors facing high role stress environments might make decisions that deviate from ethical standards, leading to unethical behavior. Regarding work overload, globalization, customer expectations, organizational streamlining, and change demand that employees possess broader skills, increasing work overload (Gryna, 2004 ). Chang, Lu, and Huang ( 2011 ) identified work overload as a source of stress, which can lead to or exacerbate emotional exhaustion (Edmondson et al., 2019 ; Mwakyusa & Mcharo, 2024 ). Employees perceiving high job demands, such as long working hours, demanding shift schedules, high time pressure, heavy workloads, and poor physical conditions, may experience emotional exhaustion (Azharudeen & Arulrajah, 2018 ; Buruck et al., 2020 ). Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) benefits both the organization and individuals; however, employees who engage in OCB might face overload, interpersonal conflicts, work stress, emotional exhaustion, and work-family conflict, potentially jeopardizing their core job performance (Chu et al., 2017 ; Lin et al., 2011 ; Hsu et al., 2015 ). While organizations appreciate employees demonstrating OCB, balancing employees' rights and development is essential to reduce the workload caused by OCB. Regarding work-family conflict, Hochschild ( 1997 ) noted that individuals have limited resources (e.g., time, energy). The more employees invest their energy in work or the organization, the less they have for personal life. When employees face excessive role demands at work and home, they experience negative physical and psychological outcomes, leading to work-family conflict and reduced satisfaction in both domains (Matthews et al., 2012 ; Mitchelson, 2009 ). Research shows that increased working hours or role overload contributes to work-family conflict (Chang & Lu, 2011 ; Michel et al., 2011 ). This conflict leads to psychological anxiety, increasing emotional exhaustion (Ribeiro et al., 2023 ; Wang et al., 2019 ). Therefore, an imbalance between work and life correlates with emotional exhaustion (Ahad et al., 2024 ; Lee et al., 2013 ). Mulyani et al. ( 2021 ) found that achieving work-life balance can alleviate emotional exhaustion. Thus, work-family conflict and family-work conflict are important predictors of emotional exhaustion (Weng & Chien, 2003 ; Karatepe, 2013 ). In summary, work stress and emotional exhaustion are closely related. Emotional exhaustion is a state of mental and emotional blockage that can lead to a loss of empathy for others, feelings of incompetence and failure, and negatively impact individuals' mental health, work engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Work stress creates negative effects on individuals, families, and organizations. Based on this, the first hypothesis of this study is as follows: Hypothesis 1 Emotional exhaustion is positively correlated with work stress. Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Leadership Effectiveness Different leadership styles have significant impacts on employees' emotions, job satisfaction, and mental health (Zhao et al., 2018; Donkor et al., 2021 ). While a leader's ultimate goal is organizational performance and work outcomes, their effectiveness also directly or indirectly affects the individual, team, or organization being led (Trafimow & Finlay, 1996 ). At the individual level, effective leadership often provides support and motivation, helping employees cope with work stress, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. For example, transformational leadership enhances employees' enthusiasm and well-being through motivation and care, reducing the occurrence of emotional exhaustion (Juang & Lo, 2020 ). Conversely, transactional and authoritarian leadership may increase employees' sense of stress and negative emotions, leading to higher emotional labor and, consequently, emotional exhaustion and burnout (Shu & Jhan, 2014 ; Yang & Lai, 2018 ). If a leader engages in abusive supervision, employees must expend more internal emotional resources on emotional labor, ultimately depleting these resources and falling into emotional exhaustion (Hung, Cho, & Hung, 2011 ; Han, Huang, & Wang; Hassan, 2024). Moreover, when employees perceive greater supervisory power, the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional labor intensifies, and the degree of emotional exhaustion increases (Wu, 2008 ). Conversely, from the perspective of relational energy, positive interpersonal interactions can generate abundant psychological resources, which help mitigate the impact of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion (Lin & Miao, 2020 ). Therefore, when employees perceive supervisory support or high-quality exchanges between supervisors and employees, they feel more psychologically supported, reducing the occurrence of emotional exhaustion (Lin, Lu, & Chen, 2009 ; Chen & Hsieh, 2018 ; Hung, Cho, & Hung, 2011 ; Hsiao, 2013 ). At the team level, leadership effectiveness influences emotional exhaustion through team collaboration and atmosphere. Effective leaders can create a supportive team environment, fostering trust and cooperation among team members, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. For instance, visionary leadership conveys a clear and motivating vision, helping team members understand the organization's long-term goals and direction, reducing cognitive uncertainty, and strengthening team cohesion (Bernards, 2021 ; Van der Voet & Steijn, 2020 ). Servant leadership strengthens team cooperation and professional growth by supporting individual needs and fostering team trust (Bernards, 2021 ). Supportive and transformational leaders enhance team psychological safety by listening, providing support, and encouraging open communication, creating an environment where members feel safe expressing their opinions without fear or pressure (Lin, Lin, Huang, & Lin, 2007 ). Stein et al. ( 2020 ) found that supportive leadership fosters a friendly atmosphere in the workplace, making team members more inclined to cooperate and share resources and information, which improves overall team effectiveness. These leadership styles collectively promote effective team operations and long-term development, indicating that leadership effectiveness plays a crucial role in shaping team culture and fostering innovation. Team members are better able to support each other under pressure, which significantly reduces team emotional exhaustion. At the organizational level, leadership effectiveness shapes the overall organizational culture and work environment, impacting employees' emotional exhaustion. Hsiao ( 2013 ), from the perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory, emphasized that leaders play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining organizational culture, which significantly influences emotional exhaustion. A supportive and understanding organizational culture helps employees better manage the challenges brought by emotional labor, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Organizational support refers to the care and resource support employees receive from the organization. When leaders provide robust support systems, such as continuous training, emotional support, and resource allocation, employees are better equipped to cope with work-related stressors. When employees perceive that the service training they receive is helpful for their work, they become more confident and capable of handling difficult situations, reducing emotional exhaustion and lowering the risk of withdrawal behaviors (Wu & Cheng, 2006b ; Chen & Hsieh, 2018 ; Yeh, 2022 ). Organizational changes often result in shifts in employees' roles, responsibilities, and work environments, which can increase stress. Leaders, as the core drivers of change management, must help employees understand the necessity of changes and provide sufficient support to help them adapt. These measures can alleviate the uncertainty and stress brought by change, reducing the likelihood of emotional exhaustion (Huang, 2006 ). Therefore, organizations should focus on cultivating effective leadership behaviors and a supportive culture to enhance employees' psychological well-being and overall work effectiveness. In summary, leadership effectiveness is closely related to emotional exhaustion. In today's fast-paced and challenging environment, businesses face significant global challenges, such as economic downturns and external shocks, threatening organizational survival and development. As such, organizations must emphasize leadership functions and promote human resource management efficiency to build a healthy organizational culture and enhance competitiveness. Based on the above, the second hypothesis of this study is as follows: Hypothesis 2 Emotional exhaustion is negatively correlated with leadership effectiveness. Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychological Traits Emotional exhaustion often occurs in high-pressure, high-demand work environments, and an individual's traits and abilities determine how they respond to these stressors and work demands (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984 ). Studies by Hsiao ( 2013 ) and Lin and Miao ( 2020 ) indicate that employees with high emotional intelligence are better able to use emotion regulation techniques to cope with stress, showing more confidence and positivity when managing emotional labor. This reduces the negative emotions and burnout that can arise from prolonged emotional labor. Individuals with high self-monitoring abilities are also more capable of leveraging social interactions, such as seeking support from colleagues or supervisors, to reduce the burden of emotional labor. They can adjust their behavior to meet the expectations of supervisors or the organization, making them more effective at work and improving job satisfaction, which, in turn, reduces the risk of emotional exhaustion (Quratulain et al., 2021 ). In addition to emotional management, a positive cognitive appraisal of stress is also a strategy for mitigating its effects (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984 ). Psychological empowerment, an intrinsic motivation, occurs when employees feel they have meaningful work, autonomy, and the ability to influence their work environment or outcomes. When employees perceive high levels of psychological empowerment, they view themselves as having sufficient resilience and a positive attitude toward work. This makes them more effective in coping with work stress and challenges, particularly in high-stress service environments (Chen & Hsieh, 2018 ). Yeh ( 2022 ) research points out that employees with high resilience possess stronger strategies for managing stress and adversity. They see difficulties and changes as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than threats. As a result, they are able to remain calm and stable when facing stress and challenges. For instance, when encountering rude customer behavior, resilient employees can effectively manage and regulate their negative emotions, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. However, in certain situations, a positive work attitude can also lead to emotional exhaustion. Huang and Wang ( 2013 ) found that while individuals with high conscientiousness are more organized and planful, allowing them to manage work stress and time more effectively and reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion, they often set high standards for their work performance. When they fail to meet these self-imposed goals, they may experience stress, which can accumulate over time and increase the risk of emotional exhaustion. Additionally, employees with a prosocial orientation may be driven to engage in organizational citizenship behaviors (e.g., helping behaviors, acts of dedication) for the benefit of others or the organization. However, if employees feel compelled to perform these behaviors, they may develop psychological resistance, which can lead to emotional exhaustion (Chu et al., 2017 ). In summary, employees with positive psychological traits tend to recover emotional balance more quickly, reducing emotional depletion caused by stress and difficulties. Positive psychological traits act as mediators, influencers, or moderators in studies on emotional exhaustion, indicating a close relationship between the two. Individuals with positive psychological traits (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, active coping, emotional intelligence) are generally more effective at managing work stress and challenges, and they possess the confidence to overcome difficulties when faced with challenges. Based on the above, the third hypothesis of this study is as follows: Hypothesis 3 Emotional exhaustion is negatively correlated with positive psychological traits. Research Methods Research Scope and Literature Collection This study uses the keyword "emotional exhaustion" and employs the ancestry approach to search through bibliographies and various abstracts. The descendency approach is also used, utilizing citation indexes to trace subsequent studies, in an effort to gather as much relevant research as possible. This helps to avoid missing important literature and enhances the comprehensiveness