Effort-Reward Imbalance Impact on Psychosocial Stress Among Hotel Employees at 3-to-5-Star Hotels, Kota Kinabalu

The hotel industry is a demanding service sector in which employees are frequently exposed to high workloads, long working hours, emotional labour, and strict service standards, potentially contributing to psychosocial stress. Guided by the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Theory, this study examined the relationships between effort, reward, effort-reward imbalance, and psychosocial stress among employees of 3-to-5-star hotels in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed using an online questionnaire administered through purposive sampling. Data from 160 respondents were analysed using SPSS version 28 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings showed that effort was positively associated with psychosocial stress (β = .403, p < .001), while reward was negatively associated with psychosocial stress (β = −.476, p < .001). Effort–reward imbalance was also positively associated with psychosocial stress (β = .117, p = .020). The findings highlight the importance of balancing work demands with appropriate financial and non-financial rewards to support employee well-being in the hotel industry.