IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/syd/wpaper/2023-02.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Microfoundations of work intensification and burnout

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander Matros
  • Vladimir Smirnov
  • Andrew Wait
  • Helen Zhang

Abstract

This paper develops a model to explain recent trends of work intensification and employee burnout. In an organization a manager assigns tasks to an employee; doing tasks is costly and too many create burnout. In a matrix-style organization,different managers simultaneously assign tasks to an employee, ignoring the ‘externality’ their directives generate on the overall productivity. An over-assignment of tasks also occurs in a vertical hierarchy when task managers at different levels can directly assign tasks. These two frameworks provide a theoretical foundation behind empirical trends and generate testable insights on the organizational causes of burnout.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Matros & Vladimir Smirnov & Andrew Wait & Helen Zhang, 2023. "Microfoundations of work intensification and burnout," Working Papers 2023-02, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:syd:wpaper:2023-02
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://econ-wpseries.com/2023/202302.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helena Lopes & Sérgio Lagoa & Teresa Calapez, 2014. "Work autonomy, work pressure, and job satisfaction: An analysis of European Union countries," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 25(2), pages 306-326, June.
    2. Johnson, J.V. & Hall, E.M., 1988. "Job strain, work place social support, and cardiovascular disease: A cross-sectional study of random sample of the Swedish Working Population," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 78(10), pages 1336-1342.
    3. Brenda Yip & Steve Rowlinson & Oi Ling Siu, 2008. "Coping strategies as moderators in the relationship between role overload and burnout," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(8), pages 871-882.
    4. Francis Green, 2004. "Work Intensification, Discretion, and the Decline in Well-Being at Work," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 30(4), pages 615-625, Fall.
    5. Juan Sandoval-Reyes & Juan C. Restrepo-Castro & Jair Duque-Oliva, 2021. "Work Intensification and Psychological Detachment: The Mediating Role of Job Resources in Health Service Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-14, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Georges Steffgen & Philipp E. Sischka & Martha Fernandez de Henestrosa, 2020. "The Quality of Work Index and the Quality of Employment Index: A Multidimensional Approach of Job Quality and Its Links to Well-Being at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-31, October.
    2. Argyro Avgoustaki & Hans T. W. Frankort, 2019. "Implications of Work Effort and Discretion for Employee Well-Being and Career-Related Outcomes: An Integrative Assessment," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 72(3), pages 636-661, May.
    3. Argyro Avgoustaki & Hans T. W. Frankort, 2023. "All work intensity is not created equal: Effort motives, job satisfaction and quit intentions at a grocery chain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(4), pages 869-894, December.
    4. Paulo Aguiar Do Monte, 2011. "Job Dissatisfaction And Labour Turnover:Evidence From Brazil," Anais do XXXVIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 38th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 135, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    5. Hannah Carver & Tracey Price & Danilo Falzon & Peter McCulloch & Tessa Parkes, 2022. "Stress and Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Frontline Homelessness Services Staff Experiences in Scotland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Nicola Magnavita & Igor Meraglia, 2024. "Poor Work Ability Is Associated with Workplace Violence in Nurses: A Two-Wave Panel Data Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-13, August.
    7. Rémi Colin-Chevalier & Bruno Pereira & Amanda Clare Benson & Samuel Dewavrin & Thomas Cornet & Frédéric Dutheil, 2022. "The Protective Role of Job Control/Autonomy on Mental Strain of Managers: A Cross-Sectional Study among Wittyfit’s Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-10, February.
    8. Sebastiano, Antonio & Belvedere, Valeria & Grando, Alberto & Giangreco, Antonio, 2017. "The effect of capacity management strategies on employees' well-being: A quantitative investigation into the long-term healthcare industry," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 563-573.
    9. Suzuki, Etsuji & Takao, Soshi & Subramanian, S.V. & Komatsu, Hirokazu & Doi, Hiroyuki & Kawachi, Ichiro, 2010. "Does low workplace social capital have detrimental effect on workers' health?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1367-1372, May.
    10. Akiomi Inoue & Hisashi Eguchi & Yuko Kachi & Sarven S. McLinton & Maureen F. Dollard & Akizumi Tsutsumi, 2021. "Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the 12-Item Psychosocial Safety Climate Scale (PSC-12J)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Huizing, Anna R. & Hamers, Jan P.H. & de Jonge, Jan & Candel, Math & Berger, Martijn P.F., 2007. "Organisational determinants of the use of physical restraints: A multilevel approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 924-933, September.
    12. Rosie Mulholland & Andy McKinlay & John Sproule, 2013. "Teacher Interrupted," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(3), pages 21582440135, September.
    13. Cäker, Mikael & Siverbo, Sven, 2018. "Effects of performance measurement system inconsistency on managers’ role clarity and well-being," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 256-266.
    14. Wieteke Conen & Paul de Beer, 2021. "When two (or more) do not equal one: an analysis of the changing nature of multiple and single jobholding in Europe," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(2), pages 165-180, May.
    15. Dragoș Adăscăliței & Jason Heyes & Pedro Mendonça, 2022. "The intensification of work in Europe: A multilevel analysis," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(2), pages 324-347, June.
    16. Bubonya, Melisa & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Wooden, Mark, 2017. "Mental health and productivity at work: Does what you do matter?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 150-165.
    17. Myra Sader & Barthélemy Chollet & Sébastien Brion & Olivier Trendel, 2021. "Supported, detached, or marginalized? The ambivalent role of social capital on stress at work," Post-Print hal-03167159, HAL.
    18. Yun-Seok Hwang & Byung-Jik Kim, 2021. "“The Power of a Firm’s Benevolent Act”: The Influence of Work Overload on Turnover Intention, the Mediating Role of Meaningfulness of Work and the Moderating Effect of CSR Activities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, April.
    19. Lea Sell & Bryan Cleal, 2011. "Job Satisfaction, Work Environment, and Rewards: Motivational Theory Revisited," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 25(1), pages 1-23, March.
    20. Demougin, Dominique & Helm, Carsten, 2023. "Overwhelmed by routine tasks: A multitasking principal agent perspective," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 654-669.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:syd:wpaper:2023-02. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Vanessa Holcombe (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deusyau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.