Investigating Occupational Burnout in Library Personnel.
Adebayo, Oyeronke ; Segun-Adeniran, Chidi Deborah ; Fagbohun, Michael Opeoluwa 等
Investigating Occupational Burnout in Library Personnel.
Introduction
Organizations have the mission of offering high quality service and
this depends greatly on the disposition of its employees. Human resource
is the most important factor in any organization notwithstanding the
abundance of physical and financial resources. For any organization to
be termed as being successful, it is of paramount importance that its
employees are taken good care of both physically and emotionally because
the physical resources available can only be turned to products or
services that will bring about economic returns with the involvement of
the human resource. It is the obligation of every organization or
institution to provide adequate working environment, health and safety
measures for their employees' in order to forestall accidental
occurrences and to avoid high rate of turnover. Absence of these leads
to workers experiencing occupational health hazards, accumulated stress
and occupational burnout (Thomas, Kohli & Choi 2014).
Workers are very important asset to any organization or institution
and they deserve to be treated with prestige and their welfare packages
must be enticing. (Drucker, 2010). Howse (1999) posited that the
Nigerian labor law gives room for workers to negotiate for their rights
by bargaining for their legitimate interest; however, these laws have
not been taken seriously by most employers. Therefore, it has become a
trend for workers in Nigeria to embark on demonstrations, rallies and
long strike actions because the provision for their welfare only exists
on paper and not implemented. Workers are constantly denied of basic
social and economic incentives that will help to improve the quality of
their life. This has a very great impact on the productivity, passion,
self-esteem, financial status and team spirit of workers (Ifijeh &
Adebayo, 2014). Hence, this has led workers being faced with stressors
such as low income, unfavorable policies, physical loss of strength,
being overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands amongst others.
When this accumulates, it results in burnout in form of emotional,
mental and physical exhaustion (Sowmya, 2011)
The study will be guided by the following objectives:
* find out if library staff in University libraries in Ogun State
do experience occupational burnout.
* highlight the perceived causes of occupational burnout
* identify the consequences of occupational burnout on the library
personnel surveyed and
* proffer strategies to mitigate burnout syndrome among library
personnel.
Review of Related Literature
A library is a center for lifelong learning, research, skill
development amongst others and it is supposed to operate in a serene and
quiet atmosphere if a meaningful result is to be achieved. Library
personnel are saddled with the responsibility of acquiring and
organizing information resources and also making these information
resources available for use. Traditionally, a librarian is seen as a
custodian of books and other print materials but in recent times,
especially with the introduction of ICT into library services, the trend
has changed. This change in technological advancement has affected both
the library and library personnel. In order to remain relevant in the
changing environment, it has become necessary for library personnel to
develop new skills in processing and making information available to
users. Akazue & Ojeme (2010) posited that many academic libraries in
Nigeria are fully automated which means activities such as cataloguing,
classification, indexing, charging and discharging of books are done
using a library management software. All these are only achievable with
the use of peripherals such as computers, scanners, and the internet
because the software cannot function in isolation.
Occupational Burnout
Occupational burnout is characterized by exhaustion, lack of
enthusiasm and motivation, feeling drained and also having a dimension
of frustration and/or negative emotions and cynical behavior as a result
of reduced professional efficacy within the workplace (Powell, 2011).
Occupational burnout does not only imply the loss of physical strength
at work; it also entails some other factors that may lead to an
employee's lack of interest in the job. Such factors include: low
earnings, unfavorable policies, role conflicts etc. Often times,
employees become frustrated, bitter and in some cases, they leave their
jobs if affected by any of these factors.
Paskey (2012) asserted that occupational burnout is often
associated with excessive stress, which most time is not the underlying
culprit. She further posited that employees may exhibit signs of burnout
if they feel they are not adequately rewarded for a job well done, or if
the current job they are doing become mundane and uninteresting.
