From Occupational Stress to Service Quality: Examining Burnout, Emotional Exhaustion, and Job Performance among Airline Ground Staff in Thailand

Juan Rodrigo B.  Del Villar; Amornteb  Intasorn; Surath  Sridech; Harryvong  Kuptavanich; Dario Abdullah  Mando

doi:10.60027/iarj.2026.e297628

Authors

Juan Rodrigo B. Del Villar St Teresa International University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6315-5044
Amornteb Intasorn St Teresa International University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5243-9927
Surath Sridech St Teresa International University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8923-9329
Harryvong Kuptavanich St Teresa International University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4213-5322
Dario Abdullah Mando St Teresa International University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1568-0946

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e297628

Keywords:

Occupational Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, Burnout, Service Quality, Airline Ground Staff

Abstract

Background and Aims: Airline ground staff operate in high-demand service environments where sustained occupational stress may undermine both employee well-being and service performance. Despite their critical frontline role in passenger handling and service delivery, airline ground staff remain comparatively underexamined in aviation human resource research. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) and Conservation of Resources (COR) theories, this study examined the effects of occupational stress on job performance and service quality, and the sequential mediating roles of emotional exhaustion and burnout.

Methodology: Using a quantitative, cross-sectional explanatory design, data were collected from 210 airline ground staff in Thailand through a self-administered questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine theoretical associations and indirect pathways within a theory-driven sequential mediation model, with findings interpreted as associative rather than causal.

Results: Sequential mediation analysis showed that occupational stress exerted significant indirect effects on job performance through emotional exhaustion and burnout (β = −0.31, 95% CI [−0.42, −0.21]) and on service quality (β = −0.29, 95% CI [−0.40, −0.19]). The direct effects of occupational stress on job performance (β = −0.22) and service quality (β = −0.20) remained significant but were substantially attenuated, indicating partial sequential mediation.

Conclusion: Although causal inferences are limited by the cross-sectional design, the findings provide empirical support for stress-strain-outcome frameworks in frontline service contexts. The study clarifies the sequential roles of emotional exhaustion and burnout, identifying emotional exhaustion as a proximal strain mechanism preceding burnout in linking occupational stress to job performance and service quality. These findings underscore the importance of early stress management and resource-enhancing interventions to promote workforce sustainability, service reliability, and effective frontline service management among airline ground staff.

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