Workplace Burnout Research Articles

Beyond Blame: Understanding Workplace Burnout

Burnout presents a significant challenge for organizations seeking to promote employee well-being and performance. However, traditional views often attribute burnout to individual weaknesses rather than systemic causes embedded within workplace conditions and culture. This article provides a foundation for shifting perspectives on burnout's antecedents by reviewing recent empirical studies on its defining characteristics and underlying workplace factors. Drawing from Maslach and Leiter's areas of worklife model, the brief examines how sustained imbalances across domains like workload, control, reward and values can fuel burnout over time. Practical applications are proposed for consultants and leaders to adopt a proactive, systems-oriented approach through activities like engagement surveys, open communication, values alignment and iterative cultural improvements. The goal is to foster organizational environments and conditions aligned with innate human needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness shown to sustain motivation and resilience in the long term.

Checking Out Our Workspaces: An Analysis of Negative Work Environment and Burnout Utilizing the Negative Acts Questionnaire and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory for Academic Librarians

Objective – This study explored the prevalence of and relationship between bullying and burnout among academic librarians. The authors sought to examine three main factors contributing to negative workplace environment caused by bullying and incivility: (1) the employment characteristics of respondents (i.e., tenured, non-tenure track, and others), (2) librarianship as a second (or third) career, and (3) generational differences. Methods – The researchers administered a survey via professional electronic mailing lists in early spring 2023. Librarians over the age of 18 who hold a Masters of Library Science (MLS) or equivalent degree and were employed in an academic library at the time of taking the survey were eligible to participate. The Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) was used to measure workplace bullying, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to measure workplace burnout. Survey results were analyzed using RStudio. Results – The responses (n = 267) showed the average bullying score was relatively low (M = 1.57, SD = 0.52), and the average burnout score was middling (M = 45.68, SD = 17.87). The correlation between the two scores was mild (r = 0.5, < 0.001). ANOVAs found no significant difference between NAQ-R scores due to employment type (tenured, non-tenure track, and others; F(6, 260) = 0.711, p = 0.641), duration of employment (F(5, 261) = 0.482, p = 0.79), career number (F(4, 262) = 0.585, p = 0.674), or generational identity (F(5, 261) = 0.0969, p = 0.627). ANOVAs found no significant difference between CBI scores due to employment type (F(6, 260) = 1.566, p = 0.157), duration of employment (F(5, 261) = 1.911, p = 0.0929), career number (F(4, 262) = 1.398, p = 0.235), or generational identity (F(5, 261) = 1.511, p = 0.187). Conclusion – Low to moderate levels of both bullying and burnout were found among academic librarians, but the correlation between the two phenomena was mild. No significant difference was found between employment characteristics, career progression (second or third career), or generational identity and the degree of bullying or burnout experienced. This lack of difference was contrary to researcher predictions and opens the door for further research and understanding of both bullying and burnout among academic librarians.

Burnout among medical residents, coping mechanisms and the perceived impact on patient care in a low/ middle income country

BackgroundBurnout is a syndrome that result from chronic workplace stress and it characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishments. Studies report higher burnout levels in medical personnel compared to the general population. Workplace burnout has been directly linked to medical errors and negative coping strategies such as substance abuse. The aims of this study were to assess the level of burnout in medical residents, evaluate their impressions about coping mechanisms and assess perceived impact on patient care in a low/ middle income country setting.MethodsThis was a cross sectional, mixed methods survey carried out at Aga Khan University, Nairobi Kenya. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey was used to assess the level of burnout. High-risk scores for each subscale are defined as > 27 in emotional exhaustion, > 10 in depersonalization, and < 33 in personal accomplishment. Overall high risk of burnout was defined as high-risk scores in 2 or more of the 3 categories. Categorical variables were analysed using descriptive statistics and reported as frequency counts and corresponding percentages. Chi-square test was applied to test for association of burnout and the categorical variables. P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. To assess the impressions on patient care and evaluate the coping mechanisms employed in the context of burnout residents participated in four focus group discussions reaching thematic saturation.Results95 out of 120 residents consented to participate in the study, 47.3% of whom had a high risk of burnout. A significant association was found between gender and burnout risk with more female residents having high risk of burnout compared to their male counterparts; 58.0% and 35.6% respectively (P value 0.029). Residents in paediatrics and child health had the greatest risk of burnout (8 out of 10) compared to those in other programmes (P value of 0.01). Thematic analysis from focus group discussions revealed that main sources of stress included departmental conflict and struggle to balance work and other aspects of life. All focus group discussions revealed that burnout and stress are associated with negative coping mechanisms. Respondents reported that when under stress, they felt more likely to make medical errors.ConclusionThis study reported high risk of burnout among post graduate residents which is consistent with other global studies. The sources of stress cited by residents were mostly related to the workplace and many perceived sub-optimal patients care resulted from burnout. This highlights a need for preventive measures such as wellness programs within the training programmes.Trial registration numberNot applicable.

