Moderating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between burnout and work engagement in a sample of Nigerian nurses

Abstract

Based on the assumptions of job demand-resources theory suggesting a link between perceived organizational support, burnout and work engagement this study investigated the moderating role of perceived organizational support in burnout and work engagement relations among a sample of nurses in three Federal hospitals in Enugu State, Nigeria. Two hundred and ninety (290) nurses comprising112 males and 178 females between the ages of 26 to 55 years (M = 44.2, SD = 7.4) participated in the study. They were selected for the study using multi-stage (cluster and purposive) sampling technique. The 17-item Perceived Organizational Support Scale, 22-item Burnout Inventory and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were completed by the participants. Moderated regression showed that emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout positively predicted vigor and absorption dimensions of work engagement while depersonalization dimension of burnout positively predicted vigor, dedication and absorption dimensions of work engagement. Also, reduced personal accomplishment dimension of burnout negatively predicted vigor, dedication and absorption dimensions of work engagement. Perceived organizational support positively predicted vigor and dedication dimensions of work engagement. Perceived organizational support only moderated the relationship between reduced personal accomplishment and absorption dimension of work engagement. In view of the findings, policy makers in the health sector should provide organizational support in order to reduce burnout especially feeling of reduced personal accomplishment and enhance work engagement, specifically absorption among nurses