According to Sowmya (2011) burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and
physical exhaustion which is caused by prolonged stress. This kind of
excessive stress occurs when an individual is not able to catch up with
the constant demand of work. As the stress continues, there is usually a
loss of initial motivation and interest prior to assumption of certain
roles. Burnout has the tendency of reducing productivity and decreasing
the level of one's energy, leaving a feeling of increasingly
helplessness, hopelessness, cynicism, and resentfulness and at the long
run; one may feel like he/she has nothing more to give. To confirm this,
Templeton and Satcher, (2007) reiterated that employees that are
suffering from burnout are those that have low productivity rate, those
that deliver poor client service, ineffective and those that do not make
themselves available at work regularly. These kinds of employees most
often seek for other jobs thereby causing a high rate of turnover in
workplaces.
Occupational burnout is not the absence of skills or knowledge of
what to do or how to do it; it is just that the will power to carry out
the required task is no longer there.
Occupational burnout is said to be common with people who interact
with other people frequently. Therefore, library personnel cannot be
exempted from these categories of workers since they spend most time
communicating and having direct contact with library patrons.
Maslach & Leiter (2005) identified three dimension of
occupational burnout:
(1) Emotional exhaustion: This means energy discharge and
consumption of emotional resources,
(2) Depersonalization: this is common with employees who interact
with clients and customers on a regular basis. This type of burnout
separates workers from others and the effect may lead to pessimism.
(3) Dimensional personal accomplishment: this is a situation
whereby the employee comes to a negative self-assessment
Burisch (2006) posited that burnout has often been mistaken for
stress. He stated that the symptoms could be quite similar but
distinctions should be made because stress can only intensify burnout;
it is not the main cause of it. Workers might experience stress from
work overload, rigid working hours, and inadequate working procedures
and yet they might not experience occupational burnout. Burnout can be
triggered by many factors. Maslach et al. (2001) posited that job
characteristics such as role conflicts and role ambiguity are quite
demanding while Demerouti et al. (2001) opined that physical environment
(heat and noise) could also be contributing factors.
World Health Organization (2000) reported that most countries do
not have a specific legislation that addresses the impact of job stress
on employees. Although most of these countries have minimum standards
for safety and health, it is not sufficient since the standard focuses
on the physical aspects of the workplace and does not include the
psychological and mental health aspects of working conditions.
Casey (2012) quoting Caputo (1991) averred that occupational
burnout can be manifested psychologically, physically and behaviorally.
Casey further opined that physical symptoms can include frustration,
anxiety, boredom and attitudinal problem such as cynicism, indifference
and resignation; physical symptoms include insomnia, weight gain,
fatigue and in some cases, hypertension.
Library personnel and Burnout
Library personnel are not immune to occupational burnout because
according to Huprich (2007), library personnel engage in very tedious
work while trying to satisfy the users. Affleck (1996) using the Maslach
Burnout Inventory (MBI) carried out a survey among Bibliographic
Instruction Library personnel in Britain and discovered a high rate of
burnout among 52.8% of the Library personnel surveyed. Odelia (1999)
also surveyed Library personnel in Israel and noted that there was a low
burnout rate among the older Library personnel while the younger ones
acknowledged the fact that they experience feelings of frustration and
lack of self-fulfillment.
Cardina (2004) opined that library personnel have had to do more
with fewer resources as budgets have been significantly cut. In a study
carried out by Saddiq & Burke (2006), lack of money, budget cuts,
budget issues and downsizing were variables that scored high in each
parameter. They also observed that these variables are constant in each
research involving stress and burnout. This finding affirms the opinion
of Cardina (2004).
Baird and Baird (2005) identified lack of variety as a variable
that makes the library a boring place to work. According to them, the
repetitive nature of library work makes it monotonous and this brings
about boredom. A study conducted by Siamian et al (2006) reported that
the degree of burnout among the library personnel in Mazandaran
University was high. The study identified the following as burnout
factors among library personnel: lack of facilities, not given enough
time to carry out or perform a task, no opportunity to give suggestions
or unconducive working environment; ambiguous roles and duties assigned
to the employee's; and lack of proper motivation.
According to Harwell (2013), the following are major factors that
contribute to occupational burnout among Library personnel:
* Workload issues: work overload, responsibilities not matched to
support systems, working nights and weekends, frequent technological
change, obnoxious patrons.
