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developing strategies to foster energy, involvement, and effectiveness in employees
(Maslach & Leiter, 1997).
Researchers in these recent studies have investigated staff engagement to
determine if it is the polar opposite of burnout (Maslach et al., 2001, Schaufeli &
Bakker, 2004, Gonzalez-Roma, et al. 2004, Freeney & Tiernan, 2006). So far, research
findings support the proposition that engagement is the antithesis to burnout (Freeney &
Tiernan, 2006). Engagement is said to be characterized by vigor, dedication, and
absorption, whereas the core dimensions of burnout are described as exhaustion,
cynicism, and inefficacy (Gonzalez-Roma et al. 2006). Burnout and engagement are
further reported to be opposite in that they have different consequences and different
predictors (Schaufli & Bakker, 2004).
Kahn (1990) compared burnout with disengagement and said that disengaged
employees are ones who withdraw from the job physically, emotionally, and cognitively
which, in turn, likens it to the state of burnout (Freeney & Tiernan, 2006). An important
distinction between engagement and burnout is that burnout relates specifically to job
demands. Engagement, on the other hand, is indicated by job resources such as job
control, the availability of learning opportunities, access to necessary materials,
participation in the decision-making process, positive reinforcement, and support from
colleagues (Freeney & Tiernan, 2006).
Maslach and Leiter (1997) conducted burnout profiles with staff in two hospital
units. Employees in one unit displayed typical burnout profiles, scoring unfavorably
across six areas of measurement; by comparison the other unit scored favorably on
factors related to engagement, including workload, control, fairness, and