School Administrators Write About Burnout: individual and organisational implications

Abstract

This qualitative study examined work situations contributing to burnout as identified by over 120 school‐based administrators in a large Western Canadian separate school district. Both organisational and individual features such as interpersonal relationships, work load, and need for recognition contributed differentially to each form of burnout as defined by Maslach & Jackson (1981a, b). The findings suggest that an improvement in human relations and time management skills, and increased positive feedback could promote self‐esteem and lessen experiences of burnout in school administrators. In addition, future research may examine the idiosyncratic nature of school organisations as a potential influence on the severity and typology of administrator burnout.