* Control issues: powerlessness to affect change, budget cuts,
bureaucratic inertia, poor management and supervision, lack of voice in
goal setting or decision making, role conflict, role ambiguity, and lack
of autonomy.
* Issues with regard to rewards and recognitions: underpaid and
undervalued respective of qualifications and working conditions, lack of
adequate recognition, lack of opportunity for advancement.
* Community issues: ambiguous authority structures, blurred roles
between professionals and paraprofessionals, poor public image of
library personnel.
* Fairness issues: job discrimination and lack of private work
space.
* Value issues: expectations that library personnel should be
helpful and pleasant. Researchers in the field of library, librarianship
and other related disciplines in Nigeria have dealt extensively on
issues ranging from job satisfaction and performance of library
personnel, job motivation and productivity it is however disheartening
to note that no literature existed for occupational burnout among
library personnel in Nigeria. Although stress related issues have also
been dealt with extensively but it is not sufficient to take the place
of occupational burnout.
For clarity, the table below distinguishes between stress and
burnout.
Stress Burnout
Characterized by over engagement Characterized by disengagement
Emotions are over active Emotions are blunted
Produces urgency and Produces helplessness and
hyperactivity hopelessness
Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals and
hope
Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and
depression
Primary damage is physical Primary damage is emotional
May kill prematurely May make life seem not worth
living
(Source: Help Guide.org, http://www.helpguide.
org/articles/stress/preventing-burnout.htm)
Methodology
Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and thirteen
university libraries in Ogun State were surveyed. The total sampling
method was used. Self-designed questionnaire with closed ended questions
were administered to the library staff in the libraries surveyed. A
total number of two hundred and thirty (236) copies of questionnaire
were administered and two hundred and twenty one (221) copies were
retrieved from the library personnel bringing the response rate 93.6%.
Analysis and interpretations were done using descriptive statistics. One
hypothesis was tested using Pearson correlation to test the
relationship.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
The table 2 above shows the demographic distribution of the library
personnel surveyed. It reveals that the female respondents were more
than their male counterparts. It also shows that most of the respondents
were between the age group of 31-40 years (35.3%), followed closely by
the age group 41-50 (32.6%), 20-30 (28.5%) and 51-60 (3.6%).
For the working experience parameter, the table shows that most of
the library staff 92 (41.6%) had between 1-6 years working experience in
the profession, 58(26.2%) of the respondents had between 6-10 working
experience while 71 (32.1%) had above 10 years working experience. For
the designation of the respondents, a highest proportion 41(18.6%) were
Assistant Library personnel, followed by Librarian I with 36 (16.3%)
respondents, Library Officers 33 (14.9%) respondents, Principal Library
personnel with 25 (11.3%) respondents, Librarian II with 24 (10.9%)
Library Assistants 18 (8.1%) respondents, Senior Library personnel with
17 (7.7%) Library Portals with 13 (5.9%) respondents, Chief Librarian 8
(3.6%) respondents and 6 (2.7%) respondents are library attendants.
Research Question 1
From Table 3:178 (80.5%) respondents indicated that they have
conflicts with colleagues, 177 (80.1%) agreed that rigid working hours
causes occupational burnout, 170 (76.9 indicated unfavorable policies,
162 (73.3%) indicated being always under pressure while the parameter
that scored lowest is funding with 69 (31.2%). This implies that
resources made available to the library personnel go a long way to
affect the level of their productivity. When these resources and the
work environment in general are not conducive, burn out may be
inevitable.
Research Question 2
Table 4 above sought to find out personal occupational burnout
experiences of the library personnel surveyed. The findings revealed
that 182 (81%) experience conflicts with colleagues, 178 (81%), 166
(75.1%), 157 (71.0%) indicated that bureaucracy and obeying so many
directives at once are personal experiences of occupational burnout
while 139 (63.0%) indicated inflexible working hours.
