The process of burnout in white‐collar and blue‐collar jobs: eight‐year prospective study of exhaustion

This study tested three contrasting theories about the sequential process of the three dimensions of burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy) as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory—General Survey (MBI‐GS). The causal order of the burnout components was investigated by including job stressors as antecedents of burnout in structural equation models (LISREL). The predictive effect of exhaustion on burnout dimensions eight years later was also investigated. The longitudinal models were then tested in two occupational subgroups. The participants were 713 Finnish employees (415 white‐collar and 298 blue‐collar workers) from an international industry enterprise. The best fitting model of the associations between the three burnout dimensions was obtained by a path model where exhaustion predicted cynicism, and cynicism in turn predicted lack of professional efficacy. The symptoms of exhaustion were persistent over time. There were no differences between the two occupational groups in the process of burnout. Also the work‐related antecedents of burnout (job stressors) were very similar in both groups. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Re‐examining the effects of psychological contract violations: unmet expectations and job dissatisfaction as mediators

This research examines whether the relationships between psychological contract violations and three types of employee behavior (intention to quit, neglect of in‐role job duties, and organizational citizenship behaviors) are mediated by unmet expectations and job dissatisfaction. Using a sample of over 800 managers from a wide variety of research sites, this study tests for mediator effects using both hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modelling. The results suggest that unmet expectations and job dissatisfaction do partially mediate such relationships. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Are perseverance and self‐efficacy costless? Assessing entrepreneurs' regretful thinking

New business formation is a formidable and daunting task, which may require personal perseverance and self‐efficacy. If this is indeed the case, will entrepreneurs and non‐entrepreneurs differ on such attributes? Also, if high levels of perseverance and self‐efficacy help entrepreneurs to overcome setbacks, snags, and obstacles, do these positive attributes co‐occur with significant personal costs, such as the tendency to experience regretful thinking? This study uses a random sample of 217 patent inventors in the medical industry (surgery devices) to address these questions. Results indicate that entrepreneurs score significantly higher on self‐efficacy and on two distinct aspects of perseverance—perceived control over adversity and perceived responsibility regarding outcome of adversity—than did non‐entrepreneurs. Also, although entrepreneurs report the same number of regrets, their regrets are stronger and are qualitatively different from those reported by non‐entrepreneurs. These findings suggest that perseverance and self‐efficacy do indeed co‐occur with regretful thinking. Finally, post hoc analysis reveals that the higher the overall perseverance scores of patent inventors, the higher their annual earnings. We conclude by examining the implications for theory, researcher, and practice. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factorial validity of the Maslach burnout inventory—Dutch version (MBI‐NL) among dentists

Burnout is considered to be a long‐term reaction to occupational stress. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. The most widely used instrument to measure burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), developed by Maslach and Jackson (1986). From this instrument, Schaufeli and van Dierendonck (1995a) developed a somewhat modified Dutch version: the MBI‐NL. Burnout among dentists has hardly been studied. Since the professions that the MBI‐NL was developed upon are quite different from dentistry, the aim of this study was to test the three‐factor structure of the MBI‐NL against alternative structures among dentists. Both principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined in a representative sample of 709 Dutch general dental practitioners (75 per cent response rate). The three‐factor structure shows the best fit to the underlying data, while other psychometric qualities are very satisfactory. It is concluded that the three‐factor structure of the MBI‐NL is superior to alternative structures, and that the MBI‐NL is a highly suitable instrument to measure burnout among dentists. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using a pattern‐oriented approach to study leaders: Implications for burnout and perceived role demand

Using a pattern‐oriented approach, we identified clusters of leaders who shared theoretically meaningful combinations of transformational, contingent reward, management by exception active, management by exception passive, and laissez‐faire leadership styles. Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, we examined whether leaders who shared a similar pattern of leadership styles differed from leaders who belonged to other profile groups, with respect to felt burnout and perceived role demands. Hypotheses were tested using a time‐lagged field study involving 183 leaders. Using latent profile analyses, we found four theoretically interpretable patterns. Leaders who belonged to the comprehensive cluster (elevated scores on the transformational, contingent reward, and the passive styles; 14.2%) experienced the highest levels of burnout and role demands, whereas those who were disengaged (low scores on all styles; 33.3%) reported the lowest levels. Leaders who exhibited a passive behavioral pattern (elevated scores on management by exception active, management by exception passive, and laissez‐faire relative to the other styles; 27.3%) experienced more burnout and role demands than did leaders who exhibited an optimal pattern (elevated scores on transformational and contingent reward styles relative to the passive styles; 25.1%). The theoretical and practical implications of a pattern‐oriented approach to leadership research were discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patient demands,lack of reciprocity,and burnout: a five‐year longitudinal study among general practitioners

