Measurement of burnout and the influence of background characteristics in Greek academic librarians

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of the present study is to measure levels of burnout among Greek academic librarians and to assess its relation with certain background characteristics. Design/methodology/approach - The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was administered to 136 academic librarians across Greece. Findings - Findings suggested that respondents experienced low levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and moderate levels of personal accomplishment. Of the background characteristics, age, number of years as a librarian and participation in decision-making were found to be independent of experienced burnout. Direct contact with library users seemed to enhance feelings of personal accomplishment. In addition, employees with short-term contracts reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion in comparison to their colleagues holding lifetime positions. Research limitations/implications - Future research can focus on different types of libraries where the predominance of different organizational characteristics might have a different impact on individual burnout. Another direction for future research is the study of the specific job conditions that might contribute to burnout. Originality/value - Provides valuable results concerning burnout among library professionals in Greece.