Emotional exhaustion and the baby-profit gap: The moderating role of workplace support in Ghana’s private sector

This study examines the baby-profit gap and its association with emotional exhaustion and workplace support among female employees with caregiving responsibilities in Accra. Emotional exhaustion, a burnout indicator, affects productivity and organizational commitment, disproportionately impacting women. The baby-profit gap, the disparity in productivity and income between men and women due to caregiving, exacerbates this issue. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey, data from 152 female employees in three private sector organizations were analyzed. Emotional exhaustion was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory, workplace support with a modified Workplace Support Questionnaire, and the baby-profit gap with a tailored questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for analysis. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship between emotional exhaustion and the baby-profit gap, indicating higher emotional fatigue correlates with greater economic disparities. Workplace support significantly influences and moderates this relationship, suggesting supportive policies can mitigate emotional exhaustion's adverse effects and reduce the baby-profit gap. These results highlight the need for holistic organizational policies and societal changes to address the baby-profit gap. Interventions such as paid parental leave, gender pay equity, and flexible work arrangements are crucial in creating equitable work environments that support professional advancement and caregiving responsibilities. Future research should focus on the long-term effectiveness of these interventions.

Keywords: Emotional exhaustion, Baby-profit gap, Workplace support, Gender disparity, Work-family balance