The Relationship Between Global and Contextualised Personality and Workplace Burnout in Secondary School Teachers

The Relationship Between Global and Contextualised Personality and Workplace Burnout in Secondary School Teachers

Mitigating Workplace Burnout Through Transformational Leadership and Employee Participation in Recovery Experiences.

Description Burnout is a complex organizational phenomenon that diminishes employee well-being and overall organizational productivity. Researchers propose that leadership style contributes to employees' well-being, which impacts employee productivity. Organizations and leaders must address the causes of burnout and promote techniques employees can use to mitigate burnout, such as employee participation in recovery experiences. Recovery experiences are non-work activities that create positive outlooks and restore the energy needed to focus on one's work. This literature review examines current research in employee recovery experiences, conservation of resource theory (COR), burnout, and transformational leadership theory. Studying burnout through the lens of COR shows how important resource gain and recovery activities are to healthy employees and their job performance within the organization. The research reviewed suggests that transformational and transactional leadership styles have higher probabilities of promoting employee participation in recovery experiences than passive avoidant leadership style. The literature consistently showed burnout as a significant organizational phenomenon negatively affecting productivity, employee well-being, and turnover rates. The literature revealed that mitigating burnout happens through participation in recovery experiences. The literature on leadership styles supports the assumption that leaders play a significant role in employee well-being, group identity, and organizational climate. Leaders who desire to mitigate employee burnout will benefit from research that links transformational leadership style behaviors and employee participation in recovery activities.

Strengthening the Indomitable Spirit of Nurses Through Targeted Resilience Education

AbstractNurses face complex stressors in their work including routine exposure to human suffering and potentially traumatic events. Consequently, nurses are at risk of moral distress, workplace burnout, and compassion fatigue. The aim of this study was to design, develop, and test a health-promoting resilience education program for nurses. The research questions were as follows: (1) Are resilience scores of nurses affected by resilience education? (2) How do nurses understand resilience in the context of their workplace? (3) What role does resilience play in nurses’ mental health? (4) Is single-session targeted resilience education effective in maintaining resilience scores over time? Nurses in this study are moderately resilient as noted by their pre-education scores on the Resilience Scale (RS) and the Resilience at Work (RS@W) Scale. Resilience scores significantly increased immediately after resilience education and were sustained over time. Nurses have an array of health strategies for maintaining their resilience; these were further enhanced through experiential education. Increased resilience scores resulted in changes in nurses’ behavior and thinking, and new strategies were integrated into the nurses’ “toolbox” of cognitive and behavioral skills. Building and sustaining a strong foundation of resilience and well-being is key for nurses to maintain mental health, cope with work-related stressors, and provide safe competent patient care. Study outcomes offer opportunities to change the narrative from nursing as perilous and risky to one of strength, flourish, and growth. Beyond individual resilience, system-level change is required to support the well-being of healthcare personnel.

Reaching Regulatory Compliance Metrics: A New Nurse Leader's Experience

It can be challenging to meet regulatory compliance measures when there are competing priorities with short staffing and workplace burnout. Finding a way to reach regulatory compliance standards without heavily relying on dispensary actions to enforce compliance can help reengage nursing teams, create a sense of purpose, and establish a leader and staff collaborative approach to nursing excellence. By creating a shared vision for the unit, nurse leaders can collaborate with staff to reach needed standards that support patient care outcomes. Additional methods, such as routine audits, tracking, leader commitment, staff communication, individualized teaching, feedback, and team building, are all efforts that supported two units in reaching compliance standards for the first time in 4 years through a team project. Unit A had a 4-year pain reassessment completion average of 77.6%. Unit A's average after the project was 88.1%, a 10.9% increase. Unit C had a 4-year running average of 78.0%. After the project, unit C's average increased to 90.1%, a 12.4% increase. Unit A's skipped function usage 6 months before the unit project was 21.05%, and postproject intervention use was down to 6.55%. Unit C's skipped function usage 6 months before the project was 22.84%, and postproject intervention use was 6.99%. Overall severity compliance had a remarkable upward trend. Lastly, a 10.2% increase in patient responses to the NRC Health question on staff eased discomfort compared to the results from the previous 6 months.

