A CASE Study for Physical Education TEACHERS in a GREEK URBAN AREA
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Serbian Serbian Journal of Management 13 (2) (2018) 353 - 363 Journal of Management www.sjm06.com THE RELATioNSHiP BETWEEN PRoFESSioNAL BURNoUT ANd SATiSFACTioN: A CASE STUdY FoR PHYSiCAL EdUCATioN TEACHERS iN A GREEK URBAN AREA Evangelia Papasotirioua, Georgios Sidiropoulosa, Stamatis Ntanosa,b*, Miltiadis Chalikiasc and Michalis Skordoulisa,b aUniversity of West Attica, School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Business Administration, 12244, Aigaleo, Greece bDemocritus University of Thrace, Agricultural Sciences & Forestry School, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, 68200, Orestiada, Greece cUniversity of West Attica, School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Tourism Management, 12244, Aigaleo, Greece (Received 22 November 2017; accepted 25 April 2018) Abstract The aim of the present study is two-fold. Firstly, this research investigates the relationship between the variables of professional burnout and satisfaction among physical education teachers who work in sports organizations of large municipalities in the region of Attica, Greece. Secondly, the relationship between organizational factors and the variables of professional burnout and satisfaction was examined. All the teachers who took part in the survey are occupied in a municipal program called “Sports for all”. With the method of random sampling, a total of 100 questionnaires, representing 10% of the survey population, were filled out by physical education teachers, occupied in 9 municipalities of Attica (Marousi, Kifissia, Heraklion, Metamorfosi-Pefki, N. Ionia, N. Philadelphia, Ilion, Haidari). The analysis reveals that Greek physical education teachers reported low levels of professional burnout and high levels of professional satisfaction. Moreover the results confirm the existence of a relationship between organizational factors, professional burnout and satisfaction. Keywords:burnout, professional satisfaction, physical education teachers, maslach burnout inventory, role conflict, role clarity 1. iNTRodUCTioN organizational experts consider that burnout has important implications on the individual, The concept of burnout has received the organization and also on the economy much attention during recent years. Many and production. A number of researchers psychologists, sociologists, management and have concluded that professional satisfaction * Corresponding author: [email protected] doi: 10.5937/sjm13-15801 354 E.Papasotiriou / SJM 13 (2) (2018) 353 - 363 is directly linked to professional burnout. to define burnout. In the field of psychology, More specifically, low level of professional burnout was first used by Bradley (1969) to burnout is correlated or even can be describe a phenomenon that mostly occurs to predicted by high level of professional healthcare professionals. Freudenberger satisfaction (Platsidou & Agaliotis, 2008; (1974) defined burnout as the inability for Platsidou, 2010; Chalikias, 2013; Chalikias job performance or the exhaustion caused by et al., 2016; Tsitmideli et al., 2016; Zapantis excessive occupational demands of energy, et al., 2017). The purpose of this study was to strength or resources. In 1980, Cherniss investigate the relationship between described professional burnout as "the professional burnout and satisfaction for the disease of over commitment" (Rogers & case of physical education teachers working Dodson, 1988). There are many studies that in sports programs organized by municipal have attempted to define burnout, but the authorities. The role of local authorities in most widely accepted definition has been the provision of recreational and social proposed by Maslach & Jackson (1981): services is important, in order to satisfy the "Burnout is a syndrome of emotional public interest (Torkildsen, 1999). Generally, exhaustion and cynicism that occurs local authorities play an important role for frequently among individuals who do establishing close relationships because of ‘people-work’ of some kind". Numerous their proximity to the population. The studies have argued that teaching is a municipalities in Greece have been given stressful occupation (Bachkirova, 2005; extended responsibilities and obligations Blase, 1986; Claxton, 1989; De Nobile & towards society and the citizen, especially McCormick, 2005; Kyriacou, 2001). Several after 2010 with the application of studies that have been carried out conclude “Kallikratis” program. The existence of a that professional burnout is the cause of low municipal sports organization in the local job satisfaction rather than the opposite government states the priority which is given (Burke et al., 1984). Locke (1976) defined by the state to the municipal authority for job