Relationship between Personal Ethics and Burnout: The Unexpected Influence of Affective Commitment

Carlos Santiago-Torner (), José-Antonio Corral-Marfil () and Elisenda Tarrats-Pons
Additional contact information
Carlos Santiago-Torner: Faculty of Business and Communication Studies, Department of Economics and Business, University of Vic—Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
José-Antonio Corral-Marfil: Faculty of Business and Communication Studies, Department of Economics and Business, University of Vic—Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
Elisenda Tarrats-Pons: Faculty of Business and Communication Studies, Department of Economics and Business, University of Vic—Central University of Catalonia, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain

Administrative Sciences, 2024, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Objective: Ethical climates and their influence on emotional health have been the subject of intense debates. However, Personal Ethics as a potential resource that can mitigate Burnout syndrome has gone unnoticed. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the effect of Personal Ethics on the three dimensions that constitute Burnout, considering the moderating influence of Affective Commitment. Design/methodology: A model consisting of three simple moderations is used to solve this question. The sample includes 448 professionals from the Colombian electricity sector with university-qualified education. Findings: Personal Ethics mitigates Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization, but it is not related to Personal Realization. Affective Commitment, unexpectedly, has an inverse moderating effect. In other words, as this type of commitment intensifies, the positive impact of Personal Ethics on Burnout and Depersonalization decreases until it disappears. Furthermore, Affective Commitment does not influence the dynamic between Personal Ethics and self-realization. Research limitations/implications: A longitudinal study would strengthen the causal relationships established in this research. Practical implications: Alignment of values between the individual and the organization is crucial. In fact, integration between the organization and its personnel through organic, open and connected structures increases psychological well-being through values linked to benevolence and understanding. Social implications: Employees’ emotional health is transcendental beyond the organizational level, as it has a significant impact on personal and family interactions beyond the workplace. Originality/value: The potential adverse repercussion of Affective Commitment has been barely examined. Additionally, Personal Ethics, when intensified by high Affective Commitment, can lead to extra-role behaviors that transform what is voluntary into a moral imperative. This situation could generate emotional fractures and a decrease in achievement. This perspective, compared to previous research, introduces an innovative element.

Keywords: Personal Ethics; Affective Commitment; Emotional Exhaustion; Depersonalization; self-realization; Burnout (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/14/6/123/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/14/6/123/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:14:y:2024:i:6:p:123-:d:1413088

Access Statistics for this article

Administrative Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Nancy Ma

More articles in Administrative Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().