Quantitative Demands, Burnout, and Allied Outcomes for Indian Police Officers

Abstract

Policing job is quantitatively demanding and may draw upon officer’s resources. This study aimed to examine quantitative demands’ effects for officers’ burnout and allied outcomes. Specifically, the study examined a mediation model that incorporated burnout as a mediator of quantitative demands’ relationship with job satisfaction, commitment to the workplace, organizational citizenship behaviours, health, work–family conflict, and feeling to quit. Using a cross-sectional (paper–pencil version) design, the study examined the model in a non-random sample of 1,223 officers of an Indian state, Haryana. The results showed that quantitative demands were associated positively with burnout, and burnout partially transmitted quantitative demands’ effect on job satisfaction, work–family conflict, and feeling to quit. The results vis-à-vis other outcomes revealed inconsistent mediation of burnout (i.e., suppression situations). As expected, quantitative demands, via burnout, had a negative effect on commitment to the workplace, organizational citizenship behaviours, and health; however, the concerned direct effect was against expectation. Apart from contribution to knowledge, the study’s findings are potentially of value for the government and police administrators. Practical implications of the findings, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.