Navigating the Storm: Work Stress, Perceived Social Support, and Female Work Performance

Abstract

This study investigated workplace stress and work performance among female employees in educational institutions of southern Punjab, Pakistan, focusing on the moderating role of perceived social support. Female employees in Pakistan face dual professional and domestic burdens, heightening vulnerability to occupational stress. Stress impairs productivity, especially for women facing discrimination and role conflict. Grounded in conservation of resources theory, perceived social support is proposed as a buffer against stress-induced decline. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from 200 female employees at four institutions in Vehari and Burewala via convenient sampling. Instruments included the work stress questionnaire, multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and individual work performance Questionnaire. Pearson correlation and regression tested the hypotheses. Work stress negatively affected job performance (r = –.457, p < .01) and social support (r = –.524, p < .01). Social support alone did not predict performance; however, its interaction with stress was significant (B = 0.030, p < .001), confirming a buffering effect. The model explained 73.5% of variance in performance. Institutions should introduce counselling and team-building activities to reduce occupational stress among female employees. Future research should explore moderators such as leadership styles across diverse sectors.