An Examination of the Relationships Between Workers and Agencies Characteristics and Three Outcome Variables: Burnout, Role Stress, and Intent to Quit

Abstract

This study examined the impact of workers' sociodemographic variables and agencies' variables on outcome variables including burnout, role stress, and intent to quit. A sample of 460 mental health service providers completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic questions, items related to agencies' characteristics, and measures of burnout, role stress, and intent to quit. Multiple regression analyses produced important associations between workers' sociodemographic characteristics and two of the burnout dimensions including depersonalization and personal accomplishment, and between agency characteristics and emotional exhaustion. This study succeeded to fill the gaps in existing knowledge and address the inconsistencies of previous findings regarding these relationships. The author discusses the potential implications for increasing workers' quality of work, and their ability to cope better with job stress.

Keywords:

• Depersonalization
• Emotional exhaustion
• Intent to quit
• Mental health agencies
• Personal accomplishment
• Role stress

Notes

Note: Cutoff scores for each MBI subscale as established by Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter (1996) are as follows: EE (low ≤ 16 to high ≥ 27), DP (low ≤ 6 to high ≥ 13), and PA (low ≤ 39 to high ≥ 31).

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.