People often seek CDPs to get help finding the right kind of work. What if the right work is at the wrong place and leads to negative outcomes like burnout? Burnout is becoming increasingly common and can have negative impacts on both individuals and organizations. Previous research has mainly focused on individual factors such as employment conditions and resources, while neglecting the organizational context in which the work is performed. This study seeks to fill this gap by revealing the contribution of organizational culture to the problem of burnout.
The researchers looked at the relationships between burnout and four types of organizational culture: group culture, developmental culture, rational culture, and hierarchical culture. The study is based on three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a low sense of professional efficacy (Figure 1).
Figure 1: An integrative model of the influence of organizational culture on burnout
The study used data from the SALVEO project, which collected information between 2009 and 2012 from 60 private companies in Canada. The final sample consisted of 1824 individuals, 46.4% of whom were women, with an average age of 40.2 years.
The findings showed that group and developmental cultures were associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism and a higher sense of professional efficacy. These cultures value things like good relationships between staff, individual participation, as well as skill and career development. They also give employees decision-making power and support from supervisors. This means that employees are less likely to experience burnout in organizations with these cultures.
On the other hand, a rational culture, which focuses on productivity and competition, is indirectly linked to higher levels of burnout. This is because employees often must work long hours and are under a lot of pressure to meet individual and organizational goals. As a result, they are more likely to experience burnout.
The study found no significant relationship between burnout and hierarchical culture, which values stability, job security, and formalization. However, this finding contradicts another study, so more research is needed to understand the impact of hierarchical culture on employee mental health. The study suggests that organizations should consider their culture when making decisions about work organization to prevent burnout. Being aware of this relationship when working with clients who have experienced burnout may help you and your clients better understand the roots of their burnout. It also may be a reminder to help clients investigate an organization’s culture before accepting a position.
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