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Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613771752538112 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jonker, Cornelia |
| author2 | Gorgens, Gina |
| author_browse | Gorgens, Gina Jonker, Cornelia |
| author_facet | Gorgens, Gina Jonker, Cornelia |
| author_sort | Jonker, Cornelia |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131686 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:26.849Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131686 Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter? Jonker, Cornelia Gorgens, Gina Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Burn out (Psychology) Job stress Emotional intelligence Resilience (Personality trait) UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The world of work is becoming increasingly demanding, placing employees under a considerable amount of psychological strain. Over time increased levels of burnout, especially emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, lead employees to function in a suboptimal way. This is because employees with higher levels of burnout engage in self-undermining. Self-undermining refers to “behaviours that create obstacles that may undermine performance” and is considered a type of maladaptive self-regulation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) in the burnout, self-undermining relationship from various angles. Firstly, this study argued that EI is a key personal resource that may moderate (i.e., buffer) the effect of burnout on self-undermining. More specifically, the study explored whether specific EI competencies moderate the effect of two components of burnout, emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, on self-undermining. In response, four proposed structural models were developed. Secondly, it was argued that a specific combination of EI competencies might predict higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, as well as self-undermining. Therefore, this study attempted to identify and explore the effects of four different EI profiles on these components of burnout - emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation - and self-undermining. A non-experimental research design was followed, and a South African sample, from staff employed at two higher education institutions in the Western Cape, were recruited using non-probability sampling (n = 465). To address the research Objective 1, the fit of each model was tested by means of Structural Equation Modelling via LISREL 8.80. The results revealed 14 out of the 16 hypothesised paths, over the four models, to be statistically significant. Both burnout dimensions were found to be positively related to self-undermining. All EI competencies – emotional self-awareness, emotional self-management, emotional self-control, and emotional management of others - yielded significant direct negative effects on both burnout and self-undermining, respectively. Emotional self-awareness was the only EI competency found to buffer the effect of emotional exhaustion on self-undermining. To address research Objective 2, the study attempted to identify the four EI profiles through cluster analysis. However, only two EI profile clusters - a generalised high and generalised low EI profile - was uncovered. This was attributed to the possible convergence of clusters likely due to the moderate to high correlations between EI dimensions. Consequently, four cluster groups were identified (i.e., low, medium low, medium high, and high EI levels). The ANOVA analysis across these clusters showed significant effects on self-undermining, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalisation. Post hoc analyses further revealed significant differences between the high and low profile cluster groups. The high EI profile consistently correlated with lower levels of self-undermining, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalisation, contrasting with higher levels observed in the low EI profile group. These findings highlight the critical role of EI in mitigating negative workplace outcomes, suggesting that enhancing EI could be a valuable strategy for reducing burnout and improving employee well-being. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die werkswereld raak al hoe meer veeleisend, wat werknemers onder heelwat sielkundige druk plaas. Met verloop van tyd lei verhoogde vlakke van uitbranding, veral emosionele uitputting en ontpersoonliking, daartoe dat werknemers op suboptimale wyse funksioneer. Dit is omdat werknemers met hoer vlakke van uitbranding selfondermynende gedrag toon. Selfondermyning verwys na “gedrag wat hindernisse skep wat prestasie kan ondermyn” en word as ʼn soort wanaangepaste selfregulasie beskou. Hierdie studie het beoog om die effek van emosionele intelligensie (EI) in die uitbranding-selfondermynende verhouding uit verskillende hoeke te ondersoek. Eerstens het hierdie studie aangevoer dat EI ʼn kern- persoonlike hulpbron is wat die effek van uitbranding op selfondermyning kan temper (d.w.s. buffer). In die besonder het die studie verken of daar spesifieke EI-bevoegdhede is wat die effek van twee komponente van uitbranding, emosionele uitputting en ontpersoonliking, op selfondermyning kan temper. Daarvoor is vier voorgenome strukturele modelle ontwikkel. Tweedens is dit aangevoer dat ʼn spesifieke kombinasie van EI-bevoegdhede moontlik hoer vlakke van emosionele uitputting, ontpersoonliking en selfondermyning kan voorspel. Hierdie studie het dus probeer om die effek van vier verskillende EI-profiele op hierdie komponente van uitbranding - emosionele uitputting en ontpersoonliking - en selfondermyning te identifiseer en te verken. ʼn Nie-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp is gevolg en ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef uit personeel aan twee hoeronderwysinstellings in die Wes-Kaap is met behulp van niewaarskynlikheid-steekproefneming gewerf (n = 465). Om die eerste navorsingsdoelwit aan te pak, is die passing van elke model deur middel van strukturele-vergelykingsmodellering via LISREL 8.80 getoets. Die uitslag het getoon dat 14 uit die 16 hipotese-bane, oor die vier modelle heen, statisties beduidend was. Daar is bevind dat albei uitbrandingsdimensies positief met selfondermyning verband hou. Alle EI-bevoegdhede – emosionele selfbewussyn, emosionele selfbestuur, emosionele selfbeheer en emosionele bestuur van ander – het ʼn beduidende direkte negatiewe effek op uitbranding en selfondermyning, onderskeidelik, opgelewer. Emosionele selfbewussyn was die enigste EI-bevoegdheid wat die effek van emosionele uitputting op selfondermyning gebuffer het. Om die tweede navorsingsdoelwit aan te pak, het die studie probeer om die vier EI-profiele deur klusterontleding te identifiseer. Slegs twee EI-profielklusters - ʼn veralgemeende hoe en ʼn veralgemeende lae EI-profiel - is egter blootgele. Dit is toegeskryf aan die moontlike konvergensie van klusters, waarskynlik weens die matig tot hoe korrelasies tussen EI-dimensies. Gevolglik is vier klustergroepe geidentifiseer (lae, medium-lae, medium-hoe en hoe EI-vlakke). Die ANOVA-ontleding oor hierdie klusters heen het ʼn beduidende effek op selfondermyning, emosionele uitputting en ontpersoonliking getoon. Post hoc ontledings het voorts beduidende verskille tussen die hoe- en laeprofielklustergroep onthul. Die hoe EI-profiel het konsekwent met laer vlakke van selfondermyning, emosionele uitputting en ontpersoonliking gekorreleer, in teenstelling met die hoër vlakke wat in die lae EI-profielgroep waargeneem is. Hierdie bevindings lig die kritieke rol van EI in die versagting van negatiewe werksplekuitkomste uit, wat suggereer dat die versterking van EI ʼn waardevolle strategie vir die vermindering van uitbranding en die verbetering van werknemerwelstand kan wees. Masters 2025-02-05T13:03:38Z 2025-02-05T13:03:38Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131686 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xv, 153 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Burn out (Psychology) Job stress Emotional intelligence Resilience (Personality trait) UCTD Jonker, Cornelia Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter? |
| title | Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
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| title_full | Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
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| title_fullStr | Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
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| title_full_unstemmed | Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
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| title_short | Burnout and self-undermining at work : (how) does emotional intelligence matter?
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| title_sort | burnout and self undermining at work how does emotional intelligence matter |
| topic | Burn out (Psychology) Job stress Emotional intelligence Resilience (Personality trait) UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131686 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jonkercornelia burnoutandselfunderminingatworkhowdoesemotionalintelligencematter |