This study aims to investigate how job characteristics influence employee mental well-being through workplace loneliness. Drawing on job demands-resources (JD-R) theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, the study examines workplace loneliness as a mediating relational strain mechanism linking job demands, job control and social support to employee mental well-being. It further explores whether resilience functions as a personal resource that buffers the negative impact of workplace loneliness on mental well-being.
This study adopts a quantitative research design to test a moderated mediation model linking job characteristics, workplace loneliness, resilience and employee well-being. Data were collected through an online survey from 606 full-time onsite employees in Bangkok. Established and validated measurement scales from prior studies were used to ensure reliability and construct validity. The hypothesized relationships were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus, allowing simultaneous assessment of the mediating role of workplace loneliness and the moderating effect of resilience while controlling for key demographic variables. This analytical approach provides a rigorous test of the proposed relationships within an integrated JD–R and COR theoretical framework.
The results provide robust support for the proposed theoretical model. Job control and social support significantly reduce workplace loneliness, whereas job demands significantly intensify it. Workplace loneliness, in turn, negatively affects employee well-being and operates as a central mechanism through which job characteristics shape well-being. Mediation analyses reveal that workplace loneliness fully transmits the effects of job control and job demands to well-being and partially mediates the relationship between social support and well-being. Moreover, resilience significantly moderates the loneliness–well-being relationship, buffering the detrimental impact of workplace loneliness. These findings underscore that employee well-being is jointly shaped by structural job conditions and employees' personal resource capacities.
This study advances the literature by positioning workplace loneliness as a relational strain mechanism linking job characteristics to employee well-being within an integrated JD–R and COR framework. It highlights how structural job conditions and personal resource reservoirs jointly shape employee well-being. While the study focuses on onsite employees in Bangkok to capture workplace loneliness in physically co-located environments, future research could extend this framework by examining different work arrangements or cultural contexts. Longitudinal designs may also further illuminate how workplace loneliness and resilience evolve over time in shaping employee well-being.
Organizations should recognize workplace loneliness as an important well-being risk rather than a purely personal issue. The findings suggest that reducing excessive job demands while strengthening job resources such as job control, supervisor support and coworker support can help mitigate workplace loneliness and improve employee mental well-being. Managers should also monitor employees' sense of belonging and relational connection through well-being assessments and team climate reviews. In addition, resilience-development initiatives, including coaching, emotional regulation training and stress recovery programs, may help employees better cope with relational strain. However, resilience interventions should complement – not replace – improvements in work design.
The findings highlight workplace loneliness as a broader social concern that extends beyond individual organizations. For policymakers, the results suggest the importance of promoting work environments that support both employee well-being and social connection. Policies encouraging healthy job design, manageable workloads and supportive workplace relationships can help reduce workplace loneliness and protect employees' psychological well-being. In addition, public initiatives that promote mental health awareness and resilience development in the workforce may further strengthen employees' capacity to cope with relational strain in contemporary work settings.
The study offers four theoretical contributions. First, it advances JD-R theory by identifying workplace loneliness as a relational strain pathway through which job characteristics affect employee mental well-being. Second, it clarifies the role of resilience as a COR-grounded personal resource that attenuates the negative relationship between workplace loneliness and mental well-being. Third, it demonstrates the value of integrating JD-R and COR theories to explain both work-related antecedents and individual resource conditions associated with workplace loneliness. Fourth, it extends workplace loneliness research beyond remote-work settings by providing evidence from onsite employees in Thailand, showing that relational strain remains relevant even in physically co-located and collectivist work environments.
