Review by Choice Review
A preponderance of Americans report dissatisfaction with their jobs, and only 20 percent of the global workforce claims job engagement. Physical and psychological experiences of burnout can reduce organizational productivity. Burnout signals a mismatch between worker and work situation and is therefore a shared phenomenon. Maslach (psychology, emer., Univ. of California, Berkeley) and Leiter (independent psychologist) identify six potential mismatch areas and articulate a collaborative process for resolving and preventing misalignments and burnout. The authors dedicate a chapter to each of the six mismatch areas. They also describe the collaborative intervention process, provide many illustrative case studies, offer takeaways about burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and issue a call to action for all workplaces. The appendix includes a self-assessment instrument for person-job fit. The authors use accessible language, many analogies, examples and cases, a compelling narrative style, and helpful bar graphs. This book is well suited to scholars and practitioners interested in change management, burnout, work-life balance, person-job fit, and engagement in the workplace. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. --Daniela C Truty, emerita, Northeastern Illinois University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A majority of American workers consider their jobs to be mediocre or bad, constituting a crisis in the workplace, according to this no-nonsense survey from Banishing Burnout coauthors Maslach, a UC Berkeley psychology professor, and Leiter, an organizational psychologist. They make a case that such bad feelings toward one's work manifest as burnout, a miserable trifecta comprising crushing exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and alienation, and a sense of ineffectiveness. Burnout, they write, is the result of "the increasing mismatch between workers and workplaces," and is not an individual problem but one that comes down to the relationship between an individual and their place of work. Solutions, therefore, must be systemic and structural. The authors break down how burnout affects workplace relationships (it can lead to workers "causing greater personal conflict and disrupting job tasks") and lay out how organizations can ensure an ideal job-person match, which they posit involves six conditions: a sustainable workload; ample choice and control; recognition and rewards; supportive work community; norms of fairness, respect, and social justice; and well-aligned values and meaningful work. With the Great Resignation looming large, this timely, practical guide is worth a look for business leaders aiming to foster a healthy workplace. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Psychologists Maslach and Leiter follow up their book The Truth About Burnout with this guide to the causes of burnout and how organizations and employees can make changes to prevent it. The reality is that only a mere 20 percent of workers are fully engaged with their jobs, and the COVID pandemic has only exacerbated this problem. Organizational pressures such as cutting costs, downsizing, and overwork lead to burnout, defined as a combination of exhaustion, cynicism, and a feeling of ineffectiveness. Many view burnout as a problem with the individual, or even a mental health issue; the authors point out, however, that in 2019, the World Health Organization defined burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical one. The authors propose that the way to prevent or ameliorate burnout is by addressing the mismatches between the workplace and the worker, which can fall into six areas: work overload, lack of control, insufficient rewards, breakdown of community, absence of fairness, and value conflicts. They apply their research alongside real-life examples to provide insightful strategies for both individuals and organizations to avoid burnout. VERDICT This book proposes a thoughtful approach to tackling a common and serious workplace problem.--Rebecca Mugridge
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Strategies for a healthy workplace. Psychologist Maslach, creator of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Leiter, an organizational psychologist and consultant, offer a well-grounded examination of the causes of widespread job dissatisfaction and burnout along with proposals for solutions. "At a time when leaders extol the virtues of respectful workplaces and engaging teamwork," they note, "complaints of incivility, abuse, and bullying run rampant." If workers feel "ignored, limited, manipulated, distrusted, and undermined," they become increasingly frustrated. Chronic exhaustion, cynicism, and a feeling of ineffectiveness are caused by problems that include work overload, breakdown of community, and workers' sense of a lack of control--problems that became exacerbated during the pandemic, when working at home eroded boundaries between jobs and private life. Because burnout has been stigmatized as a sign of weakness, workers "are often reluctant to self-identify as having this problem or needing help." The authors, though, see burnout as "a social phenomenon" that needs to be addressed by organizational solutions. Although a "massive self-care industry" advises getting enough sleep and eating healthy foods, these suggestions alone will not eliminate burnout, which is caused by a mismatch between workers and workplace environments. These mismatches, the authors have found, can be discovered through direct input from workers and managers, surveys, and organizational assessments. In an appendix, they present an informal questionnaire designed for a worker's self-assessment. Once the area of a problem mismatch is identified, employers should consider ways to pivot to improve the job-person relationship--e.g., creating a sustainable workload, nurturing a supportive work community, and giving workers ample choice and control. The authors' approach to problem-solving "combines the power of collaboration, customization, and commitment. These 'three C's' all serve to boost participation" and can lead to lasting improvements. "Essential to any pivot," they add, "is to pose a basic question: What will success look like?" Thoughtful advice for managers and employers. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
