The Relationship between Job Demands, Job Resources, Employee Burnout, and Employee Engagement in Municipal Government Workers

Abstract

The question of what motivates engagement in the workplace has received a great deal of research attention. The role of job stressors and demands as well as job resources is detailed by the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) theory and has been used to predict burnout, engagement, work enjoyment and performance, and overall employee wellbeing. Although research based on the JD-R has been conducted in many settings, prior to this study, municipal government workers were frequently left out. A quantitative, correlational survey study was conducted with the employees of a city in the southwestern United States (N = 352) using three research instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and the Jobs Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS). Analysis of the data using Pearson's r received indicated a significant positive correlation between job demands and employee burnout (r (350) = .443, p < .05), a significant positive correlation between job resources and employee engagement (r (350) = .580, p < .05.), and a significant negative correlation between job resources and employee burnout (r (350) = −.482, p < .05), but interestingly, no correlation was found between job demands and employee engagement. Results are discussed in terms of applicability to JD-R theory and practical benefits. Future directions for research are discussed.