Gender Differences in Burnout Syndrome and Perceptions of Gender Equality in Research Organisations

Abstract

We present the results of a survey which was distributed to six research performing organisations in Albania, France, Germany, Italy, Serbia, and Spain. We found that both academic and non-academic women perceive 1) a greater degree of work pressure than men; and, 2) a greater degree of gender inequality than men. These results are consistent across countries. The fact that women occupy a lower percentage of senior positions than men and do not share the same perception of inequality, may be critical to the resolution of the leaky pipeline phenomenon. These results have provided incentives to the six organisations to implement measures that address gender biases to ensure a balanced gender representation at decision-making levels, and that improve work-life balance to reduce burnout syndrome and positively affect career satisfaction.