THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS AND BURNOUT AMONG HUMAN SERVICE PROFESSIONALS: EXAMINING JOB DEMANDS AND RESOURCES MODEL

Abstract

The study examined the job demand and resource model by exploring indigenous realisms of human service professionals (i.e., Doctors, Lawyers, Lecturers, Services managers) in Pakistan. The imbalance between job demands and job resources has been determined as leading cause of job burnout, whereas personal resources and personality dimensions are at work as mediating and moderating forces in this relationship. The study sample was consisted upon human services professions as Doctors, Lawyers, Lecturers, Services managers from both public and private sectors with variety of demographics. The study is comprised of five phases; phase I was carried out for identification of study measures to ensure suitability to research variables. Phase II was qualitative as well as quantitative in nature, on recommendation of experts, an indigenous job demand and job resource scale was developed. This phase was further comprised upon two steps; firstly, qualitative exploration was done to identify indigenous themes and secondly, quantitative evaluation was carried out to establish reliability and validity of newly developed measure. Phase III of research was planned to establish construct validity of study measures; confirmatory factor analysis was carried out in order to check the validity of factor structure as per study sample. The measures, those could not confirm the existing factor structure for Pakistani research sample, were further carried out for exploratory factor analyses followed by confirmatory factor analysis to gauge fit structure. Phase IV was pilot study to find out preliminary relationship of study variables. Descriptive statistics were showing normal distribution of responses on all study measures. Correlation patterns were also in desired directions. Phase V of the study was the main study on sample of 760 human services professional from different cities of Pakistan. Descriptive statistics reconfirmed the normal distribution xviii of responses on all study measures followed by regression analysis to glimpse the significantly major contributors of explaining variance in burnout. Job demands were identified as major contributor of explaining variance in exhaustion, whereas job resources were major contributor of explaining variance in reduced sense of accomplishment in inverse relationship. Model testing was conducted with help of AMOS 21 for direct relationship between predictors; indigenous job demands and resources along with facets of burnout, model fit was confirmed with very good fit indices, which was further tested after incorporating mediators; facets of affective commitment and three attribution styles. Mediation model was found even better fit with higher fit indices. Meditational analysis was carried out on many serial as well as parallel mediations within research model as per literature guidelines. No full mediation was confirmed although partial contribution of mediators has been found significant. Role of personality dimensions were assessed in measurement model with multi group modeling technique, seven distinctive groups were managed as per cut off score of each personality dimension. Furthermore, these were explored with multi-group modeling technique to be variant or invariant with reference to research model. Path by path analysis was carried out to examine effects of personality on each and every path of measurement model. Lastly, MANOVA was carried out on demographic variables which were further explored with ANOVA, only significant relations are explained with reference to current study. Concluding the present study, indigenous “job demands and job resources” are the major contributors of performance related job outcomes as burnout. These indigenous demands and resources have commonalities as well as uniqueness with reference to existing literature of job demand and resource research tradition. Mediating, moderating and demographic variables have their partial influence but could not be found as major or sole contributor to job burnout.