and completeness of the research data. From 1989 to 2024, a total of 148 studies were identified. Since meta-analysis requires the aggregation of individual research outcomes rather than conclusions, studies that do not provide sufficient data—such as sample sizes, means, standard deviations, or correlation coefficients—were excluded. Qualitative studies, papers without correlation coefficients, and descriptive-only texts without quantitative data were also eliminated, leaving a final selection of 60 journal articles. After further filtering based on the research topic, 26 empirical studies from academic journals and articles were chosen for the meta-analysis. Classification of Research Categories and Selection Criteria After gathering empirical literature, the collected data were initially sorted and classified based on the research topics, methods, and relevance of variables. Since this study adopts the meta-analysis approach (Rosenthal, 1991 ), the literature needed to provide sufficient quantitative data, such as sample size, mean, standard deviation, and correlation coefficients, to calculate effect sizes. To ensure accuracy, any data deemed unreliable due to data collection errors or significant statistical errors were excluded to avoid compromising the integrity of the research results. Establishing Data Classification and Coding After filtering the collected literature, those that met the criteria for meta-analysis were compiled into a list. The original content from each study was extracted and classified according to the following codes: (a) Basic Information of the Study: Year, author, topic, keywords, target population, type of literature (journal, book, thesis), and code. (b) Research Methods: Research design, sampling method, and variables in the study results. (c) Descriptive Data: Independent and dependent variables, sample size, and correlation coefficients. Establishing Classification for Analysis Based on the 26 selected quantitative studies, variables were classified into different dimensions and organized into a sample table. The filtered literature samples were coded using Microsoft Excel to create a descriptive table of relevant studies, clearly presenting the characteristics of the papers and identifying the appropriate research variables. These variables include work stress, leadership effectiveness, and positive psychological traits, which were used as hierarchical variables for this study's meta-analysis. The content of each variable is described as follows: (a) Work Stress: This variable includes interpersonal conflict, workload, job satisfaction, work-family conflict, job performance, frequency of interactions, internal customer-oriented service, perceived forced organizational citizenship behavior, role conflict, role stress, primary appraisal, service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior, promotive voice, prior emotional exhaustion, voice behavior, relative power assessment, affective organizational commitment, emotional labor, organizational citizenship behavior, Chinese interpersonal stressors, performance evaluation improvement, evaluation process assessment, engagement, frequency of dealing with difficult customers, workplace bullying, organizational care, relationship quality assessment, and customer incivility. (b) Leadership Effectiveness: This variable includes perceptions of human resource information systems, abusive supervision, psychological contract breach, supervisor abusive supervision, supervisor tenure, perceived supervisory interactional injustice, leader-member exchange, supervisor-subordinate fit, supervisor recognition, justice perception, transactional leadership, perceived supervisor support, perceived supervisor neuroticism, perceived supervisor power, perceived usefulness of service training, authoritarian leadership, organizational support, organizational justice, incentive systems, transformational leadership, relational energy, and change management activities. (c) Positive Psychological Traits: This variable includes resilience, mental health, psychological empowerment, positive affect, self-efficacy, prosocial values, helping behavior, humor, emotional intelligence, emotional quotient, emotional stability, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. Meta-Analysis Effect Size Calculation The meta-analysis utilized mathematical and statistical techniques to perform "unit conversion" on the descriptive tables mentioned above, converting traditional statistical values (X², t, F, p-values) into equivalent effect sizes (ES). This provided a basis for comparing the effect sizes across studies and helped mitigate cognitive biases or errors in researchers' intuitive thinking (Chang, 2014 ). A degree-of-freedom-based statistical approach to meta-analysis was employed to calculate the individual effect sizes (r values) for each coded study and the overall mean effect size across the combined studies. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.0 software was used to analyze the data, explaining various aspects such as effect size, heterogeneity, forest plots, and funnel plots, providing insights and references for the study. Analysis Results, Hypothesis Testing, Conclusion, and Recommendations The researcher tested the hypotheses proposed in this study based on the research results, identifying key issues from the findings. These results were explained and discussed, and specific practical management recommendations and future research directions were proposed based on the relevant issues discovered. Discussion and Recommendations Discussion Positive Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Work Stress This study conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and work stress based on 22 studies. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between emotional exhaustion and work stress, consistent with previous research findings. When employees endure excessive workloads, tight deadlines, or high job responsibilities over time, their emotional and psychological resources gradually deplete, leading to emotional exhaustion (Lin, Lu, & Chen, 2009 ; Weng & Chien, 2003 ; Huang, 2006 ). Similarly, employees subjected to prolonged stress from improper supervision may also experience emotional exhaustion (Wu, 2008 ; Hung, Cho, & Hung, 2011 ; Han, Huang, & Wang, 2014 ). The I² value of 96.539 indicates high heterogeneity among studies, suggesting that the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress might be influenced by moderating or mediating variables. Several studies support this phenomenon. Chen and Hsieh ( 2018 ) highlighted the role of leader-member exchange and organizational support in moderating emotional exhaustion, while Wu ( 2008 ) noted that the relationship between improper supervision and emotional exhaustion is moderated by employees' perceptions of leadership justice. Yeh ( 2022 ) and Hsiao ( 2013 ) emphasized the importance of personal traits such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy in moderating the relationship between work stress and emotional exhaustion. These moderating or mediating variables may explain the differences in research outcomes, indicating the complexity and diversity of the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress. Overall, while the meta-analysis confirms a significant correlation between work stress and emotional exhaustion, the differences across studies highlight the importance of organizational support, leadership behavior, and individual traits in moderating this influence. These findings collectively suggest that work stress is an important cause of emotional exhaustion, but the extent of its impact may vary depending on the presence of different moderating variables. Negative Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Leadership Effectiveness This study conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness based on 14 studies, revealing a weak negative correlation between the two, consistent with previous research findings. Shu and Jhan ( 2014 ), Yang and Lai ( 2018 ) found that leadership behavior is directly linked to employee work stress, especially when leadership lacks support and motivation, leading to a significant increase in emotional exhaustion. Chen and Hsieh ( 2018 ) further noted that effective leaders can reduce emotional exhaustion among frontline service workers by providing support. Although the correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness is weak, poor leadership effectiveness can still lead to increased employee emotional exhaustion, indicating a subtle relationship between leadership effectiveness and employees' emotional health. Despite the relatively small influence, its cumulative impact over time can negatively affect organizational performance and leadership effectiveness. Additionally, the I² value of 93.267 indicates high heterogeneity across studies, possibly due to differences in research methods, sample characteristics, cultural backgrounds, and industry contexts. Several scholars have observed similar phenomena. For example, Lin and Miao ( 2020 ) emphasized the role of emotional intelligence in moderating emotional exhaustion, noting that employees with higher emotional intelligence can better cope with work stress and emotional labor, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Yeh ( 2022 ) highlighted the importance of employees' perceptions of service training efficacy and the support and training provided by leaders in moderating emotional exhaustion. When employees perceive that service training enhances their skills and feel supported by leaders, the risk of emotional exhaustion significantly decreases. Overall, these findings suggest that leadership effectiveness has a potential negative impact on emotional exhaustion, although the effect size is small, and there is high heterogeneity across studies. Future research should further explore the dynamic relationship between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness under different circumstances or conditions, to better understand how to effectively manage emotional exhaustion in different organizational environments and maintain or enhance leadership effectiveness. Negative Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychological Traits Based on 13 studies, this research conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits, revealing a significant negative correlation between the two, consistent with previous research findings. Positive psychological traits play a crucial role in reducing emotional exhaustion. Hsieh, Lin, and Wu ( 2023 ) found that employees with a positive mindset are more likely to maintain positive emotions when facing work challenges, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than threats, thus effectively coping with workplace stress and reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Similarly, Wu and Cheng ( 2006b ) noted that employees with positive psychological traits are better at managing their emotional responses and are less likely to experience emotional exhaustion when facing stress and emotional labor. The I² value of 96.480 indicates high heterogeneity across studies, possibly due to differences in sample characteristics, research methods, or cultural contexts, leading to variations in the strength of the relationship between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits under different conditions. This phenomenon has been supported by several studies. Chen and Hsieh ( 2018 ) found that psychological empowerment and organizational support, as mediating variables, can enhance the leader-subordinate exchange relationship, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Chang, Peng, and Zhuang ( 2018 ) showed that employees with high emotional intelligence and self-efficacy are better equipped to cope with workplace bullying, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Moreover, Ho, Tsai, and Chang ( 2017 ) pointed out that self-efficacy, as a mediating variable, can moderate the impact of supervisors' neuroticism on employee voice behavior, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Chu, Chou, and Tseng ( 2017 ) also found that employees with high self-efficacy can effectively reduce emotional exhaustion in situations of organizational citizenship behavior stress. Overall, these studies suggest that positive psychological traits have a significant protective effect in reducing emotional exhaustion. These traits help employees flexibly adjust themselves when facing stress and emotional labor and manage their emotional responses effectively, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. While this study shows a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits, the heterogeneity suggests that future research should consider more potential moderating variables to further understand how this relationship manifests in different contexts. Recommendations Practical Recommendations The relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress shows a significant positive correlation. When employees experience prolonged excessive workload, tight deadlines, or high levels of job responsibility, their emotional and psychological resources are gradually depleted, leading to emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion is closely linked to job burnout and can result in numerous negative outcomes undesirable to organizations. Therefore, the issue of work stress and emotional exhaustion is not just an individual work-related problem but also a managerial challenge that organizations need to proactively address. At the Employee Level. Proactively Identify Stressors and Seek Assistance: Employees should enhance self-awareness by understanding their stress responses. When work pressure becomes overwhelming, they should actively seek support, whether it be emotional support, collaboration with colleagues, or psychological counseling from external professionals. Developing self-awareness and effective stress management skills not only helps alleviate stress but also enhances problem-solving abilities. Enhance Stress Management Skills: Employees should learn and practice stress management techniques to maintain a positive mental state and reduce the negative emotions caused by work stress. These techniques include time management, task prioritization, goal setting, and relaxation exercises, such as meditation, breathing techniques, and mindfulness training. Mastering these skills not only helps alleviate stress but also improves employees’ sense of self-efficacy, enabling them to feel more in control at work. At the Organizational Level. Prioritize Employee Mental Health: Organizations can establish formal and informal communication channels to understand employees' work status, such as regular feedback meetings or mental health assessments, allowing employees to freely express their concerns and needs. Additionally, organizations should actively promote employee mental health programs by providing counseling services or implementing Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to help employees access professional psychological support when facing stress. Properly Manage Workload and Job Design: Organizations should prioritize the reasonable design of work tasks to prevent employees from enduring high levels of stress and workload over extended periods. This includes setting clear work objectives, avoiding excessive working hours or responsibility assignments, and ensuring equitable distribution of work. Through reasonable work process planning, organizations can prevent employee burnout and promote work efficiency. Moreover, organizations should offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible working hours, to increase employees' flexibility in managing work demands and alleviate stress. Provide Stress Management Training: Organizations should offer professional stress management training for employees, including emotional management techniques, stress identification, coping strategies, and ways to enhance emotional intelligence and psychological resilience. Through such training, employees can learn to identify the sources of stress and effectively respond to them. Additionally, organizations should regularly conduct stress assessments to understand employees' stress levels and provide targeted support and guidance based on the results. For example, offering specialized counseling or job adjustments for high-stress employees to ensure they continue to work effectively under controlled stress. There is a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness. Under effective leadership, employees can better cope with work stress, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Conversely, poor leadership exacerbates emotional exhaustion. This relationship is primarily reflected in how leadership behaviors, styles, and support directly or indirectly influence employees’ emotional states and levels of emotional exhaustion. At the Employee Level. Establish Open Communication Channels: Employees should proactively communicate with leaders, sharing their stress and challenges while offering constructive feedback. For example, through regular feedback meetings, employees can inform leaders about current issues and propose solutions. This not only improves management quality but also helps reduce misunderstandings and stress caused by poor communication. Learn to Set Boundaries: When excessive demands from leaders lead to emotional stress, employees should learn to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, preventing work stress from spilling over into their personal time. For instance, allocating time effectively, learning to say no to excessive workloads, and ensuring time for rest can help employees protect themselves from rising emotional pressure and reduce stress originating from leadership. Seek Personal Development Opportunities: When faced with poor leadership, employees can actively pursue other development opportunities to enhance self-motivation. For example, internal rotations, participating in professional training, or engaging in new projects allow employees to reduce their dependence on leadership behaviors and find fulfillment and achievement in different environments. At the Organizational Level. Strengthen Leadership Training and Development: Organizations should provide continuous leadership training to ensure that management possesses effective leadership skills, such as interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, and crisis management. Enhancing leadership effectiveness can reduce the negative emotional impacts of poor leadership behavior on employees. Establish Effective Feedback Mechanisms and Communication Channels: Organizations should develop robust feedback mechanisms to allow employees to safely express their concerns about stress and difficulties, especially those stemming from inappropriate leadership behaviors. Open communication channels enable employees to raise improvement suggestions early on and help leaders adjust management strategies in a timely manner, thus alleviating employees' sources of stress. Build a Fair and Supportive Organizational Culture: Organizations should strive to create a fair and transparent organizational culture, reducing stress related to power imbalances. For instance, establishing fair performance evaluations and promotion systems, providing clear career development plans, and offering advancement opportunities help employees understand their future career paths. This ensures that employees feel supported and respected within the organization, reducing negative issues caused by perceived unfair treatment. There is a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits. Employees with a positive mindset are more likely to maintain positive emotions at work, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than threats. They are better able to manage their emotional responses when facing stress and emotional labor, allowing them to remain emotionally stable and avoid excessive emotional strain in stressful situations. At the Employee Level. Train Positive Thinking to Cultivate Optimism: Employees can enhance their psychological resilience through daily positive thinking exercises. For example, recording three things they are grateful for each day or regularly noting positive ways they have responded to stressful situations can help maintain an optimistic mindset. This simple practice encourages individuals to focus more on the positive aspects of their experiences, reducing the accumulation of negative emotions. Enhance Self-Efficacy: Employees should actively engage in skill development and learning opportunities to increase their self-efficacy by improving their knowledge and abilities. This could involve attending training courses, seeking guidance, or engaging in self-directed learning. When employees feel competent in handling work challenges, they are better equipped to manage stress effectively. Strengthen Social Support Systems: Positive psychological traits are closely linked to a robust social support network. Employees can actively build strong social connections with colleagues, supervisors, and friends. A strong support system provides emotional backing, ensuring that employees do not feel isolated when facing stress. At the Organizational Level. Promote Positive Psychology Training Programs: Organizations can design training programs focused on fostering positive psychological traits in employees, helping them maintain positive thinking and emotional management under stress. These programs may include resilience training, mindfulness courses, or team-building activities aimed at developing employees' positive psychological attributes and enhancing their ability to cope with stress. Strengthen Leaders' Influence on Positive Psychological Traits: Organizations should train leaders to apply positive psychological traits in their management practices. This could involve improving leaders' emotional intelligence, fostering empathy, and encouraging positive communication. When leaders embody positive psychological traits, they can better support and motivate employees, helping them maintain a positive mindset. Create a Positive Work Culture: Organizations should strive to cultivate a work culture centered around positive psychology by encouraging collaboration, providing praise and recognition, and ensuring that employees feel valued and a sense of belonging. For example, regularly holding employee recognition events and emphasizing the importance of teamwork can contribute to a positive work atmosphere, improving employees' self-efficacy and emotional stability. Recommendations for Future Research Expanding the Sample Scope: The sample scope of this study was limited to domestic journals, and after screening for meta-analysis criteria, 26 journal articles were analyzed. Future research could expand the sample, especially by including studies from different countries, cultures, and industries, to further examine how these variables affect the results. A more diverse sample can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the variations in specific issues across different contexts, thus enhancing the generalizability of the findings. Exploring Moderating and Mediating Mechanisms: This study used Rosenthal’s ( 1991 ) meta-analysis technique, revealing the overall relationships between variables, but it did not fully explain the potential moderating or mediating mechanisms that might influence the results. Future research could more specifically explore variables such as personal traits, organizational culture, and leadership styles, to further clarify how these variables impact the relationship between emotional exhaustion and other factors in different contexts. Improving Methodological Consistency: Meta-analyses may involve variations in research design, methods, and measurement tools, which can affect the interpretation of the results. Future research could strengthen methodological consistency and introduce more rigorous standards, such as using the same types of effect size measures or standardizing measurement tools for variables, to improve the comparability of results. Exploring Emerging Factors: Future research could explore the influence of emerging factors beyond traditional variables, such as digital work environments, remote work models, and organizational innovation cultures. These emerging factors may have new impacts on emotional exhaustion or other variables in modern work settings. Declarations Funding Declaration: No funding was received for conducting this study. Ethics Statements: This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors Author Contribution Yin-Che Chen: Conceptualization, Supervision, Project Administration, Writing – Review & Editing.Ya-Shan Lu: Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft.Hsueh-Ju Lo: Methodology, Investigation, Resources, Writing – Original Draft, Correspondence. Data Availability The datasets analysed for the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. References Abram, M. D., & Jacobowitz, W. (2021). Resilience and burnout in healthcare students and inpatient psychiatric nurses: A between-groups study of two populations. 