The Role of Organizational Justice and Stress in Predicting Job Burnout

This study explores how job-burnout dimensions—emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and personal accomplishment—relate to distributive justice and stress. Questionnaire data were collected in a cross-sectional design from 90 information technology professionals. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that low levels of perceived justice are associated with higher exhaustion. Next, a parallel mechanism unfolds: High levels of exhaustion are directly related to low levels of personal accomplishment. At the same time, high levels of exhaustion are associated with high levels of cynicism, which are associated with higher levels of self-accomplishment. These findings are consistent with theories, suggesting that employees may utilize cynicism as a defense mechanism in an attempt to protect the self. Cynicism also mediated the relationship between stress and personal accomplishment. Cynicism may help employees cope with exhaustion and stress and thus may protect their sense of self-worth. Theoretical and applied implications for organizations, career development, and counseling are discussed