Chapter 12 Flashcards
Definition of burnout
Metaphor to describe a state of mental exhaustion. Syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do ‘people work’ of some kind
What is boredom at work?
A state of low arousal and dissatisfaction due to an unchallenging work situation
What is work engagement?
The opposite of burnout, a state of mental energy
What are the three dimensions of burnout according to early researchers, before 1990’s?
- Emotional exhaustion -> depletion of emotional resources
- Depersonalization -> development of negative, callous and cynical attitudes
- Lack of personal accomplishment -> evaluate your work negatively
In the 1990’s, the concept of burnout was broadened and redefined. What were the three new dimensions of burnout?
- Exhaustion -> refers to fatigue irrespective of its cause
- Cynicism -> reflects an indifferent or distant attitude towards work
- Lack of professional efficacy
What are the three components of burnout? And how do these components relate to each other?
- A stress reaction
- A mental distancing response
- A negative belief
Exhaustion results from exposure to stressors -> trying to prevent yourself from depletion -> distancing yourself from work -> development of depersonalizing/cynicism -> work performance is likely to diminish
There are two perspectives on the definition of work-engagement: a positive antithesis of burnout or a distinct concept in its own right. Explain these two perspectives.
- Positive antithesis: work engagement is characterized by energy, involvement and perceived efficacy, which are the direct opposites of exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of professional efficacy.
- work engagement is independent from burnout -> positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication and absorption
How can we measure burnout?
By using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which includes three subscales reflecting the three dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism, and lack of professional efficacy
How can we measure work engagement?
- With the Maslach Burnout Inventory, low scores of exhaustion, cynicism, and a high score on professional efficacy
- The Utrecht work engagement scale
Explain the circumplex model of emotions
The model consists of two dimensions: pleasure to displeasure and activation to deactivation. You can for instance experience high activation and high pleasure, which makes you feel engaged. In contrast you can experience low activation and low pleasure which makes you feel bored/burned out. The intensity of the emotions increases from the center of the circle to the surface.
Definition of workaholism
Strong inner drive to work excessively hard. Workaholics work very hard, but they do not like their job.
What is the difference between an engaged employee and a workaholic? (they both work very hard)
- Engaged employees are intrinsically motivated, work is enjoyable
- Workaholics are negatively motivated by the fear of not being able to meet their self-imposed, excessively high performance standards, work is a must
Which type of demands lead to burnout?
Quantitative (too much work to do) and qualitative job demands (conflicting work roles). These demands activate an energy depletion process whereby employee’ sustained increases in effort to meet these demands drain his/her energy
What are the consequences of burnout?
- Individual consequences related to mental and physical health (e.g., anxiety and sleep disturbances)
- Organizational consequences such as employee withdrawal (mentally or physically)
What leads to boredom at work?
Carrying out monotonous and short-cycle repetitive work tasks. Hence, a lack of stimulation or challenge at work.