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University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ya-Shan","middleName":"","lastName":"Lu","suffix":""},{"id":545702246,"identity":"ae237fe9-818a-4ccc-b03a-63b35fb16dbc","order_by":2,"name":"Hsueh-Ju Lo","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFklEQVRIie3RMUsDMRTA8RcOckvqredg7ytEDmql/TDpcl0OFQS5QTRykMnStf0WNznnCMTldK5bodD5FsFBxKQidLhQR4f8x5Df8XIPwOf7jwWIS1aM73FYSmA0Nkdkd+4mYfAg2yZjEdEM1ldDAPxLsINEYVkvhWLHi5yidVscJkmJuOqJ7ILK/L2yg50lMx1DMZrw5JF2EaoMIa/jaypfnlaWnIujLIZmOuGYdJPAkpsMVfXsh1BNBjESypBe5RyMYIUqRbZ75MtNwAxWL8w3l4LgPcLdxL7F/uQ0InhgCaE6T4dMT1OBL9vOwebPm9asso+Tzfbt4/OuT1VzumpvRyfzwGzqL+2WAvaua5M+n8/nO9w3Zp1nG2TnPFYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"National Tsing Hua University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hsueh-Ju","middleName":"","lastName":"Lo","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-21 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07:33:38","extension":"xml","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":180070,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"45458f36c12f404aa968cd995e61a5751structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/142c1943b9f36d250b8ec34b.xml"},{"id":96065477,"identity":"5b44ec1a-e090-4c8d-ba69-c8a90705ed1e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-17 09:14:14","extension":"html","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":187586,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/0f6a61c647baee6a308ed790.html"},{"id":96065465,"identity":"20fab8bc-cdb4-4e86-8906-3bf8ed40737d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-17 09:14:13","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":80763,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFunnel Plot of Emotional Exhaustion and Work Stress\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/d46ebc3234be9162b8560313.png"},{"id":96065466,"identity":"d7ed0fa9-61b3-4c18-b91b-2448eac2bf17","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-17 09:14:14","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":81413,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFunnel Plot of Emotional Exhaustion and Leadership Effectiveness\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/71b7015b4f2f7c4cd883a4ab.png"},{"id":96065468,"identity":"e48d61ef-9cac-4238-a645-6e108c33863a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-17 09:14:14","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":75778,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFunnel Plot of Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychological Traits\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/8e41dcf29aafaff816053edf.png"},{"id":103507707,"identity":"4990dff3-8ece-434f-9dbc-244cb8d57459","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:43:30","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1182947,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7668615/v1/2cb95a14-adad-40b3-b6cc-fb91abc983a8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Meta-Analysis on Emotional Exhaustion","fulltext":[{"header":"Research Background and Motivation","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe \"Great Resignation\" has become a significant global workplace phenomenon, with an increasing number of employees choosing to resign in pursuit of better working conditions or to readjust their work-life balance. This trend is primarily driven by the drastic changes in the work environment and lifestyle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading employees to deeply reflect on the balance between work and life (Klotz, 2021). However, a deeper underlying reason may be the \"Great Exhaustion.\" The Great Exhaustion is a short-term stress response during the pandemic transition, where many people continue to feel physically and mentally exhausted even as the pandemic subsides and the global economy recovers. This fatigue, which cannot be alleviated by rest or relaxation, has lasting effects on work attitudes and quality of life (Newport, 2023). This phenomenon highlights the imbalance between individual capacity and work demands in modern society, causing many employees to experience sustained and increasing levels of stress and emotional exhaustion (Mayer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). As stress increases and emotional exhaustion deepens, the global workplace is entering an era of \"Great Exhaustion.\" Newport (2023) describes this as a time when \"people seek to rebuild their relationship with work to reduce the pervasive sense of fatigue,\" prompting us to re-examine emotional exhaustion and its underlying drivers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion typically occurs in high-stress, high-demand work environments, representing a stress response when work demands exceed an individual\u0026rsquo;s capacity, resources, or ability to cope (Abram \u0026amp; Jacobowitz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Research shows that when employees are unable to effectively manage work stress, the risk of emotional exhaustion significantly increases, especially when there is insufficient support and resources. Occupations that require a high degree of interpersonal interaction and emotional labor, such as healthcare workers, customer service representatives, and teachers, are at a higher risk of emotional exhaustion due to work stress. These professions not only demand professional skills but also require employees to display appropriate emotional responses, indirectly increasing the burden of emotional labor. If employees are continuously exposed to high-stress work environments, their psychological resources will be depleted, making them feel overwhelmed and unable to maintain effective work performance. This can lead to a loss of motivation, diminished interest in both work and life, and even result in dissatisfaction and burnout (Karasek \u0026amp; Theorell, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e). Glazer and Liu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) classified work stress sources into organizational constraints, workplace mistreatment, role stress, work overload, and work-family conflict. Employees struggle to maintain a positive psychological state in high-demand work settings, ultimately leading to emotional exhaustion (Hobfoll, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1989\u003c/span\u003e). This, in turn, can lead to chronic diseases, accidents, burnout, family issues, decreased productivity, and poor mental health (Goh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Sohail \u0026amp; Rehman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). As such, effectively managing work stress and creating a supportive work environment to prevent emotional exhaustion has become a crucial issue in organizational management today.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the onset of the \"Great Resignation\" and the \"Great Exhaustion,\" how individuals perceive and respond to these challenges has become a key factor in determining the severity of emotional exhaustion. Personality traits are important predictors of job performance and emotional exhaustion (Salgado, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e). Among the Big Five personality traits, extroversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability are associated with lower levels of work stress, which can effectively reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion. In contrast, employees with high neuroticism are more likely to experience stress, which can trigger emotional exhaustion (Huang \u0026amp; Wang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Fostervold \u0026amp; Watten, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; T\u0026ouml;rnroos et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). These findings suggest that positive psychological traits play an important role in how employees cope with work stress. For example, optimistic employees tend to maintain a positive attitude when faced with stress, viewing difficulties as growth opportunities rather than threats (Chen et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Employees with high emotional intelligence are better at regulating both their own emotions and the emotions of others, enabling them to effectively handle emotional challenges in high-pressure work environments (Lin \u0026amp; Miao, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Hsiao, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Employees with high self-efficacy believe in their ability to complete tasks, allowing them to maintain high performance even when facing difficulties and stress (Ho, Tsai, \u0026amp; Chang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Weng \u0026amp; Chien, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Employees with high resilience view challenges as learning and growth opportunities rather than threats, allowing them to remain calm and stable in stressful situations (Yeh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Psychological empowerment provides employees with intrinsic motivation, making them feel that their work is meaningful, giving them greater autonomy, and enabling them to believe they can influence their work environment and outcomes (Chen \u0026amp; Hsieh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Employees with positive psychological traits tend to cope more effectively with work stress, reducing emotional depletion, and recovering more quickly from stressful situations (Luthans et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). However, these traits can sometimes lead to emotional exhaustion in certain situations. Therefore, organizations must appropriately manage and guide employees based on specific circumstances to optimize the benefits of positive psychological traits and reduce emotional exhaustion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough emotional exhaustion has become an important research area in organizational behavior and psychology, there is still a lack of meta-analyses on emotional exhaustion. Existing studies are mostly cross-sectional or case studies, lacking systematic data integration and theoretical validation, which limits the comprehensive understanding of the causes and factors influencing emotional exhaustion. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) can provide more reliable conclusions by integrating the results of multiple studies, pointing the way for future research. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting meta-analyses of emotional exhaustion to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon and to provide scientific evidence for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEmotional Exhaustion\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion originates from burnout. Graham Greene used the term \u0026ldquo;burnout\u0026rdquo; to describe a state in which a character, an architect, finds no meaning in his profession and no joy in life (Ed\u0026uacute;-Valsania et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Later, American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1974\u003c/span\u003e) introduced this concept into the field of psychology. He observed that helpers, particularly after one year of working under conditions of prolonged labor, work overload, continuous job pressure, and an imbalance between work and life, often feel exhausted, depressed, and demotivated. This state is characterized by physical and emotional fatigue related to work, and the level of exhaustion varies by individual. Freudenberger termed this condition \"burnout.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoon after Freudenberger proposed the concept of burnout, Maslach (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1976\u003c/span\u003e) introduced it into scientific research, defining burnout as a process where professionals in helping fields begin to reduce their emotional investment in work. They interact with people with a more deprecatory and indifferent attitude to avoid emotional overload from excessive empathy, which could otherwise lead to overwhelming emotional pressure. Consequently, these professionals respond to work demands with mechanical, bureaucratic interactions that lack flexibility. Following multiple empirical studies, Maslach and Jackson (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1981\u003c/span\u003e) redefined burnout, moving beyond a singular definition. They conceptualized burnout as a psychological syndrome that involves a series of responses to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. This syndrome refers to a set of symptoms that occur simultaneously or sequentially.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStudy on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Work Stress\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGlazer and Liu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) classified the sources of work stress into organizational constraints, workplace mistreatment, role stress, work overload, and work-family conflict. Prolonged work stress is associated with chronic illness, accidents, burnout, family issues, decreased productivity, and poor mental health (Goh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Sohail \u0026amp; Rehman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, workplace awareness of work stress is crucial.