Developing a conceptual framework for burnout intervention program in the workplace

This review proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework for developing and implementing burnout intervention programs in the workplace. In recent years, job burnout has become a new and vigorous research hotspot in the field of psychology and human resources management at home and abroad. Job burnout has a serious impact on personal health and performance but also harms the work efficiency, organizational effectiveness, and even social stability of employees. With the escalating concern over employee burnout and its consequent negative impacts on both individual health and organizational productivity, there is a pressing need for effective strategies to mitigate this issue. The framework draws on extensive literature review and theoretical model analysis, integrating key theories such as the Job Strain Model, Effort-Reward Imbalance Model, Conservation of Resources Theory, and the Job Demands-Resources Theory to explore the multifaceted nature of burnout. It identifies critical components of burnout, including symptoms such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, and contributing factors such as high job demands, inadequate job resources, and personal traits. Intervention strategies such as exercise have been identified as beneficial in addressing burnout. A systematic review of six studies highlights that aerobic exercise effectively lowers burnout and stress levels among employees. The framework also examines mediating factors such as personality traits and external factors, evaluating outcomes such as improved mental and physical health, enhanced job performance, and better workplace environment. Moreover, this review discusses the sustainability of interventions and emphasizes the importance of tailoring approaches to fit specific organizational contexts. The proposed framework provides a structured approach to understanding and addressing workplace burnout, highlighting the necessity for ongoing research and adaptation of intervention programs to meet evolving workplace dynamics.

Exposure to Stress and Burnout Syndrome in Healthcare Workers, Expert Workers, Professional Associates, and Associates in Social Service Institutions.

Background and Objectives: Workplace burnout syndrome is often as sociated with particular aspects of certain job positions, especially those that entail working with people with special needs. The burnout syndrome in healthcare jobs is a serious problem that has grown into an epidemic among healthcare workers and associates. The aim of this research is to assess the presence of stress and burnout syndrome at work with healthcare workers, expert workers, professional associates, and associates in social service institutions in Belgrade. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in the form of a cross-sectional study of a representative sample in social institutions in Belgrade. It was conducted from March to the end of June of 2023. The sample of the study had 491 participants. The questionnaires used were a structured instrument with social-demographic and social-economic characteristics, workplace characteristics, lifestyle characteristics, and the following questionnaires: DASS-21, Copenhagen, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Results: The end results indicate the following to be significant risk factors for the occurrence of workplace burnout syndrome: overtime (OR = 2.62; CI = 1.50-4.56), BRS average score (OR = 0.28; CI = 0.17-0.44), DASS21 D heightened depression (OR = 2.09; CI = 1.1-4.04), DASS21 A heightened anxiety (OR = 2.38; CI = 1.34-4.21), and DASS21 S heightened stress (OR = 2.08; CI = 1.11-3.89). The only protective risk factor that stood out was the self-assessment of health levels (OR = 0.60; CI = 0.42-0.85). Conclusion: Overtime is a significant factor associated with workplace burnout. Apart from it, other significant factors associated with workplace burnout were heightened depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

“I realized I was not alone”: A mixed-methods investigation of the implementation of Ubuntu groups to reduce burnout and social isolation in an allopathic medical School in the Southeastern United States

