[The relationship between emotional labor and professional burnout: A comparative analysis between work of teachers and employees of commercial service sector]. / Praca emocjonalna a wypalenie zawodowe ­ analiza porównawcza pracy nauczycieli i pracowników sektora uslug komercyjnych.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays more and more employees are required to perform emotional labor (EL) which means that they need to express emotions set by the organizational procedures, simultaneously masking the true feelings. Employees, while performing emotional labor, choose between one of the two strategies (surface acting or deep acting) and this leads to e.g., burnout. As the performance of emotional labor and its consequences depend on the specification of work and chosen strategy, it was assumed that the consequences of EL may be different for workers in various occupations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors performed a comparative analysis between teachers (N = 129) and professionals of commercial service sector (N = 136). In the analysis the Polish adaptation of deep acting and surface acting scale (DASAS) and the Polish version of OLBI (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory) were used. RESULTS: The statistical verification of hypotheses showed that employees of commercial service sector show a greater tendency toward choosing surface acting than teachers. Furthermore, in the group of teachers negative consequences are more related to emotional exhaustion, while both components of burnout are at the same level among employees of the other group. In both groups of respondents surface acting leads to the increase in burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional labor can lead to a variety of negative consequences, e.g., burnout or psychosomatic diseases. Based on this knowledge, organizations can develop standards for the expression of emotions and preventive actions, such as identification with organization, which can counteract the negative EL consequences. Med Pr 2017;68(5):605-615.

[Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI)]. / Psychometryczne wlasciwosci polskiej wersji Oldenburskiego Kwestionariusza Wypalenia Zawodowego (OLBI).

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) - its factor structure, reliability, validity and standard norms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 3 independent samples of 1804, 366 and 48 workers employed in social service and general service professions. To test the OLBI structure the exploratory factor analysis was conducted. The reliability was assessed by means of Cronbach's α coefficient (the internal consistent) and test-retest (the stability over time) method, with a 6-week follow-up. The construct validity of the OLBI was tested by means of correlation analysis, using perceived stress and work engagement as the criterion variables. RESULTS: The result of the factor analysis confirmed a 2-factor structure of the Inventory but the construction of each factor differed from that in the OLBI original version. Therefore, 2 separate factor analyses - each for the single component of job burnout (exhaustion and disengagement from work) - were conducted. The analyses revealed that each of the components consisted of 2 subscales. The reliability of the OLBI was supported by 2 methods. It was also proved that job burnout and its 2 components, exhaustion and disengagement from work, were positively correlated with perceived stress and negatively correlated with work engagement and its 3 components - vigor, absorption and dedication. CONCLUSIONS: Despite certain limitations the Polish version of the OLBI shows satisfactory psychometric properties and it can be used to measure job burnout in Polish conditions.

The severity of work-related stress and an assessment of the areas of worklife in the service sector.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the potential differences in the assessment of the severity of work-related stress, and in the global assessment of the areas of worklife and individual worklife dimensions in employees working in service occupations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research covered 61 emergency workers, 92 helping professionals, and 58 knowledge workers. A subjective assessment of the areas of worklife was carried out using the Areas of Worklife Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to investigate stress severity. RESULTS: The research has revealed statistically significant differences between workers belonging to the 3 groups of service occupations in their assessment of the severity of work-related stress. The findings have shown that 26% of the variance of the Stress Severity Assessment variable is explained by belonging to a specific occupational group. Police officers and helping professionals experience comparably severe stress, which is significantly stronger than that experienced by the laboratory staff. Statistically significant differences have also been found between the studied groups in terms of the global assessment of all areas of worklife, as well as in the assessment of particular areas, i.e., control, rewards, fairness and values. No significant differences have been found with regard to the workload and community areas. CONCLUSIONS: Working in social service occupations, whether as emergency or helping professionals, may lead to a similar level of stress severity. The surveyed workers do not differ in their assessment of workload or of the sense of trust, cooperation and support received from their co-workers. Further research should be carried out to explore the sources of stress, which may be linked to other factors than the areas of worklife presented here, such as stress inducing contact with customers, environmental determinants of work, existing hazards to life or health, or the intrinsic predispositions of individuals performing specific types of work and gender. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(4):569-84.