Effect of Ergophobia on the Performance of Pakistani Pink-Collar Workers

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63516/amss/02.03/007

Keywords:

ergophobia, anxiety, fear, work-life balance, performance, work-place fear

Abstract

Background: The objective was to find out how Pakistani pink-collar workers' performance is affected by ergophobia, with a particular emphasis on the mediating function of work-life balance (WLB). This study investigated how anxiety and dread at work affect women in service-oriented professions' personal balance and professional effectiveness.

Methods: Purposive sampling was used to gather data from 384 female employees in Pakistan's tertiary industries using a cross-sectional approach. Smart PLS was used to analyse the data, and structural equation modelling was used to test hypotheses and evaluate validity and reliability.

Results: The results showed that ergophobia has a substantial and detrimental impact on WLB and performance. Furthermore, it was shown that WLB improved performance and acted as a mediator in the association between ergophobia and performance. This implies that anxiety at work disrupts the balance between personal and professional life, which in turn impairs job outcomes.

Conclusion: It was shown that reducing workplace anxiety is essential to raising pink-collar workers' job performance and general well-being.The study emphasizes the need for mental health programs and supporting organizational procedures that foster psychological safety, adaptability, and equilibrium in Pakistan's changing service workforce.

 

Keywords: Anxiety, Ergophobia,  Fear, Work-life balance, Performance, Workplace fear

Author Biographies

  • Uroosa Amin, Bahria University

    Senior Lecturer, Bahria University Karachi, Pakistan

  • Nisha Rafique, Ziauddin University

    Senior Lecturer, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.

  • Kiran Yameen, Ziauddin University

    Assistant Professor, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan

  • Subita Kafeel, Ziauddin University

    Senior Lecturer, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.

  • Nisha Lohana, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education

    Assistant Professor / HOD, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education, Karachi, Pakistan

     

References

1. Alagarsamy, S., Mehrolia, S., & Mathew, J. (2024). Fear of COVID‐19, workplace phobia, workplace deviance and perceived organizational support: A moderated mediation model. Stress and Health, 40(1), e3289.

2. APA. (2018). APA Dictionary of Psychology - Pink-Collar Worker. American Psychological Association. https://dictionary.apa.org/pink-collar-worker

3. Carloni, K. (2023, March 15). Ergophobia (Fear of Working): Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments [Review of Ergophobia (Fear of Working): Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments]. Choosing Therapy. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/ergophobia/

4. Catapano, P., Cipolla, S., Sampogna, G., Perris, F., Luciano, M., Catapano, F., & Fiorillo, A. (2023). Organizational and individual interventions for managing work-related stress in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. Medicina, 59(10), 1866.

5. De Jongh, A., Ten Broeke, E., & Renssen, M. R. (2001). Treatment of specific phobias with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Protocol, empirical status, and conceptual issues. J PRACT PSYCHOL, 7.

6. Fazal, S., Masood, S., Nazir, F., & Majoka, M. I. (2022). Individual and organizational strategies for promoting work–life balance for sustainable workforce: A systematic literature review from Pakistan. Sustainability, 14(18), 11552.

7. Haines, J., Williams, C. L., & Carson, J. M. (2002). Workplace phobia: psychological and psychophysiological mechanisms. International Journal of Stress Management, 9, 129-145.

8. IndexMundi. (2021). Pakistan — Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate). IndexMundi. Retrieved from: https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/pakistan/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS

9. Isa, M., & Indrayati, N. (2023). The role of work–life balance as mediation of the effect of work–family conflict on employee performance. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 21, 1910.

10. Jamilah, J., Kambara, R., & Mulyani, A. S. (2024). The Effect of Work Life Balance and Job Training on Employee Performance: Job Satisfaction as Mediation. Asean International Journal of Business, 3(2), 182-192.

11. Khalil, S., & Warner, A. (2025). Invisible labor, visible barriers: The socioeconomic realities of women's work in Pakistan (arXiv:2508.16664) [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.16664

12. Mahmood, A., & Khan, M. M. (2024). The effect of work-family conflicts on employee well-being: the mediating role of work-life balance and the moderating role of psychological resources. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 8(4), 592-609.

13. Malik, S., Ullah, I., Irfan, M., Ahorsu, D. K., Lin, C. Y., Pakpour, A. H., ... & Minhas, R. (2021). Fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among Pakistani doctors: A survey study. BMC Public Health, 21, 1-9.

14. Muschalla, B., & Linden, M. (2014). Workplace phobia, workplace problems, and work ability among primary care patients with chronic mental disorders. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 27(4), 486-494.

15. Muschalla, B., & Linden, M. (2014). Workplace phobia, workplace problems, and work ability among primary care patients with chronic mental disorders. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 27(4), 486-494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2014.04.130308

16. Njoki, W. (2021). GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE. Journal of Gender Related Studies, 2(2), 9-17.

17. Pustovit, S., Miao, C., & Qian, S. (2024). Fear and work performance: A meta-analysis and future research directions. Human Resource Management Review, 34(3), 101018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2024.101018

18. Rafique, M. A., Hou, Y., Chudhery, M. A. Z., Waheed, M., Zia, T., & Chan, F. (2022). Investigating the impact of pandemic job stress and transformational leadership on innovative work behavior: The mediating and moderating role of knowledge sharing. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(3), 100214.

19. Sarwar, A., Abdullah, M. I., Imran, M. K., & Fatima, T. (2023). When fear about health hurts performance: COVID-19 and its impact on employee’s work. Review of Managerial Science, 17(2), 513-537.

20. Shirmohammadi, M., Chan Au, W., & Beigi, M. (2022). Antecedents and outcomes of work-life balance while working from home: A review of the research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Resource Development Review, 21(4), 473-516.

21. Smith, M. E. (2009). Work phobia and sickness leave certificates: Guest editorial. African Journal of Psychiatry, 12(4), 249-253.

22. Thaufayl, M. H. C., Ardyanto, M. F., Julio, F. L., Nugroho, A. A., & Pratama, H. M. (2024). The Effect of Flexible Working Arrangement and Work Life Balance on Employee Performance.

23. Vignoli, M., Muschalla, B., & Mariani, M. G. (2017). Workplace phobic anxiety as a mental health phenomenon in the job demands‐resources model. BioMed research international, 2017(1), 3285092.

24. Wang, M. L., Narcisse, M. R., Togher, K., & McElfish, P. A. (2024). Job flexibility, job security, and mental health among US working adults. JAMA Network Open, 7(3), e243439-e243439. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.3439

25. Zeerak, S., Kamran, A., Khan, M., & Khan, Q. (2018). Impact of Job Stress on Employee Social Life: A Study to Test Work-Life Balance. Journal of Social Sciences and Media Studies, 2(1), 34-42.

Downloads

Published

30-09-2025

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Archives of Management and Social Sciences

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Archives of Management and Social Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Effect of Ergophobia on the Performance of Pakistani Pink-Collar Workers. (2025). Archives of Management and Social Sciences , 2(3), 80-94. https://doi.org/10.63516/amss/02.03/007

Similar Articles

1-10 of 34

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.