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding organizational constraints, companies often use training, reward systems, and internal communication to encourage frontline employees to display appropriate service attitudes that meet organizational expectations (Hsieh, Lin, \u0026amp; Wu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Frye et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Yu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR80\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Employees' perception of supervisory support and incentive systems can alleviate the impact of emotional exhaustion. When internal resources are depleted, external resources can support employees' psychological resources, helping them cope with the stress of complex tasks and reducing emotional exhaustion (Hsiao, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, fair resource allocation affects employees' attitudes and feelings toward work (Huang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). However, employees as internal customers of an organization may not develop strong service awareness solely through training. Only when employees identify with organizational goals and values can emotional labor be reduced (Hsieh, Lin, \u0026amp; Wu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Chu, Chou, \u0026amp; Tseng, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Alonso et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) pointed out that the lack of necessary resources in the workplace can lead to negative emotions like frustration. Therefore, organizations can improve physical, psychological, and social environments to reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion, creating a healthy work environment (Kao, Cheng, Wu, Chen, \u0026amp; Huang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding workplace mistreatment, Ho, Tsai, and Chang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) noted that employees who perceive higher levels of supervisor neuroticism endure more emotional regulation pressure. Emotional labor positively affects emotional exhaustion, and different leadership styles place varying burdens on emotional labor. Research by Shu and Jhan (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) suggested that authoritarian leadership increases surface acting, which exacerbates emotional labor. Particularly, abusive supervision depletes employees' emotional resources (Wu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Hung, Cho, \u0026amp; Hung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Han, Huang, \u0026amp; Wang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Hassan, 2024). Wu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e) found that when employees perceive greater supervisor power, the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional labor becomes stronger. According to the Conservation of Resources Theory, employees expend internal resources on emotional labor, eventually leading to resource depletion and emotional exhaustion. Buruck et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) also found that participative leadership, which involves employees in decision-making and creates a supportive environment, can reduce emotional exhaustion and work-family conflict. Furthermore, workplace incivility is a source of interpersonal stress, leading to employee dissatisfaction, reduced work motivation, and impaired social adaptability, resulting in emotional exhaustion (Alola et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Butt \u0026amp; Yazdani, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Kyei-Poku, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Chang, Peng, and Zhuang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) unexpectedly found that 73.45% of campus staff experienced workplace bullying, indicating that workplace bullying is a significant source of work stress today (Nielsen \u0026amp; Einarsen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding role stress, role stress theory posits that role conflict occurs when individuals cannot meet inconsistent expectations; role ambiguity arises when individuals lack sufficient information to understand their role expectations and achieve work goals; role overload occurs when role demands exceed an individual's ability and motivation to complete tasks (Singh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR67\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e). Vandenberghe et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR73\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) considered role stress a component of work stress. Acker (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that role stress predicts job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Employees providing customer service are required to exhibit emotions and behaviors aligned with organizational expectations. Such roles often involve boundary-spanning tasks, creating uncertainty and role stress. When employees face multiple, inconsistent expectations from internal and external stakeholders or lack clarity about their job duties, they experience frustration and tension (Chiu \u0026amp; Chiang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, in professions with high ethical standards, greater perceived role stress correlates with a higher likelihood of encountering ethical dilemmas. Chen and Hsiao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) found that financial advisors facing high role stress environments might make decisions that deviate from ethical standards, leading to unethical behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding work overload, globalization, customer expectations, organizational streamlining, and change demand that employees possess broader skills, increasing work overload (Gryna, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e). Chang, Lu, and Huang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) identified work overload as a source of stress, which can lead to or exacerbate emotional exhaustion (Edmondson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Mwakyusa \u0026amp; Mcharo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Employees perceiving high job demands, such as long working hours, demanding shift schedules, high time pressure, heavy workloads, and poor physical conditions, may experience emotional exhaustion (Azharudeen \u0026amp; Arulrajah, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Buruck et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) benefits both the organization and individuals; however, employees who engage in OCB might face overload, interpersonal conflicts, work stress, emotional exhaustion, and work-family conflict, potentially jeopardizing their core job performance (Chu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Lin et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Hsu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). While organizations appreciate employees demonstrating OCB, balancing employees' rights and development is essential to reduce the workload caused by OCB.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding work-family conflict, Hochschild (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e) noted that individuals have limited resources (e.g., time, energy). The more employees invest their energy in work or the organization, the less they have for personal life. When employees face excessive role demands at work and home, they experience negative physical and psychological outcomes, leading to work-family conflict and reduced satisfaction in both domains (Matthews et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Mitchelson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Research shows that increased working hours or role overload contributes to work-family conflict (Chang \u0026amp; Lu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Michel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). This conflict leads to psychological anxiety, increasing emotional exhaustion (Ribeiro et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, an imbalance between work and life correlates with emotional exhaustion (Ahad et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Lee et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). Mulyani et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) found that achieving work-life balance can alleviate emotional exhaustion. Thus, work-family conflict and family-work conflict are important predictors of emotional exhaustion (Weng \u0026amp; Chien, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Karatepe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, work stress and emotional exhaustion are closely related. Emotional exhaustion is a state of mental and emotional blockage that can lead to a loss of empathy for others, feelings of incompetence and failure, and negatively impact individuals' mental health, work engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Work stress creates negative effects on individuals, families, and organizations. Based on this, the first hypothesis of this study is as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion is positively correlated with work stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Leadership Effectiveness\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDifferent leadership styles have significant impacts on employees' emotions, job satisfaction, and mental health (Zhao et al., 2018; Donkor et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). While a leader's ultimate goal is organizational performance and work outcomes, their effectiveness also directly or indirectly affects the individual, team, or organization being led (Trafimow \u0026amp; Finlay, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR71\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the individual level, effective leadership often provides support and motivation, helping employees cope with work stress, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. For example, transformational leadership enhances employees' enthusiasm and well-being through motivation and care, reducing the occurrence of emotional exhaustion (Juang \u0026amp; Lo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Conversely, transactional and authoritarian leadership may increase employees' sense of stress and negative emotions, leading to higher emotional labor and, consequently, emotional exhaustion and burnout (Shu \u0026amp; Jhan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e ; Yang \u0026amp; Lai, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR78\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). If a leader engages in abusive supervision, employees must expend more internal emotional resources on emotional labor, ultimately depleting these resources and falling into emotional exhaustion (Hung, Cho, \u0026amp; Hung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Han, Huang, \u0026amp; Wang; Hassan, 2024). Moreover, when employees perceive greater supervisory power, the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional labor intensifies, and the degree of emotional exhaustion increases (Wu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Conversely, from the perspective of relational energy, positive interpersonal interactions can generate abundant psychological resources, which help mitigate the impact of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion (Lin \u0026amp; Miao, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, when employees perceive supervisory support or high-quality exchanges between supervisors and employees, they feel more psychologically supported, reducing the occurrence of emotional exhaustion (Lin, Lu, \u0026amp; Chen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Chen \u0026amp; Hsieh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Hung, Cho, \u0026amp; Hung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Hsiao, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the team level, leadership effectiveness influences emotional exhaustion through team collaboration and atmosphere. Effective leaders can create a supportive team environment, fostering trust and cooperation among team members, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. For instance, visionary leadership conveys a clear and motivating vision, helping team members understand the organization's long-term goals and direction, reducing cognitive uncertainty, and strengthening team cohesion (Bernards, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Van der Voet \u0026amp; Steijn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Servant leadership strengthens team cooperation and professional growth by supporting individual needs and fostering team trust (Bernards, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Supportive and transformational leaders enhance team psychological safety by listening, providing support, and encouraging open communication, creating an environment where members feel safe expressing their opinions without fear or pressure (Lin, Lin, Huang, \u0026amp; Lin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). Stein et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR69\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) found that supportive leadership fosters a friendly atmosphere in the workplace, making team members more inclined to cooperate and share resources and information, which improves overall team effectiveness. These leadership styles collectively promote effective team operations and long-term development, indicating that leadership effectiveness plays a crucial role in shaping team culture and fostering innovation. Team members are better able to support each other under pressure, which significantly reduces team emotional exhaustion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the organizational level, leadership effectiveness shapes the overall organizational culture and work environment, impacting employees' emotional exhaustion. Hsiao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), from the perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory, emphasized that leaders