The dual-path impact of role stress on employees' work engagement: based on the cognitive-affective system theory of personality.

Under the collectivist cultural context that emphasizes hierarchical values, Chinese employees are burdened with significant role stress driven by fierce market competition and continuously escalating role expectations from organizations. Based on the Cognitive-Affective System Theory of Personality, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence mechanism of role stress on work engagement in the Chinese context via both cognitive and affective pathways, as well as to explore potential boundary conditions from the perspective of traditional Chinese culture. This study conducts empirical analysis based on cross-point survey data of 598 Chinese employees. The PROCESS macro in SPSS was used for regression analysis to test hypotheses. The results indicated that role stress had a negative effect on work engagement; organization-based self-esteem and work alienation partially mediated the effect of role stress on work engagement; and perceived organizational support moderated the negative correlation between role stress and organizational self-esteem, as well as the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem in the relationship between role stress and work engagement. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of role stress in the Chinese setting, offers a new theoretical perspective and entry point for relevant research, and broadens the applicability of the Cognitive-Affective System Theory of Personality.