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A comparison of two approaches to the diagnosis of measurable burnout among employees of selected state-operated community residences in western Massachusetts
Abstract
This study investigated burnout and aspects of perceived work environment among employees of selected state-operated community residences in western Massachusetts. The primary aim of the study was to compare alternative approaches to diagnosing burnout: a traditional regression model, and a burnout phase model. This comparison was employed to assess the relative utility of the burnout models for guiding managerial decisionmaking about organizational change interventions. The descriptive component of the study found that the sample was characterized by low burnout. Low burnout was strongly associated with positive perceptions of the work environment, as expected. Both burnout and work environment perceptions varied significantly for the sample subgroups of high/low contact workers, workers with previous experience in private social service agencies, and workers assigned to either apartments or to the more restrictive and closely monitored Intermediate Care Facilities. Diagnosis using the traditional approach suggested the primacy of structural factors in predicting burnout, while the phase model implicated social factors. In addition, the traditional approach suggested that burnout was not an issue of concern in the organization studied, while the phase approach led to the finding that a significant portion of the employees were severely burned out. Thus the guidance provided for managers through application of the traditional versus phase approaches differed depending on which model was used. Although the study supported a functional difference between the phase and traditional approaches, further research using objective outcome measures and comparing groups over time is needed.
Subject Area
Management|Public administration|Occupational psychology|Continuing education
Recommended Citation
Greiner, George Morrison, "A comparison of two approaches to the diagnosis of measurable burnout among employees of selected state-operated community residences in western Massachusetts" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9207408.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9207408