The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze the impact of small
and medium-sized business(SME) managers’ job stress and their recognition
of the effectiveness of healing therapy on life satisfaction and job satisfaction,
and to identify the...
The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze the impact of small
and medium-sized business(SME) managers’ job stress and their recognition
of the effectiveness of healing therapy on life satisfaction and job satisfaction,
and to identify the pathway through which psychological exhaustion mediates
these relationships. In the current SME management environment, job stress
among managers has been intensifying due to factors such as economic
recession, manpower shortages, and work overload, which can lead to
emotional exhaustion and job burnout, negatively affecting their overall
quality of life. Conversely, a positive perception of the psychological and
physical effects of healing therapy may enhance individual resilience and
emotional stability. Therefore, this study comprehensively examined the
interrelationship between job stress and healing therapy recognition, as well
as the mediating role of psychological exhaustion.
The subjects of this study were 401 SME managers across Korea, and data
were collected through online and offline surveys. Validated measurement
tools from previous studies were employed. Job stress was classified into
physiological, psychological, and behavioral stress. Psychological exhaustion
was measured through the subfactors of emotional exhaustion, pessimistic
attitude, and job efficacy.
Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 28.0, including
reliability analysis(Cronbach’s α), confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), and
structural equation modeling(SEM). The bootstrapping technique was applied
to verify the significance of mediating effects.
The results were as follows. First, job stress among SME managers had a
significant negative effect on both life satisfaction and job satisfaction. This
indicates that physical fatigue, emotional tension, and negative thinking
experienced in the workplace reduce an individual’s overall quality of life and
job satisfaction. Second, recognition of the effectiveness of healing therapy
had a positive effect on life satisfaction and job satisfaction. In other words,
the more strongly an individual perceives the psychological and restorative
efficacy of healing therapy, the higher their satisfaction with life and work.
Third, psychological exhaustion significantly and partially mediated the
relationships between job stress and both life satisfaction and job satisfaction.
Specifically, higher job stress led to greater psychological exhaustion, which
in turn lowered life and job satisfaction. Meanwhile, those with higher
recognition of healing therapy effectiveness reported lower levels of
psychological exhaustion, confirming an indirect pathway through which
positive perception mitigates the negative effects of stress.
More specifically, emotional exhaustion and reduced job efficacy were
significant mediators in the pathway from job stress to life satisfaction, while
decreased job efficacy mediated the relationship between job stress and job
satisfaction. Pessimistic attitude was a significant mediator in the pathway
from recognition of healing therapy effectiveness to life satisfaction, and both
pessimistic attitude and decreased job efficacy were significant mediators in
the pathway from recognition of healing therapy effectiveness to job
satisfaction. These findings indicate that healing therapy functions not merely
as a stress-relief method but as a contributing factor to enhancing
psychological resilience and strengthening positive self-awareness.
In conclusion, this study empirically established that SME managers’ job
stress negatively affects overall life and work domains through psychological
exhaustion, whereas recognition of the effectiveness of healing therapy exerts
a positive influence. This finding is significant as it provides a direction for
practical organizational interventions to enhance the psychological resilience of
SME managers. Therefore, first, at the corporate level, there is a need to
conduct regular stress diagnostics and activate healing programs for
managers(e.g., meditation, natural therapy, art therapy, and spatial healing).
Second, to alleviate individual psychological exhaustion, institutional support
such as emotional labor management, a positive feedback culture, and
expanded job autonomy is required. Third, future research should adopt a
multilevel model to subdivide the dimensions of healing therapy recognition
(e.g., psychological recovery, physical relaxation, emotional stability) and
compare their relative impacts.
This study contributes academically by comprehensively verifying the
complex relationships among job stress, psychological exhaustion, and
recognition of healing therapy in the context of mental health management
and organizational behavior research for SME managers. Furthermore, by
providing empirical evidence that recognition of healing therapy effectiveness
alleviates the negative effects of job-related stress, it offers practical
implications for the design of corporate human resource management and
wellness programs