Job Burnout amongst University Administrative Staff Members in China—A Perspective on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

It is widely accepted that administrative staff, as important components of a university’s workforce, play a critical role in realizing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The worth of administrative staff is based on their productivity, and this has a significant impact on the viability of universities. Based on the job demands–resources model, this study investigates the antecedents of job burnout among administrative staff from both emotional and interpersonal perspectives, taking into account SDGs 3, 4, and 8. In this paper, a quantitative research method using descriptive and inferential analyses explores the complex interplay between job autonomy, emotional job demands, colleague support, and job burnout, with a particular emphasis on the role of emotion regulation. A questionnaire was answered anonymously by 1009 administrative staff members in China, and the results conclude that job autonomy was negatively associated with job burnout, while emotional job demands were positively linked to burnout. Moreover, leader support emerged as more beneficial to workers than colleague support. Emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal function as an important personal resource that buffers the negative effects of job demands and enhances job resources, leading to lower levels of burnout. Furthermore, this study examines how the SDGs can be achieved through reducing job burnout. The important implications for university administrative staff and policymakers, as well as the sustainable development of universities, are discussed.

First validation of the technical and administrative staff quality of life at work tool (TASQ@work) in academia

“…Moreover, previous research has shown that conflicting relationships with supervisors, academic staff, and users, in addition to poor quality of communication, may contribute to WRS and impaired well-being among TAS (Biron et al, 2008;Poalses and Bezuidenhout, 2018;Foy et al, 2019). Similarly, emotional demands from work relationships (e.g., with colleagues or students) were positively associated with TAS burnout (Lei et al, 2023). With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, PRIW has been conceptualized as an additional job demand for employees who continued working in presence or started working partly in presence and partly remotely during the pandemic (Guidetti et al, 2022).…”

“…These primarily encompass autonomy, in terms of discretion to schedule one's work (e.g., time and place) and choose the methods used to perform tasks (Jacobs et al, 2007), which is associated with reduced WRS and increased work motivation (Cropanzano et al, 2001;Jung and Shin, 2015;Kaiser et al, 2021). Moreover, organizational and social support -from supervisors and colleagues (Jolly et al, 2021) -may help prevent WRS and its negative outcomes (Cropanzano et al, 2001;Rothmann and Essenko, 2007;Foy et al, 2019;Lei et al, 2023). Other central job resources include participation in decision making, opportunities for professional and personal growth and career advancement, as well as adequate reward systems (e.g., salary, incentives, and welfare), which may positively influence TAS mental health and motivation (Biron et al, 2008;Jung and Shin, 2015;Poalses and Bezuidenhout, 2018).…”

Balancing Wellbeing and Responsibility: CSR’s Role in Mitigating Burnout in Hospitality under UN-SDGs

“…Moreover, the issue of burnout is critical in today's age, where personal lives, at times, mix with work, necessitating an urgent need for reviewing workplace practices and policies [4]. In addition, employee burnout is directly related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), such as ensuring healthy lives (SDG 3), promoting economic growth (SDG 8), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10) [5,6]. However, the WHO recognizing it as an occupational phenomenon within its ICD-11 manual in 2019 shifted the perception away from seeing burnout as a systemic problem, emphasizing the importance of organizational strategies in addressing this issue [7].…”

Positive Well-Being, Work-Related Rumination and Work Engagement among Chinese University Logistics Staff

“…The high levels of working stress and multifaceted work environments they constantly confront may result in diminished well-being, either at work or outside of work. However, while prior research predominantly concentrated on the mental health of academic staff [3] and other administrative staff [4] in the university, the well-being of logistics staff was neglected.…”