Research Question 3
Table 5 showed that a highest proportion of the respondents 207
(93.7%) indicated that the consequences of occupational burnout is
avoiding my colleagues, 204 (92.3%) indicated that occupational burnout
result to drinking and smoking excessively, 199 (90%) get irritated
easily, 175 (79.2) experience sleepless nights, 173 (78.3) dread going
to work, 147 (66.5) agreed that occupational burnout results in low
productivity. Only 73 (33%) of the library personnel surveyed attested
that they have lost the high hopes with which they entered the
profession.
Hypothesis
H0 There is a significant relationship between occupational burnout
and demographic factors among library personnel in University libraries
in Ogun State Nigeria.
Occupational Demographic
burnout Factors
Burnout Pearson Correlation 1 -.116
Sig. (2-tailed) .085
N 221 221
Demographic Pearson Correlation -.116 1
Factors Sig. (2-tailed) .085
N 221 221
This hypothesis was raised to determine the significant
relationship between demographic factors and occupational burnout among
library personnel in University libraries in Ogun State, Nigeria. The
findings revealed that there was no positive significant relationship
between demographic factors and occupational burnout among library
personnel at r=0.116; p<0.05. It implies that demographic factors
such as age, gender, academic qualification and designation have no
effect on occupational burnout.
It implies that occupational burnout has nothing to do with age, it
occurs among both old and young library personnel. Likewise it is not a
matter of gender; both male and female do experience occupational
burnout. This is in contrast with the study of Mostafavi and
Ghasemi-Nejad (2010) who carried out a study on burnout and its
relationship with age and experience of library personnel of academic
libraries in Tehran, Iran. The study revealed that age and occupational
experience were significantly associated to occupational burnout and its
components. The increase in their age and their career experience their
burnout also increased. Also the findings of Biglu (2012) on job burnout
among public library personnel in Ardabil revealed that there was
positive relationship between occupational burnout and gender. There was
different level of occupation burnout between male and female; the level
of job burnout among married women was higher than the married men. In
the same vein the study of Khan (2013) submitted that burnout is more
pronounced among men than women.
Discussion of Findings
Drawing from the analysis carried out, it can be deduced that there
are some factors that affect the level of burnout experienced by the
library staff; these factors go a long way to affect the level of
occupational burn out experienced, Some of the factors include the
condition of service at the workplace and the resources made available
for the library staff. When the conditions of service are not favorable
to the library personnel, the tendency of occupational burnout is
usually very high. A good number of the library personnel understudied
indicated that the experience of occupational burnout brings about
hatred and displeasure of the job while some totally detest the
workplace environment and in the long run, the level of productivity
drops significantly (Jankome, Mangoriand & Ritacco, 2013)
Furthermore, from the hypothesis, there is no positive significant
relationship between demographic factors and occupational burn out of
library personnel as shown thus: r=0.116; p<0.05, hence the Null
hypothesis was rejected. This reveals that the level of burn out
experienced or not experienced has little or nothing to do with factors
such as age, designation, gender, etc. of the respondents in this study.
This however is in contradiction to the findings of Ahola et al (2008)
which noted that the level of burnout experienced was higher among the
aging population than among the middle aged workers in Sweden; however
the reiterated that some demographic variables such as the level of
education and marital status do not have effect of the level of burnout
experienced
Conclusion and Recommendation
The availability of good working equipment at the various work
stations in the library cannot be overemphasized as that is
unequivocally instrumental to the achievement of goals and objectives of
the library. Besides the provision of these facilities, the library
staff should have a healthy working relationship among themselves and
every staff should be a self-motivated team member as this will help to
improve the level of commitment of every staff. It is paramount to note
that the level of commitment could also be determined by the nature of
policies being formulated by the institution's Management.
Strategies to Mitigate Occupational Burnout
This comes in two dimensions, personal and organizational.
Personal
> Be creative: creativity can help in reducing the risk of
having occupational burnout syndrome. Engage in creative activities such
as reading and writing.
> Personal development: acquire new skills.
> Share your feelings: it is advisable to loosen up and share
feelings with colleagues, counselors or any other trusted individual.
> Make your work environment friendly: put family pictures,
flowers, listen to music etc
> Self-efficacy: accomplish personal goals and tasks.
