The Relationship Between Global and Contextualised Personality and Workplace Burnout in Secondary School Teachers

Abstract

Knowledge about the relationship between personality traits and workplace burnout in teachers is predominantly based on the operationalisation of personality as a stable construct (global personality) and the operationalisation of workplace burnout by means of the Maslach et al. model. However, according to contemporary conceptualisations, personality can also be considered as a context-dependent construct. In addition, Schaufeli et al. have presented their own conceptualisation of burnout at work, which, in contrast to Maslach et al.'s model, is based on clear theoretical assumptions. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the relationship between personality and burnout at work based on the contemporary conceptualisation of personality (global versus contextualised) and burnout at work (Schaufeli et al. model). A correlational study was conducted with a sample of 142 secondary school teachers. The research findings point to the contribution of the global and contextualised personality dimensions to the dimensions of burnout in the workplace.