title: Burnout and work engagement: a thorough investigation of the independency of both constructs.
abstract: This study among 528 South African employees working in the construction industry examined the dimensionality of burnout and work engagement, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. On the basis of the literature, we predicted that cynicism and dedication are opposite ends of one underlying attitude dimension (called "identification"), and that exhaustion and vigor are opposite ends of one "energy" dimension. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that while the attitude constructs represent opposite ends of one continuum, the energy constructs do not-although they are highly correlated. These findings are also supported by the pattern of relationships between burnout and work engagement on the one hand, and predictors (i.e., work pressure, autonomy) and outcomes (i.e., organizational commitment, mental health) on the other hand. Implications for the measurement and conceptualization of burnout and work engagement are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demerouti
authors.affiliation: School of Human Resource Management, North-West University.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5673-5784
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mostert
authors.affiliation: Department of Work and Organizational Psychology, Erasmus University.
authors.forename: Arnold B
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1489-1847
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bakker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D013019:South Africa