The relationship between burnout and risk-taking in workplace decision-making and decision-making style

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate what type of decision styles are exhibited by employees who experience burnout. Using a Work Risk Inventory (WRI), developed for this study, which included generic workplace scenarios, it was also explored whether employees experiencing burnout take more risky decisions. Risk was conceptualised as the adoption of threatening decisions towards one's reputation at work, job performance and job security. The mediating effect of the likelihood and seriousness of the consequences of the worst-case scenario occurring (i.e. what could be the worst that could happen in each given scenario), on the relationship between dimensions of burnout and risk was also tested. A total of 262 employees completed an online survey, including measures on burnout, decision making styles and the WRI. As predicted, dimensions of burnout: Exhaustion; Cynicism and ProfessionalInefficacy, correlated significantly with avoidant decision making and negatively with rational decision making. Seriousness of the consequences of the worst-case scenario occurring mediated the relationship between professional inefficacy and risk taking.In the context of identifying mechanisms by which burnout leads to risky decision making, findings suggest that employees' sense of professional inefficacy determines employees' risky decision making. The contribution to theory and implications for practice are discussed.

Psycho‐cognitive predictors of burnout in healthcare professionals working in emergency departments

“…People with a high level of EE avoid emotions that might increase their psychological pain. These results are congruent with the findings by Michailidis and Banks (). They affirmed that EE pushes individuals to be more distant (emotionally and cognitively) from their work in order to cope with the pressures arisen by the situation (at an individual level : patient's pain, daily contact with the death, fatigue, taking or implementing critical decision, etc.…”

“…; at organisational level : high level of turnover, several hours of working; conflict within the team, etc.). This might explain why EE may lead to avoidant decision‐making (Michailidis & Banks, ).…”

“…Although the relationship between decision‐making style and burnout in ED healthcare professionals may seem reasonable, it has not been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, several studies have indicated that, under acute stress conditions, decision‐makers tend to apply automatic processes (Allwood & Salo, ; Porcelli & Delgado, ; Van den Bos, Harteveld, & Stoop, ; Lucchiari, Masiero, Botturi, & Pravettoni, ; Gorini, Masiero, & Pravettoni, ) and that employees who feel burnout tend to engage in poorer decision‐making (McGee, ; Michailidis & Banks, ). Moreover, those suffering from burnout often make riskier decisions (Michailidis & Banks, ).…”

“…In a sample of 262 employees in different fields, Michailidis and Banks () showed that all of the dimensions of burnout significantly correlate with higher avoidant decision‐making style and lower rational decision‐making. Allwood & Salo (2014) reported that rational and intuitive styles are related to better working performance, while avoidant style is related to poorer performance (Russ, McNeilly, K. M., & Comer, ).…”

“…Allwood & Salo (2014) reported that rational and intuitive styles are related to better working performance, while avoidant style is related to poorer performance (Russ, McNeilly, K. M., & Comer, ). A double process theory may explain these results as stress can interfere with rational and logical processes, resulting in more automatic and implicit processes taking over (Kahneman & Frederick, ; Michailidis & Banks, ). The research on the relationship between decision‐making style and burnout is still on infancy and more has to be done to shed light on how individuals’ profiles of decision‐making styles may differ with respect to their relationship with stress in ED.…”