Social Support and Organizational Commitment as Contributing to Employees’ Burnout

Proceedings of The 4th International Conference on Research in Social Sciences

Year: 2021

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/4th.rssconf.2021.08.16

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Social Support and Organizational Commitment as Contributing to Employees’ Burnout

Keren Michael

ABSTRACT: 

Objectives: Organizations must create working conditions that promote individuals’ well-being to retain their staff. Strengthening employees’ well-being and resources may prevent tardiness, absence, and even illness; therefore, it is beneficial for both organizations’ and employees’ efficiency. The study examined gender differences and associations in each gender regarding social support, organizational commitment, and burnout.

Method: Participants in this quantitative cross-sectional study were 294 service organization employees (57.9 % men) aged 18–71 (Mean=34.08; SD=11.83). They completed self-reported questionnaires evaluating perceived social support (from family, colleagues, friends, significant other), sense of organizational commitment (affective, continuance), and level of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment). Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS (version 25) through independent-sample t-tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple regressions.

Results: Men reported receiving less support than women from family, friends, and significant others in their lives. (No gender differences were found in support from colleagues.) Men felt more affective commitment than women toward the organization. (No gender differences were found for continuance commitment.) Men felt more burnout than women in terms of depersonalization. (No gender differences were found for emotional exhaustion or reduced personal accomplishment.) Additionally, in both genders, a sense of burnout (in terms of emotional exhaustion) was predicted by low affective commitment; and low affective commitment was predicted by low levels of colleague support.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that men, as employees, experience more vulnerable emotions than women in service organizations. Regarding burnout predictors, efforts to promote socio-emotional variables should be encouraged to help relieve work burnout affecting both organizations and employees.

Keywords: social support, commitment, burnout, organizations.