“We’re Exhausted!” Unravelling the Consequence of Perceived Occupational Stigma among High-Prestige Occupations

High-prestige occupations such as university English teachers in non-native English-speaking countries are under severe physical and psychological stress. Based on the research framework of stress-strain-outcome (SSO) theory and resource conservation theory, this study aimed to identify the process underlying perceived occupational stigma among university EFL teachers with the goal of assessing the impacts of perceived occupational stigma on teachers’ psychological well-being and occupational commitment. The study qualitatively examined the internal framework of teachers’ perceived stressors, the mechanisms underlying dynamic resource allocation, and the key influences and dimensions affecting psychological well-being and occupational commitment. A total of 389 university EFL teachers were systematically surveyed, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings suggested that perceptions of occupational stigma lead to significantly lower levels of occupational self-esteem but have limited explanatory power with regard to this phenomenon. Perceived occupational stigma significantly affects emotional exhaustion. Perceived occupational stigma in the high-prestige university EFL group does not affect psychological well-being but does have a negative effect on occupational commitment. Optimism moderates the effects of emotional exhaustion on psychological well-being and occupational commitment. This research extends the study of occupational stigma to encompass a broad perspective on a high- prestige group, i.e., university EFL teachers. It also has managerial implications with regard to the education industry.