The factor structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey across a sample of client service employees

Abstract

The negative consequences of burnout in the client service environment point to the importance of further research into the manner in which the unique challenges faced by client service employees translate into the development of burnout. Research into the nature of burnout in the client service environment is, however, hampered due to the paucity of appropriate measures of burnout specifi c to this environment. To overcome this challenge, the application of the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) for use among client service employees is proposed. Previous studies that have applied the MBI-HSS to occupations outside the human service profession have, however, reported signifi cant threats to the factor structure of the original instrument, suggesting that the three-factor model is not consistent across occupations. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the factor structure of the MBI-HSS when applied to a sample of client service professions. A convenience sample was used, and 100 client service employees, representing three client service organisations, participated in the study. The results of the study do not support the existence of three distinct burnout components when applying the MBIHSS to a sample of client service employees. While the measures of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment performed well in this sample, the results cast doubt on the meaningfulness of the depersonalisation indicators in the client service context.

Key words: burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, personal accomplishment, client service