Let’s play a game: Which of these managers is most likely to experience burnout? You have five choices:
- Those rating high on openness (e.g., creative, curious)
- Those rating high on conscientiousness (e.g., organized, efficient)
- Those rating high on extroversion (e.g., outgoing, energetic)
- Those rating high on agreeableness (e.g., friendly, empathetic)
- Those rating high on neuroticism (e.g., anxious, moody).
If you guessed neuroticism, you win! The researchers compared 170 managers on personality, as measured by the NEO-FFI, and burnout, as measured by the Maslach-burnout inventory. The researchers found that those with high levels of neuroticism were more likely to be pessimistic, tired, and ineffective, while those with high levels of extroversion were more likely to be optimistic, energetic, and efficient.
Madnawat, A.V.S., & Mehta P. (2012). Personality as a predictor of burnout among managers of manufacturing industries. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 38(2), 321-328.
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