The impact of distributive and procedural justice on burnout: does it affect French and German teachers differently?

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the relationships between distributive and procedural justice and teachers’ burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment) between two countries: France and Germany. It was assumed that, due to the difference in the organizational educational structures of France and Germany, distributive and procedural justice would have different relationships on teachers’ burnout in both countries. Our samples consisted of 93 teachers in Germany and 89 teachers in France. Results of regression analysis indicated that among teachers in France, distributive justice plays a major role in the burnout process, while among teachers in Germany both distributive and procedural justice have strong impacts on burnout.

KEYWORDS:

• Distributive justice
• procedural justice
• burnout
• cross-cultural study
• teachers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Marie Andela completed a PhD in Social and Organizational Psychology in 2014. She is now working as a teaching and researching assistant at the University of Franche-Comté. Her research mainly focuses on emotion regulation and occupational health-related topics.

Didier Truchot is a Professor at the University of Franche-Comté with an expertise in social and organizational psychology. He has notably written a book about the burnout syndrome: Epuisement professionnel et burnout.