THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS’ BURNOUT LEVELS AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CYNICISM

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the relationship between the burnout levels in research associates, as important shareholders of universities, and their perceptions of organizational cynicism. This study used the correlational survey model, a quantitative research method. The population of the study included 5503 research associates employed in public universities in Aegean region, Turkey, in 2019-2020 academic years. In this research, all research associates in the population were reached, without conducting a sampling study, and 427 research associates responded to the participation calls. The data, collected through the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Organizational Cynicism Scale, were analyzed in SPSS 24.0 software. The study results showed that the highest average score in research associates’ burnout levels was on the individual achievement dimension. The emotional burnout dimension followed, and the lowest average score was on the depersonalization dimension. The highest average score in research associates’ perceptions of organizational cynicism was on the cognitive dimension and their lowest average score was on the affective dimension. There was no significant difference between the burnout and the organizational cynicism levels based on gender variable. Males and females were found to have similar perception levels. There were significant differences between the levels of professional satisfaction and burnout and organizational cynicism. Medium-level positive and significant relationships were found between the burnout and the organizational cynicism concepts and their sub-dimensions. Based on those results, some recommendations such as clarified and refined job descriptions, shorter working time, increasing reward sources, providing adaptation training and in-service training, and including other academic staff in the research, were added.