IAREP/SABE 2008 ROME MANAGERS’ AND TEACHERS’ BURNOUT ACCORDING TO STEVAN HOBFOLL’S CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES THEORY Anna Hełka & Elzbieta Lisowska Warsaw School of Sciences and Humanities

STEVAN HOBFOLL’S CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES (COR) THEORY Burnout (Hobfoll, 1988, 1989, 2001) process of expenditure, loss and depletion of resources, which develops quite slowly. It occurs when the resources cannot be replenished as cognitive, physical and emotional abilities. Resources what is valuable and we obtain, keep, protect and promote.  resources =>  probability of loosing them  chances of gaining. The efforts are concentrated more on protecting the resources than on obtaining rewards (Hobfoll, 1998)

MAIN HIPOTHESIS Burnout = drain to the resources. Trying to fight the stressors by intensive resources investment (Shirom,1989; Ezrahi,1985). Lack of effects => agitation and frustration, defense (COR). Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and sense of loss, anxiety and even depression. Loss of resources lower stressing factor than the lack of anticipated gain from resources investment. According to these assumptions we predict that: H1: Long-lasting personal resources loss (as cognitive, emotional, physical abilities) and impossibility of immediate replenishment is the fundamental cause of burnout.

OTHER HIPOTHESIS There are differences between abilities of coping with difficult situations regarding social and economical status between teachers and managers, so we predict: H2: Teachers experience more resources loss and less gain than the managers. Gender may be connected with the burnout (e.g.: Malkinson et al., 1997), but there is lack of empirical evidence for the relationship between gender and resources loss and gain. On the ground of previous results we predict: H3: Women are more exposed to resources loss and less to gaining resources than men.

PARTICIPANTS Teachers and managers from different cities in Poland. From 509 people extracted” 31 burnout, 31 non-burnout teachers 27 burnout, 32 non-burnout managers. Gender*: Burnout - 47 women, 21 men, Non-burnout - 40 women and 23 men *Over-representation of women teachers. 24-55 years old. 2-32 years of work experience.

METHOD AND INSTRUMENTS Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach, Jackson 1996): 22 items on 7-level scale ("never" – "every day") 3 subscales (aspects of syndrom): Emotional Exhaustion Depersonalization Lowered personal accomplishment satisfaction The Questionnaire of Gain and Loss Self-esteem (Dudek, Koniarek, Gruszczyńska): 2 parts Importance of 40 resources on a 5-level scale Gain and loss of 40 resources on the 5-level scale. 5 resources group: hedonistic and vital, spiritual, family, political - economical and power and prestige.

RESULTS Burnout and the resources Resources gain F(5,120)=51,600, (p<0,001), Eta2=0,697 Resources loss (F(5,120)=21,423, p<0,001, Eta2=0,489 Mean Gain effect Loss effect Hedonistic No 5,693 F(1,120)=207,603, p<0,001 1,165 F(1,120)=96,348, p,0,001 Yes ,565 6,197 Spiritual 2,035 Insignificant ,520 F(1,120)=37,6, p<0,001 ,559 2,595 Family 4,780 ,192 2,487 2,325 Economical- political 2,632 4,295 insignificant 1,224 6,284 Power and prestige 3,010 F(1,120)=56,383, p<0,001 ,282 ,330 ,865

RESULTS Workplace and the resources Resources gain F(10,120)=2,119, p=0,03, Eta2=0,175 Resources loss F(10,120)=4,646, p<0,001, Eta2=0,317 Mean Gain effect Loss effect Hedonistic Managers 0,726 insignificant 4,515 F(2,120)= 10,629, p<0,001 Primary school 0,449 7,803 Second. School 0,250 8,578 Spiritual 0,701 1,149 F(2,120)=16,665, p<0,001 0,418 4,038 0,204 4,438 Family 2,047 ,892 F(2,120)=17,796, p<0,001 2,473 3,882 2,981 3,834 Economical - political 1,621 F(2,120)=5,72, p=0,006, 4,525 F(2,120)=10,435, p<0,001 0,612 7,353 0,847 8,407

RESULTS Gender and resources Burn out Gender Resources gain (Gender/interaction) F(5,120)=6,829, p<0,001, Eta2=0,234 F(5,120)=3,759, p=0,002, Eta2=0,14 Resources loss (Gender/Interaction) F(5,120)=2,798, p=0,02, Eta2=0,111 F(5,120)=4,119, p=0,002, Eta2=0,15 Mean Gender / Interaction effect Hedonistic No Woman 5,100 G: F(1/120)= 6,98, p=0,009 1,174 G: F(1/120)= 8,45, p=0,004 Man 6,642 1,354 Yes 0,451 I: F(1/120)= 3,86, p=0,05 7,525 I: F(1/120)= 10,8, p=0,001 0,678 4,545 Spiritual 1,422 G: F(1/120)= 19,1, p<0,001 0,706 G: F(1/120)= 12,2, p=0,001 3,368 0,223 0,471 I: F(1/120)= 16,1, p<0,001 3,446 I: F(1/120)= 4,13 p=0,044 0,557 1,614

RESULTS Gender and resources Burn out Gender Resources gain (Gender/interaction) F(5,120)=6,829, p<0,001, Eta2=0,234 F(5,120)=3,759, p=0,002, Eta2=0,14 Resources loss (Gender/Interaction) F(5,120)=2,798, p=0,02, Eta2=0,111 F(5,120)=4,119, p=0,002, Eta2=0,15 Mean Gender / Interaction effect Family No Woman 3,997 G:F(1/120)= 5,05, p=0,026 0,132 G: F(1/120)= 9,0, p=0,003 Man 6,261 0,331 Yes 2,525 I: F(1/120)= 9,9, p=0,002 3,250 I: F(1/120)=13,09 p<0,001 2,148 1,121 Economical- political 1,703 G:F(1/120)= 32,4, p<0,001 4,193 G: F(1/120)= 7,5, p=0,007 4,111 4,199 ,870 I: F(1/120)= 9,25, p=0,003 7,201 I: F(1/120)= 7,61, p=0,007 1,601 4,637 10 10

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION We have confirmed main hipothesis based on Hobfoll’s COR theory: The burnout people's resources loss is much bigger and consequently their gain much smaller than non-burnout people's. The loss of resources is disproportionately more meaningful than gain and leads to burnout. Possessing resources = insurance policy preventing from burnout. 11 11

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Differences between professions with different social-economical status: The biggest resources loss occurs in secondary school teachers which may be caused by: the specificity of this kind of school (maturing time). The managers had smaller loss and bigger gain in the majority of resource, which may be caused by: trainings and courses preparing for the job, better financial situation, which helps to manage the resources more effectively but also helps to deal with difficult situations. 12 12

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Gender has a significant role in this context The biggest loss were observed in burnout women The smallest loss were observed in non-burnout men Possible explanation: Women take serious responsibilities of combining many social roles, which might be in conflict. 13 13

Thank you for your kind attention  14 14