ABSTRACT

The current study aims to investigate how various forms of interpersonal mistreatment in the workplace (i.e., abusive supervision, ostracism, undermining, incivility, and unwanted sexual attention) relate to dimensions of burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy). More specifically, we argue within the frame of the Conservation of Resources Theory and Job Demands – Resources Model (JD-R; Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001) that high levels of interpersonal mistreatment, viewed as interpersonal demands at work, are important antecedents of high levels of burnout, even when personality factors (i.e., conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness) are taken into account. Romanian teachers (N = 193) participated in this study by filling out a set of questionnaires. Our hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, while controlling for age, gender, and personality factors. Relative weights analyses were conducted to determine the explained variance of the multiple predictors. As expected, interpersonal workplace mistreatment associated positively with burnout dimensions. Moreover, interpersonal workplace mistreatment was linked to unique variance in burnout dimensions, over and above personality factors. Interestingly, relative weights analyses indicated ostracism as the mistreatment type which accounted for the highest amount of variance in all burnout dimensions. In practice, the current results bring additional value when investigating ways to reduce burnout in teachers.

KEYWORDS: resilience, neuroticism, coping strategies, social support, personality

PAGES: 553-570