Abstract

In situations with rising work demands and organisational pressures, employee performance is crucial to higher education institutions' success and balance. The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework is used to analyse how workplace stress affects higher education employee performance. The impacts of workload, work–life balance, role conflict, and organisational support on employee performance are examined. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 225 higher education personnel in a quantitative, cross-sectional study. Using SmartPLS software, PLS-SEM was used to analyse data. The structural model was bootstrapped, but the measurement model was reliable and valid. All hypothesised associations are statistically significant. Organisational support and work–life balance boost employee performance, but workload and role conflict influence performance as essential job demands. A large part of employee performance variance is explained by the model, proving its power. The study empirically verifies the JD-R paradigm in higher education and offers helpful tips for boosting employee performance through supportive organisational practices and stress management.