Job autonomy and employee burnout: the moderating role of power distance orientation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Job autonomy, as a job resource, is expected to yield beneficial effects for employees. We examine job autonomy’s relationship to burnout and propose three mediators that explain its effect. Considering the diversified workplace, we argue that how job autonomy affects burnout depends on individuals’ levels of power distance orientation (PDO). Tested with a combined sample of individuals from three countries – the U.S., China, and Brazil –, we found that job autonomy is generally beneficial to reducing burnout, but that individuals with lower PDO benefit more than individuals with higher PDO. More specifically, we found that PDO moderates the relationship between job autonomy and three role stressors – role conflicts, ambiguity, and overload. In addition, our study found that people with different levels of PDO experience different processes of job autonomy – burnout relation. Post-hoc analyses suggest that each of the three job autonomy dimensions and overall job autonomy have similar influences on employee burnout.