Predicting Job Burnout and Its Antecedents: Evidence from Financial Information Technology Firms

Abstract

Job burnout is a continuing concern for human resource management and mental health at work, as it affects employee productivity and well-being. The present study conceptualizes Kahn’s job engagement theory to predict job burnout through a latent growth model. To test the proposed model, data were collected by surveying 710 employees of R&D departments of financial information technology firms of Taiwan at multiple points in time over 6 months. Therein, this study found that as employees perceived more ethical leadership, corporate social responsibility, and self-efficacy at Time 1, they were more likely to show increases in job engagement development behavior over time. Further, increases in job engagement development behavior demonstrate their positive relationship with the decrease in job burnout development behavior over time. These findings highlight that the potential dynamic consequences of organizational behaviors can lead to employee career development and occupational mental health.