Professional Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Burnout and Engagement: The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Demands

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The objective of the current study is to analyze the role of professional self-efficacy as a predictor of psychosocial well-being (i.e., burnout and engagement) following the Social Cognitive Theory of Albert Bandura (1997). Structural Equation Modeling was performed in a sample of secondary school teachers (n = 460) and users of Information and Communication Technology (n = 596). Results show empirical support for the predicting role that professional self-efficacy plays in the perception of challenge (i.e., mental overload) and hindrance demands (i.e., role conflict, lack of control, and lack of social support), which are in turn related to burnout (i.e., erosion process) and engagement (i.e., motivational process). Specifically, employees with more professional self-efficacy will perceive more challenge demands and fewer hindrance demands, and this will in turn relate to more engagement and less burnout. A multi-group analysis showed that the research model was invariant across both samples. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• professional self-efficacy
• challenge demands
• hindrance demands
• engagement and burnout

Notes

¹The items on the autonomy and social support scale (which were originally job resources) were reversed, so they were considered to negatively assess “lack of autonomy” and “lack of social support,” just as indicated by Podsakoff et al. (2007).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mercedes Ventura

Mercedes Ventura is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón, Spain. Her current research interests are occupational health psychology, more particularly in technostress, burnout, and engagement.

Marisa Salanova

Marisa Salanova is a full professor in Work and Organizational Psychology at the Universitat Jaume I in Spain. Her current research is positive organizational psychology, including healthy and resilient organizations, work engagement, flow experiences at work, and self-efficacy as positive psychosocial capital.

Susana Llorens

Susana Llorens is an associate professor in Work and Organizational Psychology at the Universitat Jaume I in Spain. Her current research interests are burnout, technostress, workaholism, self-efficacy, work engagement, flow, trust, and Healthy & Resilient Organizations.