Role conflicts, emotional exhaustion and health problems: a study of police officers in Taiwan

Abstract

This study focused on the role conflicts faced by police officers in Taiwan and investigated the relationship between role conflicts, emotional exhaustion and health problems based on the job demands and resources model (JD-R model). Firstly, in addition to work-family conflict, an inter-role conflict, this study identified an intrasender role conflict for police officers called uncompromising-friendly conflict. Secondly, according to the JD-R model, it was hypothesized that emotional exhaustion has a complete mediation effect on the relationships between role conflicts and health problems. The survey data in Huang's study were analysed. A total of 672 police officers at Kaohsiung, Taiwan provided completed data for analysis. Correlation analysis showed that role conflicts, emotional exhaustion and health problems were positively correlated. Results of the structural equation model further suggested that the positive effect of role conflicts on health problems was partially mediated by emotional exhaustion. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.