Does work stress hurt performance through mental health?
Among 196 Chinese SME employees surveyed in the COVID-19 period, work stress predicted worse mental health and performance; mental health fully mediated the stress–performance link, and servant leadership did not moderate stress.
Source
Work stress, mental health, and employee performance
Study at a glance
- Design
- Cross-sectional — Email survey of Chinese SME employees during COVID-19; hierarchical linear regression of work stress, mental health, performance, and servant leadership
- N
- N=196 · 450 questionnaires emailed; 196 valid (43.6% response)
- Population
- Employees of Chinese SMEs (mostly 21–200 staff; 63.8% non-high-tech), typically ≥2 years tenure
- Outcome
- Self-reported work stress, mental health, employee performance, and servant leadership
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Does work stress hurt performance through mental health?
These passages occur verbatim in the stored paper text. They support the points listed below; they do not verify every statement in the explanation.
196 valid of 450 questionnaires (43.6%).
450 questionnaires were administered via email, and 196 valid questionnaires were returned—an effective rate of 43.6%.
Work stress → performance β = −0.193, p < 0.01.
The results revealed that work stress negatively affects employee performance (β = −0.193, p < 0.01).
What they did
Emailed 450 questionnaires (196 valid, 43.6%) via campus/industry contacts. Used translated multi-item scales and hierarchical linear regression (plus Pearson correlations) to test H1–H4 on stress, mental health, performance, and servant leadership.
What they found
Work stress negatively predicted performance (β = −0.193, p < 0.01) and mental health (β = −0.517, p < 0.001). Mental health fully mediated stress→performance (stress became ns when health was in the model). Servant leadership’s stress × leadership interaction was not significant.
The limits
What it doesn't show
A cross-sectional self-report sample cannot prove causation or that hiring servant leaders would protect mental health during a pandemic.
Key terms
- Work stress
- Perceived job stressors during COVID-19 (income, WFH conflict, role change).
- Mental health
- Self-reported psychological status; full mediator of stress→performance.
- Employee performance
- Self-rated work performance in SMEs.
- Servant leadership
- Leader style tested as a buffer; moderation was not significant.
- SME
- Small- and medium-sized enterprises in China.
- Full mediation
- Stress no longer predicted performance once mental health was included.
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Quiz yourself
Valid N was:
Common questions
How many valid surveys?
196 of 450 (43.6%).
Did stress predict performance?
Yes, β = −0.193, p < 0.01.
What mediated that link?
Mental health (full mediation).
Did servant leadership buffer stress?
No—the interaction was not significant.
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