play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining organizational culture, which significantly influences emotional exhaustion. A supportive and understanding organizational culture helps employees better manage the challenges brought by emotional labor, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Organizational support refers to the care and resource support employees receive from the organization. When leaders provide robust support systems, such as continuous training, emotional support, and resource allocation, employees are better equipped to cope with work-related stressors. When employees perceive that the service training they receive is helpful for their work, they become more confident and capable of handling difficult situations, reducing emotional exhaustion and lowering the risk of withdrawal behaviors (Wu \u0026amp; Cheng, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR77\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006b\u003c/span\u003e; Chen \u0026amp; Hsieh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Yeh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Organizational changes often result in shifts in employees' roles, responsibilities, and work environments, which can increase stress. Leaders, as the core drivers of change management, must help employees understand the necessity of changes and provide sufficient support to help them adapt. These measures can alleviate the uncertainty and stress brought by change, reducing the likelihood of emotional exhaustion (Huang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, organizations should focus on cultivating effective leadership behaviors and a supportive culture to enhance employees' psychological well-being and overall work effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, leadership effectiveness is closely related to emotional exhaustion. In today's fast-paced and challenging environment, businesses face significant global challenges, such as economic downturns and external shocks, threatening organizational survival and development. As such, organizations must emphasize leadership functions and promote human resource management efficiency to build a healthy organizational culture and enhance competitiveness. Based on the above, the second hypothesis of this study is as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion is negatively correlated with leadership effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy on the Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychological Traits\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion often occurs in high-pressure, high-demand work environments, and an individual's traits and abilities determine how they respond to these stressors and work demands (Lazarus \u0026amp; Folkman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1984\u003c/span\u003e). Studies by Hsiao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) and Lin and Miao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) indicate that employees with high emotional intelligence are better able to use emotion regulation techniques to cope with stress, showing more confidence and positivity when managing emotional labor. This reduces the negative emotions and burnout that can arise from prolonged emotional labor. Individuals with high self-monitoring abilities are also more capable of leveraging social interactions, such as seeking support from colleagues or supervisors, to reduce the burden of emotional labor. They can adjust their behavior to meet the expectations of supervisors or the organization, making them more effective at work and improving job satisfaction, which, in turn, reduces the risk of emotional exhaustion (Quratulain et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition to emotional management, a positive cognitive appraisal of stress is also a strategy for mitigating its effects (Lazarus \u0026amp; Folkman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1984\u003c/span\u003e). Psychological empowerment, an intrinsic motivation, occurs when employees feel they have meaningful work, autonomy, and the ability to influence their work environment or outcomes. When employees perceive high levels of psychological empowerment, they view themselves as having sufficient resilience and a positive attitude toward work. This makes them more effective in coping with work stress and challenges, particularly in high-stress service environments (Chen \u0026amp; Hsieh, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Yeh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) research points out that employees with high resilience possess stronger strategies for managing stress and adversity. They see difficulties and changes as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than threats. As a result, they are able to remain calm and stable when facing stress and challenges. For instance, when encountering rude customer behavior, resilient employees can effectively manage and regulate their negative emotions, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, in certain situations, a positive work attitude can also lead to emotional exhaustion. Huang and Wang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) found that while individuals with high conscientiousness are more organized and planful, allowing them to manage work stress and time more effectively and reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion, they often set high standards for their work performance. When they fail to meet these self-imposed goals, they may experience stress, which can accumulate over time and increase the risk of emotional exhaustion. Additionally, employees with a prosocial orientation may be driven to engage in organizational citizenship behaviors (e.g., helping behaviors, acts of dedication) for the benefit of others or the organization. However, if employees feel compelled to perform these behaviors, they may develop psychological resistance, which can lead to emotional exhaustion (Chu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, employees with positive psychological traits tend to recover emotional balance more quickly, reducing emotional depletion caused by stress and difficulties. Positive psychological traits act as mediators, influencers, or moderators in studies on emotional exhaustion, indicating a close relationship between the two. Individuals with positive psychological traits (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, active coping, emotional intelligence) are generally more effective at managing work stress and challenges, and they possess the confidence to overcome difficulties when faced with challenges. Based on the above, the third hypothesis of this study is as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis 3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion is negatively correlated with positive psychological traits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Research Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResearch Scope and Literature Collection\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study uses the keyword \"emotional exhaustion\" and employs the ancestry approach to search through bibliographies and various abstracts. The descendency approach is also used, utilizing citation indexes to trace subsequent studies, in an effort to gather as much relevant research as possible. This helps to avoid missing important literature and enhances the comprehensiveness and completeness of the research data. From 1989 to 2024, a total of 148 studies were identified. Since meta-analysis requires the aggregation of individual research outcomes rather than conclusions, studies that do not provide sufficient data—such as sample sizes, means, standard deviations, or correlation coefficients—were excluded. Qualitative studies, papers without correlation coefficients, and descriptive-only texts without quantitative data were also eliminated, leaving a final selection of 60 journal articles. After further filtering based on the research topic, 26 empirical studies from academic journals and articles were chosen for the meta-analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eClassification of Research Categories and Selection Criteria\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter gathering empirical literature, the collected data were initially sorted and classified based on the research topics, methods, and relevance of variables. Since this study adopts the meta-analysis approach (Rosenthal, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e), the literature needed to provide sufficient quantitative data, such as sample size, mean, standard deviation, and correlation coefficients, to calculate effect sizes. To ensure accuracy, any data deemed unreliable due to data collection errors or significant statistical errors were excluded to avoid compromising the integrity of the research results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEstablishing Data Classification and Coding\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter filtering the collected literature, those that met the criteria for meta-analysis were compiled into a list. The original content from each study was extracted and classified according to the following codes:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a) Basic Information of the Study: Year, author, topic, keywords, target population, type of literature (journal, book, thesis), and code.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(b) Research Methods: Research design, sampling method, and variables in the study results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(c) Descriptive Data: Independent and dependent variables, sample size, and correlation coefficients.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEstablishing Classification for Analysis\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the 26 selected quantitative studies, variables were classified into different dimensions and organized into a sample table. The filtered literature samples were coded using Microsoft Excel to create a descriptive table of relevant studies, clearly presenting the characteristics of the papers and identifying the appropriate research variables. These variables include work stress, leadership effectiveness, and positive psychological traits, which were used as hierarchical variables for this study's meta-analysis. The content of each variable is described as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a) Work Stress: This variable includes interpersonal conflict, workload, job satisfaction, work-family conflict, job performance, frequency of interactions, internal customer-oriented service, perceived forced organizational citizenship behavior, role conflict, role stress, primary appraisal, service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior, promotive voice, prior emotional exhaustion, voice behavior, relative power assessment, affective organizational commitment, emotional labor, organizational citizenship behavior, Chinese interpersonal stressors, performance evaluation improvement, evaluation process assessment, engagement, frequency of dealing with difficult customers, workplace bullying, organizational care, relationship quality assessment, and customer incivility.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(b) Leadership Effectiveness: This variable includes perceptions of human resource information systems, abusive supervision, psychological contract breach, supervisor abusive supervision, supervisor tenure, perceived supervisory interactional injustice, leader-member exchange, supervisor-subordinate fit, supervisor recognition, justice perception, transactional leadership, perceived supervisor support, perceived supervisor neuroticism, perceived supervisor power, perceived usefulness of service training, authoritarian leadership, organizational support, organizational justice, incentive systems, transformational leadership, relational energy, and change management activities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(c) Positive Psychological Traits: This variable includes resilience, mental health, psychological empowerment, positive affect, self-efficacy, prosocial values, helping behavior, humor, emotional intelligence, emotional quotient, emotional stability, openness to experience, and conscientiousness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMeta-Analysis Effect Size Calculation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe meta-analysis utilized mathematical and statistical techniques to perform \"unit conversion\" on the descriptive tables mentioned above, converting traditional statistical values (X², t, F, p-values) into equivalent effect sizes (ES). This provided a basis for comparing the effect sizes across studies and helped mitigate cognitive biases or errors in researchers' intuitive thinking (Chang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA degree-of-freedom-based statistical approach to meta-analysis was employed to calculate the individual effect sizes (r values) for each coded study and the overall mean effect size across the combined studies. