Agile Project Management and Emotional Exhaustion: A Moderated Mediation Process

This article tested a moderated mediation process to explain the relationship between agile project management and emotional exhaustion. By transferring traditional stress theories to the agile context, work-related stress was introduced as a mediator, and the moderating effects of social competence, perceived team support, and a culture for psychological empowerment were evaluated. The results of two complementary field studies with 307 project employees indicated that higher levels of agile project management lowered project employees' emotional exhaustion by reducing their work-related stress levels. This negative indirect relationship is significantly stronger when the organization fosters a culture for psychological empowerment.