> Be positive: maintain a positive attitude; it will help to
build resilience if challenges arise
> Attend academic/social activities: attend seminars, talk
shows, public lectures, weddings etc
> Be excited: laugh/smile always, be surrounded with happy
people always
> Go on vacation Organizational
> Role ambiguity: employing the use of surveys can be very
helpful in identifying the extent to which role ambiguity exists in an
organization. This will enable the organizations management to put in
place a clarified job description manual stating what is expected of
each worker.
> Support: in cases of perceived unfairness or gaps in values,
there should be a feedback technique that will enable the workers air
their views about their job.
> Good welfare packages/incentives/reward systems
> Recognition of workers: periodical acknowledgement of
dedicated workers will go a long way to reduce the rate of burnout.
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Oyeronke Adebayo
Covenant University, adebayo.oyeronke@covenantuniversity.edu.ng
Chidi Deborah Segun-Adeniran
Covenant University, chidi.segun-adeniran@covenantumversityedu.ng
Michael Opeoluwa Fagbohun
Covenant University, michael.fagbohun@covenantuniversity.edu.ng
Odaro Osayande
Covenant University, odaro.osayande@covenantuniversity.edu.ng
Table 1: Population of Library personnel in University
Libraries Ogun State
S/N List of Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria Number of
Library
Staff
1. Babcock University,Ilishan-Remo 26
2. OlabisiOnabanjo University, Ago Iwoye 34
3. Tai Solarin University of Education Ijebu Ode 18
4. Covenant University Ota 45
5. Mountain Top University 12
6. Mcpherson University, SerikiSotayo, Ajebo 3
7. Crescent University 11
8. Crawford University Igbesa 15
9. Southwestern University, Oku Owa 5
10. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta 60
11. Bells University, Ota 7
Total 236
S/N List of Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria Ownership
1. Babcock University,Ilishan-Remo Private
2. OlabisiOnabanjo University, Ago Iwoye Public
3. Tai Solarin University of Education Ijebu Ode Public
4. Covenant University Ota Private
5. Mountain Top University Private
6. Mcpherson University, SerikiSotayo, Ajebo Private
7. Crescent University Private
8. Crawford University Igbesa Private
9. Southwestern University, Oku Owa Private
10. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Public
11. Bells University, Ota Private
Total
Source: National University Commission website and personal contact
Table 2: Demographic Information
Frequency
N %
Gender Male 91 41.2
Female 130 58.8
Age 20--30 63 28.5
31--40 78 35.3
41--50 72 32.6
51--60 8 3.6
Work Experience 1-5 yrs 92 41.6
6--10 yrs 58 26.2
Above 10 yrs 71 32.1
Total 221 100.0
Qualification PhD 13 5.9
Masters 74 33.5
BSc (in any discipline) 88 39.8
SSCE (Senior Secondary 6 2.7
School graduates)
Diploma 40 18.1
Total 221 100.0
Designation Library attendant 6 2.7
Library assistant 18 8.1
Library Porter 13 5.9
Library Officer 33 14.9
Assistant Librarian 41 18.6
Librarian II 24 10.9
Librarian I 36 16.3
Senior Librarian 17 7.7
Principal Librarian 25 11.3
Chief Librarian 8 3.6
Total 221 100.0
Table 3: Perceived causes of Occupational burnout
Agree
N %
Rigid working hours (work time is not flexible) 177 80.1
Unfavourable policies made by University Management 170 76.9
Lack of proper funding 69 31.2
Lack of proper institutional guidelines and policies 122 55.2
Conflicts with colleagues and patrons 178 80.5
The resources at my disposal are not enough to do my work 87 39.4
obeying so many instructions almost at once 154 69.7
I don't have a say when it comes to decision making 92 41.6
I am always under pressure to meet deadlines 162 73.3
No opportunity for capacity building (training, getting 134 60.6
higher degrees.)