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.0 software was used to analyze the data, explaining various aspects such as effect size, heterogeneity, forest plots, and funnel plots, providing insights and references for the study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAnalysis Results, Hypothesis Testing, Conclusion, and Recommendations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe researcher tested the hypotheses proposed in this study based on the research results, identifying key issues from the findings. These results were explained and discussed, and specific practical management recommendations and future research directions were proposed based on the relevant issues discovered.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion and Recommendations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eDiscussion\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePositive Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Work Stress\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and work stress based on 22 studies. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between emotional exhaustion and work stress, consistent with previous research findings. When employees endure excessive workloads, tight deadlines, or high job responsibilities over time, their emotional and psychological resources gradually deplete, leading to emotional exhaustion (Lin, Lu, \u0026amp; Chen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Weng \u0026amp; Chien, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Huang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, employees subjected to prolonged stress from improper supervision may also experience emotional exhaustion (Wu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Hung, Cho, \u0026amp; Hung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Han, Huang, \u0026amp; Wang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). The I\u0026sup2; value of 96.539 indicates high heterogeneity among studies, suggesting that the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress might be influenced by moderating or mediating variables. Several studies support this phenomenon. Chen and Hsieh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) highlighted the role of leader-member exchange and organizational support in moderating emotional exhaustion, while Wu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e) noted that the relationship between improper supervision and emotional exhaustion is moderated by employees' perceptions of leadership justice. Yeh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) and Hsiao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) emphasized the importance of personal traits such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy in moderating the relationship between work stress and emotional exhaustion. These moderating or mediating variables may explain the differences in research outcomes, indicating the complexity and diversity of the relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress. Overall, while the meta-analysis confirms a significant correlation between work stress and emotional exhaustion, the differences across studies highlight the importance of organizational support, leadership behavior, and individual traits in moderating this influence. These findings collectively suggest that work stress is an important cause of emotional exhaustion, but the extent of its impact may vary depending on the presence of different moderating variables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNegative Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Leadership Effectiveness\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness based on 14 studies, revealing a weak negative correlation between the two, consistent with previous research findings. Shu and Jhan (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e), Yang and Lai (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR78\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that leadership behavior is directly linked to employee work stress, especially when leadership lacks support and motivation, leading to a significant increase in emotional exhaustion. Chen and Hsieh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) further noted that effective leaders can reduce emotional exhaustion among frontline service workers by providing support. Although the correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness is weak, poor leadership effectiveness can still lead to increased employee emotional exhaustion, indicating a subtle relationship between leadership effectiveness and employees' emotional health. Despite the relatively small influence, its cumulative impact over time can negatively affect organizational performance and leadership effectiveness. Additionally, the I\u0026sup2; value of 93.267 indicates high heterogeneity across studies, possibly due to differences in research methods, sample characteristics, cultural backgrounds, and industry contexts. Several scholars have observed similar phenomena. For example, Lin and Miao (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) emphasized the role of emotional intelligence in moderating emotional exhaustion, noting that employees with higher emotional intelligence can better cope with work stress and emotional labor, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Yeh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR79\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) highlighted the importance of employees' perceptions of service training efficacy and the support and training provided by leaders in moderating emotional exhaustion. When employees perceive that service training enhances their skills and feel supported by leaders, the risk of emotional exhaustion significantly decreases. Overall, these findings suggest that leadership effectiveness has a potential negative impact on emotional exhaustion, although the effect size is small, and there is high heterogeneity across studies. Future research should further explore the dynamic relationship between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness under different circumstances or conditions, to better understand how to effectively manage emotional exhaustion in different organizational environments and maintain or enhance leadership effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNegative Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychological Traits\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on 13 studies, this research conducted a meta-analysis on the correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits, revealing a significant negative correlation between the two, consistent with previous research findings. Positive psychological traits play a crucial role in reducing emotional exhaustion. Hsieh, Lin, and Wu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) found that employees with a positive mindset are more likely to maintain positive emotions when facing work challenges, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than threats, thus effectively coping with workplace stress and reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Similarly, Wu and Cheng (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR77\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006b\u003c/span\u003e) noted that employees with positive psychological traits are better at managing their emotional responses and are less likely to experience emotional exhaustion when facing stress and emotional labor. The I\u0026sup2; value of 96.480 indicates high heterogeneity across studies, possibly due to differences in sample characteristics, research methods, or cultural contexts, leading to variations in the strength of the relationship between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits under different conditions. This phenomenon has been supported by several studies. Chen and Hsieh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that psychological empowerment and organizational support, as mediating variables, can enhance the leader-subordinate exchange relationship, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Chang, Peng, and Zhuang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) showed that employees with high emotional intelligence and self-efficacy are better equipped to cope with workplace bullying, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Moreover, Ho, Tsai, and Chang (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) pointed out that self-efficacy, as a mediating variable, can moderate the impact of supervisors' neuroticism on employee voice behavior, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Chu, Chou, and Tseng (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) also found that employees with high self-efficacy can effectively reduce emotional exhaustion in situations of organizational citizenship behavior stress. Overall, these studies suggest that positive psychological traits have a significant protective effect in reducing emotional exhaustion. These traits help employees flexibly adjust themselves when facing stress and emotional labor and manage their emotional responses effectively, thereby reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. While this study shows a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits, the heterogeneity suggests that future research should consider more potential moderating variables to further understand how this relationship manifests in different contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRecommendations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePractical Recommendations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe relationship between emotional exhaustion and work stress shows a significant positive correlation. When employees experience prolonged excessive workload, tight deadlines, or high levels of job responsibility, their emotional and psychological resources are gradually depleted, leading to emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion is closely linked to job burnout and can result in numerous negative outcomes undesirable to organizations. Therefore, the issue of work stress and emotional exhaustion is not just an individual work-related problem but also a managerial challenge that organizations need to proactively address.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Employee Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProactively Identify Stressors and Seek Assistance: Employees should enhance self-awareness by understanding their stress responses. When work pressure becomes overwhelming, they should actively seek support, whether it be emotional support, collaboration with colleagues, or psychological counseling from external professionals. Developing self-awareness and effective stress management skills not only helps alleviate stress but also enhances problem-solving abilities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnhance Stress Management Skills: Employees should learn and practice stress management techniques to maintain a positive mental state and reduce the negative emotions caused by work stress. These techniques include time management, task prioritization, goal setting, and relaxation exercises, such as meditation, breathing techniques, and mindfulness training. Mastering these skills not only helps alleviate stress but also improves employees\u0026rsquo; sense of self-efficacy, enabling them to feel more in control at work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Organizational Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrioritize Employee Mental Health: Organizations can establish formal and informal communication channels to understand employees' work status, such as regular feedback meetings or mental health assessments, allowing employees to freely express their concerns and needs. Additionally, organizations should actively promote employee mental health programs by providing counseling services or implementing Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to help employees access professional psychological support when facing stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProperly Manage Workload and Job Design: Organizations should prioritize the reasonable design of work tasks to prevent employees from enduring high levels of stress and workload over extended periods. This includes setting clear work objectives, avoiding excessive working hours or responsibility assignments, and ensuring equitable distribution of work. Through reasonable work process planning, organizations can prevent employee burnout and promote work efficiency. Moreover, organizations should offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible working hours, to increase employees' flexibility in managing work demands and alleviate stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProvide Stress Management Training: Organizations should offer professional stress management training for employees, including emotional management techniques, stress identification, coping strategies, and ways to enhance emotional intelligence and psychological resilience. Through such training, employees can learn to identify the sources of stress and effectively respond to them. Additionally, organizations should regularly conduct stress assessments to understand employees' stress levels and provide targeted support and guidance based on the results. For example, offering specialized counseling or job adjustments for high-stress employees to ensure they continue to work effectively under controlled stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and leadership effectiveness. Under effective leadership, employees can better cope with work stress, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion. Conversely, poor leadership exacerbates emotional exhaustion. This relationship is primarily reflected in how leadership behaviors, styles, and support directly or indirectly influence employees\u0026rsquo; emotional states and levels of emotional exhaustion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Employee Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEstablish Open Communication Channels: Employees should proactively communicate with leaders, sharing their stress and challenges while offering constructive feedback. For example, through regular feedback meetings, employees can inform leaders about current issues and propose solutions. This not only improves management quality but also helps reduce misunderstandings and stress caused by poor communication.