The role of social network characteristics in employee burnout, exhaustion and disengagement: A PLS-SEM study

Abstract

Burnout is a significant problem in the workplace that involves emotional exhaustion and disengagement and can negatively affect employee health and performance. In this study, we explored the phenomenon of “burnout contagion” within organizational teams and how two variables, PTS and SNA, mediate the influence of employee burnout. A quantitative, descriptive, and explanatory correlational research design was used, and data were collected from 385 employees of seven FMCG organizations in Kathmandu Valley. Both results indicate that PTS and SNA are important contributors to employee burnout and that there is a strong correlation between emotional exhaustion and work disengagement. The mediation analysis also confirmed that burnout played a mediating role between PTS, SNA, and these two negative employee outcomes. The study found interpersonal relationships to be an important factor in the spread of burnout in organizational social networks and that people at the network hubs were more vulnerable to burnout. The results show that burnout is more than just a psychological phenomenon of the individual; it is also a social phenomenon affected by team interaction and configuration of the team network. This study ends with some practical recommendations, especially regarding the need for continuous monitoring of network centrality, fostering positive employee relations, and network-based interventions to prevent the spread of burnout and enhance organizational well-being and sustainability.