From Workplace Hurdles to Solitary Tendencies: Unraveling the Mediating Role of Psychological Strain

This study, grounded in emotion depletion theory, examines how workplace hurdles ( i.e., task, social, and organizational) impact employee solitude behavior. Besides, how does psychological strain mediate the relationship between workplace hurdles and solitude behavior? Empirical analyses of this study are performed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SmartPLS 4 software. Data were collected by using a systematic random sampling approach from 468 university teachers in China. A three-wave time-lag design, with 50-day intervals between waves, is used to separate the predictors, the mediator, and the outcome. The findings of this study confirm that workplace hurdles are positively and significantly correlated with employees’ solitary behavior. Psychological strain partially mediates the relationship between workplace hurdles (task, social, and organizational) and solitude behavior. The results of this study refine theory on emotion-depletion dynamics in higher education and identify leverage points for organizational interventions that reduce strain and limit employee isolation.