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLearn to Set Boundaries: When excessive demands from leaders lead to emotional stress, employees should learn to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, preventing work stress from spilling over into their personal time. For instance, allocating time effectively, learning to say no to excessive workloads, and ensuring time for rest can help employees protect themselves from rising emotional pressure and reduce stress originating from leadership.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeek Personal Development Opportunities: When faced with poor leadership, employees can actively pursue other development opportunities to enhance self-motivation. For example, internal rotations, participating in professional training, or engaging in new projects allow employees to reduce their dependence on leadership behaviors and find fulfillment and achievement in different environments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Organizational Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrengthen Leadership Training and Development: Organizations should provide continuous leadership training to ensure that management possesses effective leadership skills, such as interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, and crisis management. Enhancing leadership effectiveness can reduce the negative emotional impacts of poor leadership behavior on employees.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEstablish Effective Feedback Mechanisms and Communication Channels: Organizations should develop robust feedback mechanisms to allow employees to safely express their concerns about stress and difficulties, especially those stemming from inappropriate leadership behaviors. Open communication channels enable employees to raise improvement suggestions early on and help leaders adjust management strategies in a timely manner, thus alleviating employees' sources of stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuild a Fair and Supportive Organizational Culture: Organizations should strive to create a fair and transparent organizational culture, reducing stress related to power imbalances. For instance, establishing fair performance evaluations and promotion systems, providing clear career development plans, and offering advancement opportunities help employees understand their future career paths. This ensures that employees feel supported and respected within the organization, reducing negative issues caused by perceived unfair treatment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and positive psychological traits. Employees with a positive mindset are more likely to maintain positive emotions at work, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than threats. They are better able to manage their emotional responses when facing stress and emotional labor, allowing them to remain emotionally stable and avoid excessive emotional strain in stressful situations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Employee Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrain Positive Thinking to Cultivate Optimism: Employees can enhance their psychological resilience through daily positive thinking exercises. For example, recording three things they are grateful for each day or regularly noting positive ways they have responded to stressful situations can help maintain an optimistic mindset. This simple practice encourages individuals to focus more on the positive aspects of their experiences, reducing the accumulation of negative emotions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnhance Self-Efficacy: Employees should actively engage in skill development and learning opportunities to increase their self-efficacy by improving their knowledge and abilities. This could involve attending training courses, seeking guidance, or engaging in self-directed learning. When employees feel competent in handling work challenges, they are better equipped to manage stress effectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrengthen Social Support Systems: Positive psychological traits are closely linked to a robust social support network. Employees can actively build strong social connections with colleagues, supervisors, and friends. A strong support system provides emotional backing, ensuring that employees do not feel isolated when facing stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the Organizational Level.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePromote Positive Psychology Training Programs: Organizations can design training programs focused on fostering positive psychological traits in employees, helping them maintain positive thinking and emotional management under stress. These programs may include resilience training, mindfulness courses, or team-building activities aimed at developing employees' positive psychological attributes and enhancing their ability to cope with stress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrengthen Leaders' Influence on Positive Psychological Traits: Organizations should train leaders to apply positive psychological traits in their management practices. This could involve improving leaders' emotional intelligence, fostering empathy, and encouraging positive communication. When leaders embody positive psychological traits, they can better support and motivate employees, helping them maintain a positive mindset.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreate a Positive Work Culture: Organizations should strive to cultivate a work culture centered around positive psychology by encouraging collaboration, providing praise and recognition, and ensuring that employees feel valued and a sense of belonging. For example, regularly holding employee recognition events and emphasizing the importance of teamwork can contribute to a positive work atmosphere, improving employees' self-efficacy and emotional stability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRecommendations for Future Research\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eExpanding the Sample Scope: The sample scope of this study was limited to domestic journals, and after screening for meta-analysis criteria, 26 journal articles were analyzed. Future research could expand the sample, especially by including studies from different countries, cultures, and industries, to further examine how these variables affect the results. A more diverse sample can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the variations in specific issues across different contexts, thus enhancing the generalizability of the findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExploring Moderating and Mediating Mechanisms: This study used Rosenthal\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e) meta-analysis technique, revealing the overall relationships between variables, but it did not fully explain the potential moderating or mediating mechanisms that might influence the results. Future research could more specifically explore variables such as personal traits, organizational culture, and leadership styles, to further clarify how these variables impact the relationship between emotional exhaustion and other factors in different contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImproving Methodological Consistency: Meta-analyses may involve variations in research design, methods, and measurement tools, which can affect the interpretation of the results. Future research could strengthen methodological consistency and introduce more rigorous standards, such as using the same types of effect size measures or standardizing measurement tools for variables, to improve the comparability of results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExploring Emerging Factors: Future research could explore the influence of emerging factors beyond traditional variables, such as digital work environments, remote work models, and organizational innovation cultures. These emerging factors may have new impacts on emotional exhaustion or other variables in modern work settings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eFunding Declaration:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo funding was received for conducting this study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEthics Statements:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eYin-Che Chen: Conceptualization, Supervision, Project Administration, Writing \u0026ndash; Review \u0026amp; Editing.Ya-Shan Lu: Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Visualization, Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft.Hsueh-Ju Lo: Methodology, Investigation, Resources, Writing \u0026ndash; Original Draft, Correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe datasets analysed for the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbram, M. 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Enhancing firm performance through internal market orientation and employee organizational commitment. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Human Resource Management\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e30\u003c/em\u003e(6), 964\u0026ndash;987. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1380059\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"emotional exhaustion, work stress, leadership effectiveness, positive psychological traits","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7668615/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7668615/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eEmotional exhaustion refers to the process in which an individual's emotional and psychological resources are gradually depleted due to prolonged exposure to stress or high-demand work environments. This state is characterized by extreme fatigue, often accompanied by persistent energy loss, feelings of helplessness, and psychological detachment. Emotional exhaustion significantly impacts an individual's work motivation, engagement, and organizational development. This study aims to explore the nature of emotional exhaustion and its effects by conducting a meta-analysis of empirical studies related to emotional exhaustion published in Taiwan from 2003 to 2023. Using Rosenthal\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e) meta-analysis technique, 26 studies that met the selection criteria were analyzed. The results indicate that emotional exhaustion is positively correlated with work stress, negatively correlated with leadership effectiveness, and negatively correlated with positive psychological traits. Practical recommendations are provided based on these findings: both employees and organizations should pay attention to emotional exhaustion caused by work stress, prioritize workplace mental health, establish effective feedback mechanisms, foster supportive cultures to reduce the impact of poor leadership, and create a positive work culture that offers growth opportunities.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Meta-Analysis on Emotional Exhaustion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-17 09:14:09","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7668615/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"67d54f60-e349-4841-878e-969dac05bfe4","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":58057173,"name":"Health sciences/Health care"},{"id":58057174,"name":"Health sciences/Health occupations"},{"id":58057175,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology"},{"id":58057176,"name":"Social science/Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-25T20:39:23+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-17 09:14:09","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7668615","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7668615","identity":"rs-7668615","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}