This study among a sample of 207 general practitioners (GPs) uses a five‐year longitudinal design to test a process model of burnout. On the basis of social exchange and equity theory, it is hypothesized and found that demanding patient contacts produce a lack of reciprocity in the GP–patient relationship, which, in turn, depletes GPs' emotional resources and initiates the burnout syndrome. More specifically, structural equation analyses confirmed that—both at T1 and T2—lack of reciprocity mediates the impact of patient demands on emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion, in turn, evokes negative attitudes toward patients (depersonalization), and toward oneself in relation to the job (reduced personal accomplishment). Moreover, this process model of burnout was confirmed at T2, even after controlling for T1‐scores on each of the model components. Finally, T1 depersonalization predicted the intensity and frequency of T2 patient demands, after controlling for T1 patient demands. This major finding suggests that GPs who attempt to gain emotional distance from their patients as a way of coping with their exhaustion, evoke demanding and threatening patient behaviors themselves. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Job demands,job resources,and their relationship with burnout and engagement: a multi‐sample study

This study focuses on burnout and its positive antipode—engagement. A model is tested in which burnout and engagement have different predictors and different possible consequences. Structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously analyze data from four independent occupational samples (total N = 1698). Results confirm the hypothesized model indicating that: (1) burnout and engagement are negatively related, sharing between 10 per cent and 25 per cent of their variances; (2) burnout is mainly predicted by job demands but also by lack of job resources, whereas engagement is exclusively predicted by available job resources; (3) burnout is related to health problems as well as to turnover intention, whereas engagement is related only to the latter; (4) burnout mediates the relationship between job demands and health problems, whereas engagement mediates the relationship between job resources and turnover intention. The fact that burnout and engagement exhibit different patterns of possible causes and consequences implies that different intervention strategies should be used when burnout is to be reduced or engagement is to be enhanced. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emotional social support and job burnout among high‐school teachers: is it all due to dispositional affectivity?

The authors investigated whether the relationship between the contents of emotional social support and job burnout among high‐school teachers is spurious because of the role of dispositional positive and negative affectivity. A national sample of 339 teachers was surveyed via a web‐based procedure. Hierarchical regression analyses did not support spuriousness; emotional social support was uniquely predictive of three dimensions of burnout controlling for affectivity. As positive emotional social support increased, emotional exhaustion and cynicism decreased, and professional efficacy increased. As negative emotional social support increased, emotional exhaustion and cynicism also increased. Commonality analyses based on the present data and data reported by K. L. Zellars and P. L. Perrewé (2001; Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 459–467) provided additional support for the unique role of emotional social support on burnout, but these analyses suggest a greater role of affectivity than emotional social support. These findings have implications for research on burnout as well as the prevention of burnout among teachers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Beyond the brink: STEM women and resourceful sensemaking after burnout

This paper attends to the burnout recovery experiences of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and qualitatively explores how these individuals renegotiate, reorient, and recalibrate their work trajectories after burnout; an ambiguous and shocking event that has been shown to cause lingering disruption for both individuals and organizations (Salvagioni et al., 2017). We bring together conservation of resources (COR) theory and a sensemaking approach, illustrating how attention to sensemaking reveals the dynamics of resource allocation during times of disruption and loss; that is, the relational negotiation of protecting, investing, and fostering resources, including and importantly to burnout, a recognizable sense of recovery. Our rich qualitative analysis and findings reveal three sensemaking plotlines (Combative, Regenerative, and Promissory) through which rituals of resource management take place. Insights from this study provide a theoretical exposition for the post-burnout experience, illuminating the black box between burnout and recovery. We present a number of theoretical and practical contributions in developing the scholarly vistas surrounding (post-)burnout studies and STEM careers that better conceptualize (i) how marginalized members in highly instituted settings experience the aftermath of burnout and (ii) the broader implications this has for the sustainability of workforces.     

The measurement of experienced burnout

A scale designed to assess various aspects of the burnout syndrome was administered to a wide range of human services professionals. Three subscales emerged from the data analysis: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Various psychometric analyses showed that the scale has both high reliability and validity as a measure of burnout.     

Correlates of burnout among public service lawyers

Several hypotheses suggested by the theoretical literature on burnout were empirically tested in an attempt to identify the organizational conditions associated with employee burnout. Public service lawyers in the U.S. (N= 391) completed a survey designed to assess (a) three components of burnout, namely, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of low personal accomplishment; (b) perceptions of several job conditions predicted to be associated these three components of burnout, including workload, role conflict, social support, decision-making policies, and autonomy; and (c) organizational commitment. Results indicate that emotional exhaustion is most strongly associated with role conflict and quantitative workload. Feelings of personal accomplishment were associated with supervisory social support and job level. Depersonalization was associated with role conflict and decision-making policies. Finally, each burnout component is significantly related to organizational commitment.     

