An Examination Of Job Burnout And Turnover Intention In Malaysian University Academics’: Effects Of Affective Commitment

Abstract

Over the years, the higher education climate has changed drastically due to the greater demands in work-related performances of academics’, heightened occupational strain, overbearing job responsibilities, and research-related expectations set by institutions. All these contribute to the trend of job burnout and occupational stress occurring among those in the university setting; in cases where these academics’ experience serious levels of burnout and diminished commitment, some opt to leave their career altogether (Ramasamy, & Abdullah, 2017; Winefield, 2003). This study investigates the relationship between affective commitment, an individual’s emotional attachment to the organisation, job burnout and turnover intention or intention to quit an organisation on a sample of Malaysian university academics’. Burnout was measured using the 9-items emotional exhaustion component scale (higher scores indicate greater burnout symptom) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); affective commitment was measured using the six items of the Affective Commitment Scale developed by Allen and Meyer and intention to quit was measured by Kelloway et al.’s (1999) Turnover Intention Scale consisting of four items. Significant and strong associations between burnout symptoms and the level of turnover intention were found. In addition, according to the findings affective commitment appears to mediate the relationship between burnout and academics’ turnover intention. The results highlight the significance of academic burnout and the difficulties it poses in terms of academics’ well-being, student progress, and institutional success. To minimise burnout and promote academic well-being, additional solutions are needed, including initiatives to resolve systemic problems in the university community. The findings, also shed light on how intervention efforts and services aimed at reducing academic burnout could be effective. These findings' implications are discussed.