The aforementioned hypothesized relationships implicitly lead to the mediating role of
emotional exhaustion on the relationships of personal resources with depression. The
COR theory posits that individuals with personal resources are less likely to be
confronted with depression, because they may circumvent the depletion of their
resources and experience lower emotional exhaustion. Consequently, employees with
positive affectivity and intrinsic motivation can cope with emotional exhaustion and
thus are faced with less depression.