Synopses & Reviews
Today's workforce is experiencing job burnout in epidemic proportions. Workers at all levels, both white- and blue-collar, feel stressed out, insecure, misunderstood, undervalued, and alienated at their workplace. This original and important book debunks the common myth that when workers suffer job burnout they are solely responsible for their fatigue, anger, and don't give a damn attitude. The book clearly shows where the accountability often belongs. . . .squarely on the shoulders of the organization.
Review
"As the original researcher who first identified and described burnout, Dr. Maslach now digs to the roots of alienation and loss of community in many large organizations." (T. George Harris, editor,
Spirituality & Health)
"Full of important lessons for those who experience burnout and those who are in positions to prevent it from occurring...it's a road map to the design of workplaces that will restore the vitality and the promise of fulfilling work." (Wayne Cascio, professor of management, College of Business and Administration, University of Colorado at Denver)
"The proposed solutions reach well beyond simple-minded, individual stress management to the core challenge of redesigning the work environment." (David S. Sobel, director of patient education and health promotion, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program)
"A welcome corrective to much of the writing I see on burnout. The authors show convincingly that the causes and solutions?are to be found primarily in the organization, not the individual." (Cary Cherniss, professor of applied psychology, Rutgers University)
"RecommAnded for business collections." (Steven Silkunas, DCO SEPTA/FRONTIER, Library Journal)
About the Author
CHRISTINA MASLACH is professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the creator of the widely used psychological test instrument The Maslach Burnout Inventory and the author of
Burnout: The Cost of Caring (1982).
MICHAEL P. LEITER is dean of the faculty of pure and applied science and professor of psychology at Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is also director of the Centre for Organizational Research & Development.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
1. The Current Crisis 1
2. How You Experience Burnout 23
3. What Causes Burnout? 38
4. Why Do Anything About Burnout? 61
5. Crisis Intervention to Stop Burnout 79
6. Preventing Burnout and Building Engagement 102
7. Promoting Human Values 128
Afterword: Moving Toward a Better Future 148
Appendix: Assessing the Work Environment 155
Endnotes 171
For Further Reading 173
About the Author 177
Index 179