The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy: Exploring the Impact of Social Undermining on Emotional Exhaustion Among Gray-Collar Workers

Drawing from Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study aims to understand the factors influencing the emotional health and performance of employees in work environments by examining the relationship between social undermining, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion. The study was conducted with data obtained from 315 grey-collar employees. The findings suggest that grey-collar employees exposed to social undermining tend to experience increased levels of emotional exhaustion. However, the presence of high self-efficacy among these employees eliminates the impact of this effect. These results suggest that organizations should strive to create healthier work environments and promote the emotional well-being of their employees. Furthermore, the findings indicate that employers and managers can reduce emotional exhaustion by enhancing employees' self-efficacy levels and strengthening social support systems.