Journal of Research Administration

Abstract

Workplace well-being and burnout represent critical concerns for organizational effectiveness, yet the psychological mechanisms linking affective states to burnout dimensions remain incompletely understood, particularly in post-communist European contexts. Grounded in Conservation of Resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) and the Job Demands-Resources model (Demerouti et al., 2001), this study investigates how interpersonal conflict at work mediates the relationships between job-related affective well-being and burnout dimensions among Romanian employees. A sample of 640 Romanian employees completed Warr’s (1990) Job-Related Affective Well-Being Scale (measuring Anxiety-Contentment and Depression-Enthusiasm dimensions), the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale (Spector &Jex, 1998), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (Maslach et al., 1996), assessing Emotional Exhaustion and Professional Inefficacy. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlations, hierarchical regression, and path analysis-based mediation with 10,000 bootstrap replications in Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP). Results revealed strong intercorrelations between affective dimensions and significant negative associations between both Anxiety-Contentment and Depression-Enthusiasm with Interpersonal Conflict at Work. Interpersonal Conflict positively predicted Professional Inefficacy and Emotional Exhaustion. Hierarchical regression models incorporating both affective dimensions and Interpersonal Conflict explained 47.1% of variance in Emotional Exhaustion and 36.4% in Professional Inefficacy. Mediation analyses revealed differential pathways: Depression-Enthusiasm exhibited partial mediation for both Emotional Exhaustion and Professional Inefficacy, whereas Anxiety-Contentment showed direct effects only on Emotional Exhaustion but complete mediation through Interpersonal Conflict at Work for Professional Inefficacy. Interpersonal Conflict at Work demonstrated stronger effects on Professional Inefficacy than Emotional Exhaustion. These findings demonstrate that interpersonal conflict serves as a critical mediating mechanism through which affective states influence burnout, with distinct pathways for different affective and burnout dimensions. The results extend theoretical understanding of resource depletion processes and highlight the importance of conflict management interventions in burnout prevention strategies.