Far East Journal of Psychology and Business

Vol. 2 No 1, January 2011

JOB BURNOUT: AN OUTCOME OF ORGANISATIONAL POLITICS IN BANKING SECTOR K. R. Sowmya (Corresponding Author) Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, St.Peters College of Engineering & Technology College Road, Avadi, Chennai,Tamilnadu, India E-mail: saumiyaa@gmail.com

N. Panchanatham Professor/ Head, Department of Management Studies, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamilnadu, India E-mail: panchanatham@gmail.com

ABSTRACT Extensive literature review on organizational politics reveals that Job Burnout, Job anxiety, Turnover Intention and Absenteeism are its inevitable outcomes. The purpose of this article is to study about Job burnout as an important outcome of organizational politics among Banking Sector employees of Chennai. Job burnout is considered an outcome of organizational politics due to the influence of various independent variables like job attitude, job involvement etc on the same. The researcher has made an attempt to study about Job Burnout as an outcome of organizational politics, in order to give suggestions to the banking sector about the causes for the same in the organization. T-test has been done to find out the major reason contributing to Job Burnout in an organisation and the results have been discussed. Keywords: Organizational politics, Outcomes of politics, Job Burnout, Banking sector Paper Type: Research Paper

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INTRODUCTION Politics in any organization is a fact of life. The struggle over scarce resources, the conflicts that arise when critical decisions need to be made and the need to get over one another for own survival in the competitive market has all made the existence of politics very common in the work area. This has made every person to either overcome politics or to survive in spite of its existence and its influence. This political behaviour or political handling behaviour represents hidden dynamics, undercover activities, or other goal-seeking events that frequently conflict with the overall organizational goals. It has a definite need to be studied in Indian scenario. Therefore the author representing a main metropolitan city called Chennai has chosen to study in the most prime banking sector. Banking sector in spite of the world recession survived well and yet it is not possible without its human contributions. Without a sound and effective banking system in India it cannot have a healthy economy. The banking system of India should not only be hassle free but it should be able to meet new challenges posed by the technology and any other external and internal factors. For the past three decades India's banking system has several outstanding achievements to its credit. The most striking is its extensive reach. It is no longer confined to only metropolitans or cosmopolitans in India. In fact, Indian banking system has reached even to the remote corners of the country. This is one of the main reasons of India's growth process. The author has attempted this paper on the variable Job Burnout which has been studied as a frequent outcome due to influence of various independent variables on the dependent variable. Meaning and Definition Organisational Politics Politics has emerged as an important variable in organizational research. It has drawn the attention of management scientist and organizational psychologists. This variable is being studied with different perspective in the organization. Mayes and Allen (1977) defined as Organizational politics is the management of influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or to obtain sanctioned ends through nonsanctioned influence means. Kacmar, K.M., Bozeman, D.P., Carlson, D.S. & Anthony, W.P. (1999) offered the following definition organizational politics involves actions by individuals, which are directed toward the goal of furthering their own self-interests without regard for the well-being of others or their organization. Dubrin, (2001) defined organizational politics as informal approaches to gaining power through means other than merit or luck. Job Burnout
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The concept of burnout was introduced by Fredeunberger in 1974. He stated that burnout occurred more commonly in occupations where members directly with people. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces productivity and saps ones energy, leaving him/her feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, one may feel like he/her has nothing more to give. Burnout is a malaise of the spirit in which motivation, that mysterious force that gets us moving is damaged or even destroyed. Job burnout could be called job depression. Burnout is not an all-or-nothing proposition. On any particular day enthusiasm for work is increasing or decreasing but it does not remain the same. Even the hottest fires will burn out, so we tend them fanning, stoking, and occasionally adding another log. When motivation wanes, we burn out. Symptoms Occasional feelings of frustration, anger, depression, dissatisfaction, and anxiety are normal parts of living and working. But people caught in the burnout cycle usually experience these negative emotions more often until they become chronic. In the worst cases, people complain of a kind of emotional fatigue or depletion. While no two people respond in exactly the same way, people tend to experience frustration first that may evolve into anger. In later stages we see anxiety and fear, then depression and, in extreme cases, despair. These physical symptoms are accompanied by declining performance, withdrawal and interpersonal problems, substance abuse in an attempt to self-medicate, illness and absenteeism, and feelings of meaninglessness attitude. Causes of Burnout To understand the causes of burnout it helps to understand what sustains motivation. Just as the body needs vitamins and protein for optimal health, certain "nutrients" are also essential to sustain high motivation: (1) Rewards for good work, and (2) Feeling you can control things that influence you. These factors nourish motivation and help overcome burnout. Lack of Rewards Rewards include praise, feelings of satisfaction, high self-esteem, raises, bonuses, promotions, fame, credibility, challenge, adventure, fun, and anything else that is positive to you. Negative rewards include avoiding criticism, alleviating loneliness, reducing debts, turning off fear, avoiding guilt, getting away from bad relationships, and avoiding anything else that you find punitive and unpleasant. Maslach(1981) defined burnout as a physical, emotional and intellectual exhaustion syndrome manifested by adverse attitude to professional life and other people with the development of a negative self-esteem in the individual experiencing chronic fatigue and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
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Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996) defined Job burnout as a syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy .Exhaustion refers to feelings of strain, particularly chronic fatigue resulting from overtaxing work. The second dimension, cynicism refers to an indifferent or a distant attitude towards work in general and the people with whom one works, losing ones interest in work and feeling for work has lost its meaning. Finally, lack of professional efficacy refers to reduced feelings of competence, successful achievement, and accomplishment both in ones job and the organization. Burnout, a phenomenon that has been widely acknowledged as an important issue among people helping professional, still lacks both precise theoretical foundations and substantial empirical support. Its conceptual and operational definitions vary widely. The broadcast definitions equate Burnout with stress, connect it with a long list of adverse health and well being variables and suggest that it is caused by relentless pursuit of success. LETERATURE REVIEW Extensive literature review shows that burnout has mostly been done on occupations such as consultants, lawyers, police, nurses, teachers, physicians that makes involvement of human burnout visible. Yet there is no study in Chennai investigating the relationship between burnout and bank officers. The present study aims to find out the factors affecting the burnout level of banking officers in Chennai banking sector. Motowildo et al.(1986) reported that nurses experience stress due to factors such as giving care to patients whose lives are endangered, high expectations of patients and their families, excessive responsibility in work environment, working with unqualified and few personnel. Wheeler (1997) stated that job stress may not originate only from stressors at the work environment, but also from stressors at home and private life. Maslach and Jackson (1981) explained the concept of Burnout into three categories namely Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and Lack of personal accomplishment. They stated that Emotional Exhaustion results from decrease or loss of self confidence and interest in ones profession as well as feelings of fatigue and weakness. In this case individual feels as exhausted and stressed too much in professional life. Depersonalization is termed as behaving towards the caretakers without any e mo t io n, as if they are not individuals and unique people. Personal Accomplishment is defined as the feelings of productivity, adequacy and coping successfully. Ferris, G. R. and Kacmar, K. M. (1992) empirically tested the model of Organisational politics proposed by ferris, Russ & fandt and refined analysis of antecedents and consequences of politics perception. The study aimed to develop a concise, global measure of organizational politics perception. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the four predictors of organizational politics perception were found as Job Autonomy, Skill Variety, Feedback and Advancement opportunity. The outcomes Job involvement & Satisfaction were influenced by OP perceptions. Conceptualization revealed that OP is influenced by Organisational, environmental
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& personal factors and in turn influences the organizational outcomes such as job involvement, Job anxiety, job satisfaction and Job Burnout. Vigoda (2000) aimed to promote understanding of employees reactions to organizational politics. The relationship between perception of organizational politics, job attitudes, and several other work outcomes was examined among 303 public sector employees in Israel. Perception of organizational politics was found to have had a negative relationship with job attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction and organizational commitment), a positive relationship with intention to leave the organization (exit), and a stronger positive relationship with negligent behavior (neglect). The research hypotheses were tested by multiple standard and hierarchical regressions. This study has accomplished several goals which can be marked as making a significant contribution to the field: (1) exploring the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics, job attitudes, exit, neglect, and job performance; (2) illuminating the special role of OP in traditional public systems and its implications for employees as well as for citizens/ customers; (3) utilizing a nonAmerican setting to allow a cross-cultural examination of OP. Eran Vigoda-Gadot and Danit Kapun (2005) empirically examined the relationship between organizational politics and perceived employees performance across two separate settings: the private sector and the public sector. The hypotheses were tested on the level of politics in private and public sector (the result was identified to be public sector); impact of POP on job attitudes(job satisfaction and organizational commitment); impact of POP, Job attitude on job distress and job burnout; impact of all on turnover intensions, negligent behaviour and absenteeism. The theoretical model was tested using an SEM (Structural Equation Modelling). The study revealed that prove higher in the public than in the private sector. Review of literature shows the importance of job burnout as an outcome of organizational politics and therefore it is suitable to study the major factor influencing job burnout. T-test was used as a simple test with items to study in a simple manner about the outcome of politics in banking sector. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To analyse the factors influencing Job Burnout. To give suggestions to the Banking sector about the Employee Burnout Reasons in order to reduce the feeling of the same.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Eran Vigoda-Gadot and Danit Kapun (2005) in their study Perceptions of politics and perceived performance in public and private organisations: a test of one model across two sectors has created and tested a research model and suggested a generic analysis of the organisational politics-performance relationship. Based on previous studies, the model argues that organizational politics is directly related to job attitudes such as job satisfaction and organisational commitment, but that these attitudes also correlate with job distress and, at a later stage, also has an impact on job burnout .The researcher has referred to the same model and has considered the
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outcome variables such as Job Burnout for the current study in the banking sector of the metropolitan city Chennai. The methodology of the study is based on the primary as well as secondary data. The study depends mainly on the primary data collected through a well-framed and structured questionnaire to elicit the well-considered opinions of the respondents. The study is confined to a few selected Public and New Private Sector Banks in Chennai. The researcher has taken 8 PSBs and 5 NPSBs located in Chennai City. Multi-Stage Random Sampling Method was used in the study to select the sample. Multi-Stage Random Sampling Method was used in the study to select the sample. A multistage random sample is constructed by taking a series of simple random samples in stages. In a multistage random sample, a large area, such as a country, is first divided into smaller regions (such as states), and a random sample of these regions is collected. In the second stage, a random sample of smaller areas (such as counties) is taken from within each of the regions chosen in the first stage. Then, in the third stage, a random sample of even smaller areas (such as neighborhoods) is taken from within each of the areas chosen in the second stage. If these areas are sufficiently small for the purposes of the study, then the researcher might stop at the third stage. If not, he or she may continue to sample from the areas chosen in the third stage, etc., until appropriately small areas have been chosen-Valerie J. Easton and John H. McColl's Statistics Glossary v1.1). Similarly in this study out of the whole country Chennai is chosen as the first step, In Chennai whether public sector or private sector bank is the next stage of random sampling and in which level within private or public sector bank is the third step of random sampling. INSERT FIGURE 1.1 A total of 120 questionnaires were distributed and out of which 60 from Public sector banks and 60 from New private sector Banks were received. After the scrutiny of these questionnaires, 8 questionnaires from Public sector banks and 12 questionnaires from New private sector Banks were rejected on account of incomplete responses. Finally, 100 completed questionnaires were used for the present study. The study is confined to a few selected Public and New Private Sector Banks and for this purpose the following 8 Public Sector Banks and 5 New Private Sector Banks are considered as the sample domain. Out of the 20 PSBs and 8 NPSBs operating in Chennai City 8 PSBs and 5 NPSBs are selected at random for the study. The researcher has obtained the responses from 25 percent of the branch offices of select banks rationally. These branches have been selected in Chennai City comprising of 10 Zones. Opinions are elicited from both Public Sector and New Private Sector Banks as mentioned earlier. RESEARCH MEASURE Burnout was measured by a six-item scale taken from Maslach Burnout Inventory-MBI (Maslach and Jackson, 1986). This scale was previously tested by vigoda (2002) and found valid & reliable. It was also tested by Eran Vigoda-Gadot &Danit Kupan (2005) and found valid & Reliable. It was measured on a 5 point scale ranging from Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often and Always. Its Cronbachs Alpha Co-efficient Reliabilty Score was tested and found as 0.866.
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Sample items were I feel burned out by my work, I feel I am working too hard on my job, I feel like I am at the end of my tether. The job burnout prevailing among public and private sector employees was ascertained through their opinion for 6 statements on emotionally drained, feeling about end of the work day and gregarious. The employees also expressed their opinion on burned out in hard work and tethered feelings. The opinion is obtained through 5 point scales which vary as always, often, sometimes, rarely and never. The application of t-test to compare the mean values with hypothetical mean value 3 gives out the following results in table 1.1. INSERT TABLE 1.1 From the table 1.1 it is found that the mean values range from 3.71 to 4.38 and the respective standard deviations also show the consistency of the opinion. The t-values (15.089, 10.472, 11.088, 10.644, 16.958, and 10.332) are positive and statistically significant at 5% level. The dominating behavioural outcome with the highest mean value was I feel I am working too hard on my job (4.3800) that caused Job Burnout followed by the next factor with a mean value I feel used up at the end of the work day (4.1600). The next close reason contributing to job burnout was I feel like I am at the end of my tether (4.0900). The next reasons contribution was not much lesser I feel emotionally drained by my work (3.9700). The factor following was I feel burned out by my work with a mean value of (3.8200) and last factor was with the mean value (3.7100) Working with people all day is really a strain for me also contributed to a certain extent to job burnout though it was the last factor contributing to job burnout of bank employees. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Extensive review of literature on organizational politics from various studies has revealed Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement and organizational commitment as the usual determinants and Job Burnout, Job Anxiety, Turnover Intention, Negligent Behaviour & Absenteeism as its outcome variables. However the researcher has taken steps to study about job burnout as an outcome variable of Organisational Politics. And also has taken effort to find out the major reason causing job burnout in the banking sector in this study. A six item scale was used to test the job burnout in banking sector in this current study. The six items were six different problems that cause burnout in the banks. The most important reason was found using the T-Test showing highest mean value in the analysis discussed. From the T-test it can be concluded that the public sector and private sector bank employees always felt that their efforts have been totally used and they employed their hard work with extensive commitment. They also profoundly believed that they have been tethered by various responsibilities and commitment in the work environment. The public sector and private sector bank employees sometimes felt that they were emotionally drained and burned out by their work and at times felt strained to work with people. The Indian Managers today operate in an environment full of uncertainties, turbulence & even hostility. Competition has increased manifold with its attending consequences both good as well as bad. It is logical to surmise that stress levels have gone up leading to burnout as a result. The
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most disturbing factor is the high burnout level at comparatively younger age levels. It is found that more young managers are suffering from psychological distress, depression, anxiety, burnout syndromes & physical ailments. The Indian Social Scientists in response to the changes and their impact in terms of illness and wellness have paid some attention to these phenomena. A large number of researchers are devoting time and energy to study the burnout process with its accompanying manifestations & consequences. Burnout is a negative consequence of chronic stress has been a topic of research of many social researchers. Burnout appears to be a response to interpersonal stressors on the job in which an overload of contact with people causes changes in attitude & behavior towards them. This research is an attempt to uncover the linkage between politics and its outcome from Indian context and thereby will give valid suggestions to the banking sector of the popular metropolitan Chennai city. The items used in this study are basically the outcomes due to Job Burnout of employees. The banking sector has to identify the reasons for such burnout and should take steps to resolve the problems as quickly as possible as per the priority of problems in order to avoid further outcomes such as job anxiety thereby leading to turnover intention & absenteeism in organizations. However this study has a limitation of being studied only with respect to job burnout. Many more outcomes are not discussed in this study. Moreover the association between organizational politics and Job burnout needs to be studied but only as an outcome it has been tested. Yet it has given valuable suggestions to the banking sector based on the highest burnout feeling experienced by the employees. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to thank Mr. Vignesh (IIT, Chennai) for provisional help in review collection. The author also wishes to thank Dr.Jayaprakash, Associate Professor and Mr.T.PraveenKumar, Lecturer for their valuable guidance. REFERENCES Cordes.C.L & Dougherty..T.W (1993). A review and an integration of research on job burnout. Academy of Management Review. 18. 621-656. DuBrin, A. J. (2001), Winning at office politics New York: Van Nostrand-Reinhold. Eran Vigoda-Gadot & Danit Kapun (2005), Perceptions of politics and Perceived performance in public and private organisations: a test of one model across two sectors, The Policy Press. EranVigoda (2002), Stress-Related Aftermaths to workplace politics: The Relationships among Politics, Job Distress and Aggressive Behaviour in Organisations, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, Chichester Aug 2002. Vol 23, Iss: 5, pg571. Fredeunberger, H.J., 1 9 7 4 . Staff burn-out. Journal of Social Issues 30 (1), 159165. Kacmar, K.M., Bozeman, D.P., Carlson, D.S. & Anthony, W.P. (1999), an examination of the perceptions of organizational politics model: replication and extension, Human Relations, vol 52: 383416. Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981), The measurement of experienced burnout Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 99113.
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Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E.(1986), The maslach burnout inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychological Press. Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996), Maslach burnout inventory manual (3rd edition). Palo Alto7Consulting Psychologists Press Mayes, B.T. & Allen, R.W. (1977), Toward a definition of organizational politics Academy of Management Review, 2, 672-678. Motowildo,S.J.,Packard,J.S.,& Manning,M.R.,(1986).Occupational stress: its causes and consequences for job performance,Journal of Applied Psychology 71 (4),618629. Vigoda, E. (2000), "Organizational politics, job attitudes, and work outcomes: exploration and implications for the public sector", Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 57, pp. 326-47. Wheeler,H.H.,(1997).Nurse occupational stress research ; denition and conceptualization. British Journal of Nursing 6 (12), 710713. Websites www.chennaicorporation.com www.madrastimes.com www.rbi.org.in

Note: This article consists heavily of material adaptations from several sources (References quoted). There still may be some unreferenced material for which reference may not be quoted. The author sincerely quotes that it is not intentional.

FIGURE 1.1

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TABLE 1.1 Std. Deviation .64283 1.07984 .64031 .77041 .81377 1.05500 Std. Error Mean .06428 .10798 .06403 .07704 .08138 .10550

N QE1 QE2 QE3 QE4 QE5 QE6 100 100 100 100 100 100

Mean 3.9700 4.1600 3.7100 3.8200 4.3800 4.0900

t-test 15.089 10.742 11.088 10.644 16.958 10.332

SIG .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

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