How Self-Determination Moderates Burnout in Public Organizations Across Gender, Race, and Generation

Abstract

Applying a critical lens to self-determination theory, this study examines which organizational and individual characteristics in local government impact burnout, looking specifically at differences across diverse groups. This study uses survey data from a sample of more than 2,500 local government employees from a large city in California. Factor analyses and multivariate regressions are used to empirically examine the impact of multiple organizational characteristics and individual differences on employee burnout. Findings show perceptions of fairness, autonomy, influence, cultural competence, ethnic and gender representation, and time engaging residents differ in their impact on burnout across different groups, leaving some minoritized groups more vulnerable to burnout. Findings also indicate how self-efficacy and prosocial motivation have varying effects across sociodemographic groups. For some groups, burnout can manifest as an increase in emotional exhaustion, while other groups experience depersonalization and the loss of personal accomplishment. Research on this issue can help inform more equitable and culturally appropriate organizational practices that can improve climate of inclusion, employee well-being, and public service outcomes. This analysis contributes to diversity management and representative bureaucracy research—important areas of study as the public sector consider an increasingly diverse future workforce.