Core Self-Evaluations and Job Burnout: The Test of Alternative Models.

Abstract

Research on job burnout has traditionally focused on contextual antecedent conditions, although a theoretically appropriate conception implicates person-environment relationships. The authors tested several models featuring various combinations of personal and contextual influences on burnout and job satisfaction. Measures of core self-evaluations, organizational constraints, burnout, and job satisfaction were collected from 859 health care employees. Results from structural equations modeling analyses revealed an influence of core self-evaluations and perceived organizational constraints on job burnout and satisfaction, suggesting personal and contextual contributions. These results favor a broadening of current thinking about the impact of situational constraints on the expression of job burnout, as well as for the role of disposition for affective responding to effectively address occupational health problems.

Doing good buffers against feeling bad: Prosocial impact compensates for negative task and self-evaluations

“…On the other hand, the affective states of employees with low core self-evaluations are heavily influenced by and dependent on work events. Employees are more likely to experience work events negatively, and thus feel emotionally exhausted, when they have low self-esteem (Brockner, 1988), low self-efficacy (Best et al, 2005), low emotional stability (Bakker, Van Der Zee, Lewig, & Dollard, 2006), and external loci of control (Ito & Brotheridge, 2003). When employees perceive their actions as helping others, they feel more personally competent, as they have succeeded in benefiting others, and socially valued, as their efforts are appreciated by others (Grant, 2007(Grant, , 2008bMcAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992).…”

“…Emotional exhaustion is often the result of excessive focus on negative self-views (Best et al, 2005), and perceived prosocial impact can buffer against emotional exhaustion by shifting attention away from these distressing self-views and work circumstances, increasing awareness of one's fortunate circumstances (Bartel, 2001) and positive contributions to others (Midlarsky, 1991). Perceived prosocial impact may thereby play a particularly important role in protecting against emotional exhaustion for employees with low core self-evaluations.…”

“…Since they perceive their tasks negatively and do not enjoy the process of completing them, employees who lack intrinsic motivation need to exercise self-regulation to push themselves to do so, which depletes energy, contributing to emotional exhaustion (Bolino & Turnley, 2005;Grant, 2008a;Muraven & Baumeister, 2000). Similarly, multiple studies have shown that employees with low core self-evaluations are more prone to emotional exhaustion (Best et al, 2005;Laschinger & Finegan, 2008). When employees hold low core self-evaluations, they evaluate their identities and capabilities negatively, lacking self-esteem, self-efficacy, internal locus of control beliefs, and emotional stability (Judge et al, 2002).…”

“…There is now considerable evidence that how employees evaluate their tasks and themselves has an important influence on emotional exhaustion (e.g., Best, Stapleton, & Downey, 2005;Morrison, Payne, & Wall, 2003). From a self-regulation perspective, negative task and self-evaluations are thought to breed emotional exhaustion by depleting employees' psychological resources (Hobfoll, 2002).…”

Idealism Confronts Realism: University Academics Coping With Change

“…This is counter to the need of individuals to have the ability to exercise some control over their workplace environment in order to develop a strong sense of self-efficacy and achievement (Thompson, 2002). Ineffective organisational change can be cos tly, not only in terms of financial cost but also as a result of the psychological impact on individuals (Best et al 2005;Wood et al 1998). This can have a deleterious effect on an individual's health and well-being, often leading to increased pressure, anxiety and stress.…”