Burnout internal factors-self-esteem and negative affectivity in the workplace: The mediation role of organizational identification in times of job uncertainty

Abstract

There is a two-way relationship between working in an organization and the thoughts, feelings, and actions that people experience. There is a wide range of literature on the relationship between the characteristics of the organization and the well-being of workers, as well as an extensive collection of literature on the inverse relationship between individual factors and job performance. For instance, it is well established that the sense of identification with the organization and the self-esteem that comes from being part of it is important in predicting a wide range of work-related attitudes, behaviors, and context variables. Self-esteem is a protective factor against negative affectivity and work-related stress. It is less clear which mechanisms regulate the interaction between organization-based and global self-esteem and how they might affect the well-being experienced in the workplace by workers, especially in times of downsizing and increasing job uncertainty. This chapter considers the relationship between global (self-based) and organization-based self-esteem in times of job insecurity. The literature reviewed within this chapter seems to suggest a somewhat direct relationship between them. It is reasonable to argue that in times of job insecurity (i.e., if a company is unreliable, unworthy of trust) they might also demonstrate an indirect, or irrelevant, relationship. Consequently, a mediation effect of organization-based self-esteem between global self-esteem and negative affectivity is tested. Following the results, people tend to have different levels of global self-esteem. Those who believe in themselves and simultaneously act as if they have an emotional disinvestment in the organization seem more resistant to negative emotions complemented by uncertainty and lack of closure. Those with lower levels of self-esteem continue to identify with the organization in which they work; at the same time they tend to increase the level of negative affectivity, which is probably triggered by the organization's negative feedback. These mechanisms might be partially responsible for the increasing incidence of work-related stress syndrome. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in this chapter.