NAVIGATING DIGITAL STRAIN: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL LEADERSHIP AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN DIGITAL BURNOUT VIA MEDIATING ROLE SUSTAINABLE HRM PRACTICES IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Employee exposure to technology-related stress has increased due to the workplace's fast digitalization, making digital burnout a serious organizational risk. Using sustainable human resource management techniques as a mediating mechanism, this study examines the relationship between digital leadership, emotional intelligence and digital burnout. Data were gathered from 390 public and private school teachers and administrators using a cross-sectional survey design. The proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that while digital leadership and emotional intelligence have a negative impact on digital burnout, they also have a positive impact on sustainable HRM practices. The links between digital leadership, digital burnout, and emotional intelligence and digital burnout were found to be somewhat mediated by sustainable HRM, underscoring its function in converting leadership and emotional competencies into decreased burnout. Furthermore, sustainable HRM directly reduces digital burnout, highlighting the significance of sustainable HR practices in fostering worker wellbeing. The study advances the Job Demands-Resources framework in digitalized work environments by combining leadership, emotional intelligence, sustainable HRM practices, and burnout into a unified model. Practically speaking, the findings highlight the necessity for government to make investments in digital leadership, develop emotional intelligence, and put in place long-term HR programs in order to lower employee burnout and boost output.