Perceived inequity, communal orientation and burnout: The role of helping models

A large amount of empirical evidence has shown that professional helpers who perceive inequity in their relationships with their clients experience burnout. However, in such a situation, communal orientation (a desire to give benefits in response to the perceived needs of others), has been found to buffer burnout. In the present study, this buffering effect was investigated from the perspective of helping models. French nurses ( n =60) and social workers ( n =68) completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate perceived inequity, communal orientation and burnout. The results showed that, as expected, the buffering effect of communal orientation greatly depends on the helping model. Among professionals who endorsed a medical model of helping (wherein recipients are expected to be relatively passive to get better), those high on communal orientation experienced a low level of burnout when they perceived inequity. However, among professionals with a compensatory helping model (wherein recipients are expected to be active to get better), not only had perceived imbalance no buffering effect but also it reduced personal accomplishment. It was speculated that with a medical model, a perceived imbalance in the relationships does not hinder the desire to respond to the perceived needs of others. However, within a compensatory model, a perceived imbalance probably impedes the self efficacy of professionals high in communal orientation, that is who desire to respond to the perceived needs of others.

Keywords:

• Burnout
• Perceived Inequity
• Communal Orientation
• Helping Models