Purpose/Background Healthcare providers experience higher rates of workplace burnout, a reality highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, small groups, inspired by South African philosophy, Ubuntu, were introduced to decrease burnout and social isolation and build community and belonging. This study examines how participation in these groups can impact these measures. Methods In this mixed-methods study, trained facilitators led small groups that utilized story-sharing to foster connections within the group and broader community. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and merged to identify convergence. Results Three main qualitative themes emerged: 1) seeking and building connections and community, 2) curiosity, learning, and growing, and 3) open-hearted and thriving. These themes were linked to quantitative outcomes, showing a statistically significant decrease in social isolation among staff/faculty and students. Furthermore, faculty/staff exhibited reduced burnout compared to students, while students reported increased feelings of belonging. Conclusion Participation in Ubuntu groups positively influenced students’ sense of belonging, reduced faculty/staff burnout, and alleviated social isolation for all participants. Future research should explore the potential of this intervention to further promote wellness on medical campuses. Programs emphasizing the well-being of individuals, including faculty, staff, and students, are crucial for supporting the overall health of medical communities and the wider society.

Burnout Mediates the Association between Workplace Bullying and Mental Health Problems of Health Practitioners in Cancer Units.

Medical health practitioners, particularly those working in cancer units, are vulnerable to poor psychological outcomes. The present study was designed to examine the influence of workplace bullying on the mental health of medical and paramedical staff by testing workplace burnout as a mediating factor. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey, 220 Muslim medical staff officers from the cancer units of three hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, were assessed for workplace bullying, mental health, and workplace burnout using the standardized psychometric measures (i.e., Negative Act Questionnaire; Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale; and Maslach Burnout Inventory). Data were collected from 2019-2020. Workplace bullying and workplace burnout were directly related to mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Moreover, workplace burnout significantly mediated the paths between workplace bullying and mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms), suggesting that workplace burnout increases vulnerability to other mental health issues. A need for counseling and suitable management strategies to support medical staff working in cancer units is required.

The Relationship Between Employee Physical Activity Intensity and Workplace Burnout: A Cross-sectional Study.

This study aimed to investigate employees' physical activity (PA) levels and workplace burnout. Participants, employed full-time, recruited through Prolific Academic, completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. An analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in burnout emotional exhaustion ( F (2,516) = 3.55, P = 0.03) and personal accomplishment ( F (2,516) = 4.23, P = 0.02) among three levels of PA groups, but not in burnout depersonalization. The moderate PA group scored significantly lower in burnout emotional exhaustion than the low PA group ( P = 0.025). The low PA group scored significantly lower in the burnout personal accomplishment than the high PA group ( P = 0.02) and the moderate PA group ( P = 0.03). Employees engaging in moderate PA showed an effective reduction in their burnout emotional exhaustion and promoted personal accomplishment.

Burnout syndrome and related factors among health team employees.

Burnout is not only related to mental health but also to efficiency. Thus, recognizing effective coping strategies has a significant role in improving mental health, the efficiency and productivity of human resources, and making better the level of quality of service. To determine burnout syndrome and examine related factors among the employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 employees at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. They were selected by a stratified sampling method. The data collection tool was the demographic information and the Burnout Self-Test Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire. Data were analyzed through SPSS software version 20, using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson and Spearman regression. The findings showed that emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (DP) in the majority of employees were high and personal accomplishment (PA) was low at 88.33% of cases. All participants presented burnout. However, participants aged 35-40 years, those with professional and Ph.D. degrees, and research staff reported higher burnout levels. Job burnout and its subscale levels among the employees were high. Job burnout is associated with socioeconomic status that can be affected by individual, organizational, management, and environmental factors. Therefore, this study suggests that employees need to get out of EE and DP conditions for higher job performance. Additionally, further research is required to examine the long-term effects of workplace burnout.

Healing the Heart of Healthcare.

Healthcare workers continue to work without fully processing the stress of the pandemic on their overall health. Outcomes of stress include workplace burnout, low morale, and an increase in suicide rates. At Huntington Hospital, a need was identified to give caregivers an opportunity to grieve and process their experiences. Healing the Heart of Healthcare was a formal intervention that provided acknowledgment of trauma and reinstated a sense of hope to the profession. The activities in this program may be duplicated in other celebrations such as Nurses Day recognition.

Correlation Among Workplace Burnout, Resilience, and Well-Being in Nursing Staff: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taiwan.

