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The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was used to examine the relationship between job characteristics, burnout, and (other-ratings of) performance (N=146). We hypothesized that job demands (e.g., work pressure and emotional demands) would be the most important antecedents of the exhaustion component of burnout, which, in turn, would predict in-role performance (hypothesis 1). In contrast, job resources (e.g., autonomy and social support) were hypothesized to be the most important predictors of extra-role performance, through their relationship with the disengagement component of burnout (hypothesis 2). In addition, we predicted that job resources would buffer the relationship between job demands and exhaustion (hypothesis 3), and that exhaustion would be positively related to disengagement (hypothesis 4). The results of structural equation modeling analyses provided strong support for hypotheses 1, 2, and 4, but rejected hypothesis 3. These findings support the JD-R model's claim that job demands and job resources initiate two psychological processes, which eventually affect organizational outcomes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Introduction
Although job burnout is known to negatively affect job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and creates such undesired behaviors as personnel turnover and absenteeism (see Lee & Ashforth, 1996, for an overview), its relationship with an organization's most important outcome-namely, job performance-has hardly received any research attention. In fact, in Lee and Ashforth's meta-analysis, the relationship between burnout and performance was not even mentioned. In addition, the few studies reported in the literature thus far have shown inconsistent relationships between burnout and performance, with some studies showing the expected negative relationships (e.g., Bhagat, Allie, & Ford, 1995; Parker & Kulik, 1995; Wright & Cropanzano, 1998), and others showing zero or positive relationships (e.g., Keijsers, Schaufeli, Le Blanc, Zwerts, & Reis-Miranda, 1995; Lazaro, Shinn, & Robinson, 1985; Randall & Scott, 1988). One of the reasons for these mixed findings may be that several studies only examined the relationship between performance and one dimension of burnout-exhaustion (e.g., Wright & Cropanzano, 1998). In addition, the majority of studies used self-reports and did not distinguish between two types of performance: in-role and extra-role performance.
The aim of the current study is to investigate how burnout may be related to otherratings of performance by using a theoretical model that incorporates the core dimensions of burnout and by employing adequate measures...