satisfaction as "a pleasurable or positive citizens’ workout in the area of Athens, emotional state resulting from the appraisal Greece (Afthinos, 2001). Concerning the of one's job or job experiences". Professional role of physical education teachers in the satisfaction is directly related to personal life municipal programs, they are a part of the and physical health of an employee (Balzer municipality human resources that can offer et al., 1990). Various researches have clearly very good services to citizens who exercise. shown that the most important factors that On the other hand, they can promote the adversely affect employee's mental health development of sports organizations that are those of “role clarity” and “role conflict” affect positively the economic sector during their professional life. Role clarity (Nikolaidou et al., 2014). problems occur when an employee is uncertain for the role of his job, the 2. LiTERATURE REViEW requirements, the way to success and what the other expects from him (Kantas, 1995; For many years burnout is considered to Koustelios & Kousteliou, 1998; Koustelios be a critical business issue that affects job et al., 2004). Many researchers have satisfaction. Several authors have attempted confirmed the view that role clarity has the E.Papasotiriou / SJM 13 (2) (2018) 353 - 363 355 highest impact on professional satisfaction as questionnaire for different professions on well as the exhaustion of employees. The private and public sector workers in Greece, importance of teachers’ clear role towards such as librarians (Togia et al., 2004) and students’ satisfaction and promotion of teachers (Koustelios, 2001), confirming its environmental sensitivity has been pointed acceptable reliability, validity and the out in a recent study for Greek secondary proposed structure. Section A of the education students (Ntanos et al., 2018). questionnaire consisted of several questions Role conflict occurs when an employee probing for teacher’s professional interacts with different people or diverse satisfaction. For the measurement of Section groups of people (e.g. colleagues, friends, A, the Employee Satisfaction Inventory family) who have conflicting expectations (ESI) of Koustelios & Bagiatis (1997) was from his behavior (Koustelios & Kousteliou, used. In order to evaluate the level of 1998; Pettinger, 1996). Low et al. (2001) professional burnout of physical education argued that both role conflict and role clarity teachers, the Maslach Burnout Inventory are important factors that are associated with (MBI) was used (Maslach & Jackson, 1981, professional burnout. Several studies have 1986) in section B. Moreover, Role Conflict concluded that both role conflict and clarity and Role Ambiguity Scale were used (Rizzo, are negatively related to job satisfaction et al., 1970) in section C of the questionnaire. (Jackson & Schuller's, 1985; Behrman & In the analysis, three research hypotheses Perreult, 1984). have been set for the investigation of the relationship between the variables of professional satisfaction, burnout, role 3. RESEARCH METHodoLoGY conflict and clarity. The statistical analysis has been carried out by using SPSS v.18 For data collection purposes, a survey was statistical software. More specifically, the conducted in physical education teachers statistical analysis methods include working in Kallikratian Municipalities in the Descriptive analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, Attica region (Marousi, Kifissia, Heraklion, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test, Bartlett’s Metamorfosi-Pefki, N. Ionia, N. test of sphericity, Pearson correlation Philadelphia, Ilion, Haidari). Sample size coefficient and stepwise linear regression was determined on the basis of the total models. population of physical education teachers. By obtaining data for the total population of 1000 teachers from the Attica municipal 4. RESULTS authority, a percentage of 10 % was selected by the method of random sampling. Sample demographics are summarized in Approximately 100 questionnaires were Table 1. filled out during personal interviews. The Initially, the overall reliability of the questionnaire consists of 24 questions, questionnaire was tested (in all 4 sections of divided into three sections and responses are the questionnaire) and Cronbach’s alpha based on the 5-point Likert scale, ranging index was found to be high (0.855), from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly (Cronbach, 1951). Reliability analysis was disagree). Many studies have used this also separately performed for each section of 356 E.Papasotiriou / SJM 13 (2) (2018) 353 - 363 Table 1. Demographic data of the sample Variable Demographics Frequency Percent Male 50 53.8 Gender Female 43 46.2 Single/Not married 25 26.9 Married 64 68.8 Marital status Divorced/Separated