Because nurses often work in medical environments characterized by high workloads and high levels of stress and pressure, they are particularly vulnerable to workplace burnout and their well-being may suffer. Related studies on burnout, resilience, and well-being have focused primarily on teachers, social workers, and students, with few studies addressing the situation faced by nursing staff. It is important to understand the factors affecting the well-being of nursing staff. This study explores the status quo and correlations among nursing-staff demographic characteristics, workplace burnout, well-being-related resilience, and the predictive factors of well-being in nurses. A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational research design and purposive sampling were used in this study. Nursing staff who had worked for more than 6 months at a medical center in central Taiwan were recruited as participants, with data from 289 participants collected. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, workplace burnout, resilience, and well-being. The average scores for workplace burnout, resilience, and well-being were 40.40/(0- to 100-point scale), 26.79/(10- to 50-point scale), and 43.25/(24- to 96-point scale), respectively. The result of the regression analysis explained about 51.6% of the variance in well-being. Furthermore, resilience (28.4%), self-perceived health (14.3%), workplace burnout (4.5%), exercise frequency (1.8%), job title (1.2%), interpersonal pressure relief resilience (0.9%), and marital status (0.5%) were other important predictive factors of well-being in the participants. Medical institutions should provide appropriate resilience-enhancing countermeasures to reduce workplace burnout as well as pay greater attention to the exercise frequency, self-perceived health, job title, and marital status of their nurses to help them achieve physical, mental, and overall well-being.

Materialism predicts burnout through the basic needs: individual-level and within-person longitudinal evidence

ABSTRACT Workplace burnout has strong negative consequences for both workers and organisations. Following Self-determination theory (SDT), we hypothesised that workplace materialism – the relative importance given to extrinsic (fame, money, image) versus intrinsic (relationships, pro-sociality, self-development) work goals – is a key antecedent of burnout. The relationship between work goals and burnout is expected to be mediated by lower satisfaction and higher frustration of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Extending previous correlational evidence, we tested the prospective relationships among these constructs using a three-wave longitudinal design among a large sample of Chilean workers (N = 1841). Both individual-level (cross-lagged panel model) and within-person (trait-state-occasion model) longitudinal analyses supported that materialism predicted subsequent levels of burnout through higher need frustration. Need satisfaction did not predict subsequent burnout in either analysis. Additionally, we found that burnout predicted subsequent need frustration, suggesting a dangerous reciprocal relationship between both constructs. Our findings support SDT and highlight the potential risks of emphasising materialism in organisational settings. Indeed, contrary to common organisational practices, our findings suggest that burnout can be reduced by lowering the importance of extrinsic goals, fostering intrinsic goals, and building working environments to avoid frustrating basic psychological needs.

Relationship Between Physician Burnout and Workplace Specific Stressors: The Loss of Positive Perception

To evaluate relationships between physician-reported workplace burnout and ratings of potential workplace stressors. A voluntary survey on workplace burnout was conducted by physicians at a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center including the work-related domain of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, no/little burnout (considered non-burnout): <50 points and moderate-to-severe burnout: >50 points, General Self-Efficacy Scale: (0-40 points), Insomnia Severity Index (0-28), Perceived Stress Scale (0-40), and questionnaire of 19 potential workplace stressors by 5-point Likert scale from strongly negative to very positive. Analysis was performed with the χ2 and Student t-test. Ninety (78%) respondents completed all components. Workplace burnout occurred in 54 (60%) respondents. General Self-Efficacy Scale was lower in those with burnout (31.3 vs 33.5; P = .008), whereas Insomnia Severity Index and Perceived Stress Scale were higher (9.8 vs 5.7; P < .001, 21.9 vs 20.3; P = .024, respectively). Electronic medical records (EMRs), billing, and delays were viewed as negative stressors for all-comers (burnout vs non-burnout): EMR (81% vs 64%; P = .19), billing (61% vs 47%; P = .25), and delays (86% vs 76%; P = .32), respectively. The ability to complete work was also a negative stressor but significantly more prevalent with concomitant burnout (55% vs 22%; P = .005). Positive factors identified by both groups included clinical decision-making (80% vs 83%; P = .053) and patient interaction (57% vs 69%; P = .06). Staff/peer relationships (P = .029) and team communication (P = .014) were viewed as positive factors by both, but significantly more in those without burnout (Table). Both groups rated clinical work volume (P = .40), adequate staff (P = .66), hospital mandates (P = .75), and insurers (P = .82) in top 5 workplace stressors. Physicians possess high self-efficacy. Still, workplace burnout is common and associated with higher stress levels, sleep dissatisfaction, and lower self-efficacy. Billing, delays, EMR, support staff, and hospital mandates are negative stressors regardless of burnout status. Physician perception regarding inability to complete work may indicate progression toward burnout. Otherwise, burnout is characterized by subtle loss of positivity particularly relationships and communication rather than overt pessimism and may go unrecognized. This underscores the need for early detection and intervention to prevent burnout and promote physician well-being.TableDifferences in perception of workplace factors by burnout statusVery negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positiveP valueNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutStaff/Peer relations3661519295341199.029Team communication0261119285355224.014Scheduling procedures03108376423153010.029Hospital discharge381825495924662.026Completing work3231932392731989.005Patient unit proximity069643653715118.042Data are presented as percentage.Boldface P values represent significance P < .05. Open table in a new tab

Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout and Stress Among U.S. Nurses

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified long-standing issues of burnout and stress among the U.S. nursing workforce, renewing concerns of projected staffing shortages. Understanding how these issues affect nurses' intent to leave the profession is critical to accurate workforce modeling. To identify the personal and professional characteristics of nurses experiencing heightened workplace burnout and stress. We used a subset of data from the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey for analysis. Binary logistic regression models and natural language processing were used to determine the significance of observed trends. Data from a total of 29,472 registered nurses (including advanced practice registered nurses) and 24,061 licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses across 45 states were included in this analysis. More than half of the sample (62%) reported an increase in their workload during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly high proportions reported feeling emotionally drained (50.8%), used up (56.4%), fatigued (49.7%), burned out (45.1%), or at the end of their rope (29.4%) "a few times a week" or "every day." These issues were most pronounced among nurses with 10 or fewer years of experience, driving an overall 3.3% decline in the U.S. nursing workforce during the past 2 years. High workloads and unprecedented levels of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic have stressed the U.S. nursing workforce, particularly younger, less experienced RNs. These factors have already resulted in high levels of turnover with the potential for further declines. Coupled with disruptions to prelicensure nursing education and comparable declines among nursing support staff, this report calls for significant policy interventions to foster a more resilient and safe U.S. nursing workforce moving forward.

The leadership challenge of increasing productivity in the workplace without increasing burnout risk

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the critical question of how to increase productivity without also increasing the burnout risk. A systems thinking framework was applied to explore individual perceptions of team dynamics and how they relate to morale, work–life balance (WLB) and hours worked.Design/methodology/approachUsing an online survey, data from 1,222 Australian workers were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and principal components analysis (PCA).FindingsSelf-reported productivity was found to be predicted by engagement whereas burnout and morale had minimal impact. Burnout risk was not related to hours worked but was reduced when WLB, quality work and trust is higher. Co-worker effort impacted morale and a factor labelled as team “sense of accomplishment” (SoA) was identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this research have limited generalisability to wider populations due to sampling methods, being conducted in the Australian context and respondents coming from a diverse range of occupations. The sample being skewed towards younger age groups and the acknowledged use of single-item measures may also restrict drawing broader conclusions from the results.Originality/valueA socio-technical systems thinking model to diagnose the link between workplace burnout and productivity is applied. The approach involved understanding the importance of trust and how the connection between people and systems can influence morale.

Effects of organizational climate, role clarity, turnover intention, and workplace burnout on audit quality and performance

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effect of the auditors’ burnout determinates on audit quality and performance. It also analyses whether the demographic characteristics of gender, age group, education and job positions affect auditors’ decisions for burnout, audit quality and performance.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was distributed on a sample of auditors in the top ten auditing firms in an emerging market including the Big 4. Factor analysis, correlation matrix and structural equation modeling were used for the analysis of the collected data and testing the developed hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that burnout has negative consequences for both the auditor and the auditing firm. While good organizational climate has a negative significant association with audit quality, nonethical decisions and audit performance, role clarity has positive significant association with the audit quality and performance and has an insignificant association with nonethical decisions. Also, turnover intention has significant positive association with nonethical decision, audit quality and performance.Originality/valueThis research is among the first to focus on auditor’s burnout determinates on audit quality and performance in an emerging market characterized by different socioeconomic, political and cultural factors compared with those of developed markets. Auditors, regulators and professional policymakers can benefit from the results of this research.