The contribution of burnout to work performance

While the notion that ‘burnout’ is related to a decline in work performance is widely recognized, empirical support for this relationship is lacking. The present study, composed of human services personnel, is the first to empirically test the relationships among Maslach's three dimensions of burnout and work performance. A negative relationship was established between one dimension of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent work performance. However, the results failed to establish relationships among work performance, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. These results provide further support for emotional exhaustion as a key component of the burnout experience. Future directions and implications of these findings are introduced. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The construct validity of two burnout measures

The present study was carried out among a sample of 667 Dutch nurses and assesses three aspects of the construct validity of the two most widely used self-report burnout questionnaires: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Burnout Measure (BM). Although the factorial validity of the three-dimensional structure of the MBI was convincingly demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL, four weak and ambiguous items were identified. Regarding the BM, some doubts have arisen about its one-dimensionality. The congruent validity of the questionnaires was well established: They both refer to the core element of the burnout syndrome (i.e. exhaustion). Moreover, linear structural analyses suggested that burnout is a two multi-dimensional construct consisting of an affective component (i.e. exhaustion) and an attitudinal component (i.e. a negative attitude towards recipients and towards one's job performance). However, the discriminant validity of the first component is rather poor since it considerably overlaps with self-reported somatic complaints and psychological strain. It is concluded that the MBI can be employed as a reliable and valid multi-dimensional indicator of burnout in professionals who work with people. The BM assesses the non-specific affective component of burnout (i.e. exhaustion) and should therefore be supplemented by a scale that measures the attitudinal component of the syndrome.     

Self-reported job burnout among female human service professionals

A sample of 135 female human service professionals completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Staff Burnout Scale for Health Professionals (SBS), along with measures of job satisfaction, role stress, self-esteem, alienation, and locus of control. Principal components factor analysis of this battery indicates considerable covariation of self-reported burnout with job dissatisfaction and perceived role stress, and moderate overlap with more general feelings of alienation and low self-esteem. Item factor analysis of the 22 MBI items resulted in two independent factors, one defined by the Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization items, the other by the Personal Accomplishment items. Item factoring of the SBS produced one large factor which was highly correlated with the MBI exhaustion-depersonalization factor. Implications of these findings for the construct validity of the MBI and SBS are discussed.     

Long-term consequences of burnout: An exploratory study

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between degree of burnout experienced during the first year of the career and career adaptation during the next decade. Subjects were 25 human service professionals originally working in the fields of public service law, public health nursing, high school teaching, or mental health. They were studied during the first year of their careers and again 12 years later. Early career burnout was assessed via ratings of interviews that were highly correlated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Career adaptation variables included career stability, work satisfaction, attitudes towards recipients, and flexibility as measured at the time of follow-up. Each of these variables was measured via interview ratings, a questionnaire, and ratings made hy confidants of the subjects. Results showed that subjects who were more burned-out early in their careers were less likely to change careers and more flexible in their approach to work as rated by confidants at the time of follow-up. The results suggest that early career burnout does not seem to lead to any significant, negative, long-term consequences. However, burnout occurring later in the career might have more serious long-term effects.     

An intervention to reduce work-related burnout in teachers.

The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate a 2-day burnout intervention program focused at enhancing coping with stresses observed in teachers' work. Karasek's job stress model was used as the theoretical framework. The aim of the intervention was to teach participants to deal better with high job demands and low job control. Some cognitive-behavioural methods of overcoming workload and enhancing a sense of self-mastery and relations with students were introduced in the workshop. 59 teachers were randomly assigned to an experimental or to a control group. Results showed that emotional exhaustion, perceived workload and somatic complaints decreased significantly in the intervention group. The greatest effect of the intervention was observed with regard to increased behavioural job control. It was concluded that teaching participants how to manage their work environment better could help them in changing their perception of stressful job characteristics, reducing emotional exhaustion and somatic complaints.     

Predicting burnout with a hassle-based measure of role demands

The paper presents a hassle-based measure of job demands, whose scales of hassles-conflict, hassles-ambiguity and hassles-overload consist of items pertaining to such role episodes. Hierarchical multiple regression is used to test the incremental validity of the new variables. This was done with a statistical model where the role stressor variables (i.e. role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload) were entered first, followed by the three equivalent hassle variables. The data indicate that the new Role Hassles Index (RHI) shows a substantial R² increment with regard to the MBI's exhaustion and depersonalization scales, but not in regard to self-accomplishment. These data are interpreted as supporting a balance model of burnout, specifying that exhaustion is an outcome of daily demand level on the one hand, and recovery availability on the other. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Empirical examination of the individual‐level personality‐based theory of self‐management failure

The individual‐level personality‐based theory of self‐management failure posits that personality predisposes individuals to self‐defeating behavior that, in turn, leads to self‐management failure (Renn, Allen, Fedor, & Davis, 2005). To provide a partial test of the theory, a model is hypothesized that operationalized personality with neuroticism and conscientiousness of the Big Five personality dimensions; self‐defeating behavior with inability to delay gratification, procrastination, and emotional self‐absorption; and self‐management with personal goal setting, monitoring, and operating. The model was tested using data collected from 286 working employees and structural equations analysis. Results supported nine of 11 theory‐derived hypotheses. As hypothesized, high neuroticism was associated with improper personal goal setting, monitoring, and operating; and emotional self‐absorption and procrastination accounted for the relationship between high neuroticism and ineffective self‐management. In addition, low conscientiousness was associated with inferior self‐management practices, and inability to delay gratification and procrastination partially explained the relationship between low conscientiousness and poor self‐management. The findings provide new insight into how high neuroticism and low conscientiousness may contribute to self‐management failure. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.