Exploring the Causes and Consequences of Job Burnout: Model of Mediation

Abstract

This study was conducted in an effort to bring forth awareness in the organizational setting of the emergence of burnout and its organizational causes and consequences. It investigated the relationship between employee’s perceived burnout and their workplace related factors that are known to promote burnout. Burnout was measured as a multi-dimensional variable that were emotional exhaustion, cynicism and lack of personal efficacy measured by Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI- GS). Causes of burnout focused in this study were demographic factors and work related organizational factors. The work related causes of burnout were divided into six factors (workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values) and were measured by Areas of Worklife Scale (AWS). Organizational consequences focused in this study were job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention. The last part of this research tested the mediating nature of burnout between the AWS factors and the three organizational consequences. The sample size for this study was three hundred from which two hundred and sixty-three questionnaires was found usable. The sample was randomly selected form business organizations in the Lahore region. Statistical analyses used in this study were Pearson’s correlation, independent t-tests, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Data analysis revealed moderate level of burnout (once a month or less). The major findings of the study were: a) Age was found significantly and negatively related with exhaustion and cynicism. Education was found significant and negatively related to lack of personal efficacy while unmarried employees and more experienced employees were found to report significantly higher level of exhaustion and cynicism. Public sector employees and service sector employees reported relatively more lack of personal efficacy; b) Workload, reward, fairness and values were found negatively related to emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Reward and values were negatively related to lack of personal efficacy; c) Exhaustion was found significant predictor of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention. Cynicism was found to be negatively related with commitment and positively related to turnover intention. Lack of personal efficacy was negatively related to job satisfaction and organizational commitment; d) Burnout was found to be a partial mediator between AWS and job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention.