An Explanatory Model of Burnout Onset in Information Technology (IT) Employees

A number of studies have shown that Burnout Syndrome is specific to people working in professional fields with a pronounced need for human interaction, but there are also studies that provide evidence that Burnout is also present in other professional fields, including Information Technology (IT). The present research provides further evidence for the scientific validation that IT employees can acquire the specific manifestations of Burnout Syndrome, taking into account the perspective of personality characteristics. Beyond the specific job tasks and demands, the data explain that people with a high level of neuroticism, locus of control (externally oriented), and low levels of conscientiousness, extraversion and self-efficacy will more frequently show Burnout syndrome manifestations. It is also worth noting that females are more prone to Burnout than males, taking into account the findings on the role of personality characteristics.