The working environment is not conducive 126 57.0
Things are never done at the appropriate time 128 57.9
Disagree
N %
Rigid working hours (work time is not flexible) 44 19.9
Unfavourable policies made by University Management 51 23.1
Lack of proper funding 152 68.8
Lack of proper institutional guidelines and policies 99 44.8
Conflicts with colleagues and patrons 43 19.5
The resources at my disposal are not enough to do my work 134 60.6
obeying so many instructions almost at once 67 30.3
I don't have a say when it comes to decision making 129 58.4
I am always under pressure to meet deadlines 59 26.7
No opportunity for capacity building (training, getting 87 39.4
higher degrees.)
The working environment is not conducive 95 43.0
Things are never done at the appropriate time 93 42.1
Total
Rigid working hours (work time is not flexible) 221 100.0
Unfavourable policies made by University Management 221 100.0
Lack of proper funding 221 100.0
Lack of proper institutional guidelines and policies 221 100.0
Conflicts with colleagues and patrons 221 100.0
The resources at my disposal are not enough to do my work 221 100.0
obeying so many instructions almost at once 221 100.0
I don't have a say when it comes to decision making 221 100.0
I am always under pressure to meet deadlines 221 100.0
No opportunity for capacity building (training, getting 221 100.0
higher degrees.)
The working environment is not conducive 221 100.0
Things are never done at the appropriate time 221 100.0
Table 4: Personal experience of occupational burnout of the
Library personnel:
Agree
N %
I experience burnout when:
My working hours is inflexible 139 63.0
I cannot carry out my work effectively due to limited 178 81.0
resources at my disposal.
There is bureaucracy and obeying so many directives 157 71.0
almost at once
I cannot partake in decision making process. 98 44.3
I am under pressure to meet the target and deadlines 166 75.1
The working environment is not conducive 131 59.0
There is lack of opportunity for career progress 111 50.2
I have conflicts with colleagues and patrons 182 82.5
Disagree
N %
I experience burnout when:
My working hours is inflexible 82 37.0
I cannot carry out my work effectively due to limited 43 19.0
resources at my disposal.
There is bureaucracy and obeying so many directives 64 29.0
almost at once
I cannot partake in decision making process. 123 55.5
I am under pressure to meet the target and deadlines 55 25.0
The working environment is not conducive 90 41.0
There is lack of opportunity for career progress 110 49.7
I have conflicts with colleagues and patrons 39 17.5
Total
I experience burnout when:
My working hours is inflexible 221 100.0
I cannot carry out my work effectively due to limited 221 100.0
resources at my disposal.
There is bureaucracy and obeying so many directives 221 100.0
almost at once
I cannot partake in decision making process. 221 100.0
I am under pressure to meet the target and deadlines 221 100.0
The working environment is not conducive 221 100.0
There is lack of opportunity for career progress 221 100.0
I have conflicts with colleagues and patrons 221 100.0
Table 5: Consequences of occupational burnout
Agree Disagree
N % N %
Frustration 152 68.8 69 31.2
Lack of career progression 145 65.6 76 34.4
Lack of commitment 151 68.3 70 31.7
Drinking and smoking excessively 204 92.3 17 7.7
Sleepless nights 175 79.2 46 20.8
Dread going to work 173 78.3 48 21.7
Avoiding my colleagues 207 93.7 14 6.3
Get irritated easily 199 90.0 22 10.0
Headaches, back pains and HBP 124 56.1 97 43.9
Feeling unappreciated 113 51.1 108 48.9
Loss of creativity 114 51.6 107 48.4
Hoard relevant and useful information 136 61.5 85 38.5
I have lost the dreams and high hopes 73 33.0 148 67.0
with which I entered this career
Low productivity 147 66.5 74 33.5
Total
Frustration 221 100.0
Lack of career progression 221 100.0
Lack of commitment 221 100.0
Drinking and smoking excessively 221 100.0
Sleepless nights 221 100.0
Dread going to work 221 100.0
Avoiding my colleagues 221 100.0
Get irritated easily 221 100.0
Headaches, back pains and HBP 221 100.0
Feeling unappreciated 221 100.0
Loss of creativity 221 100.0
Hoard relevant and useful information 221 100.0
I have lost the dreams and high hopes 221 100.0
with which I entered this career
Low productivity 221 100.0
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