Author: Wilmar Schaufeli

New theoretical article on leadership and engagement

Construct proliferation in the leadership field raises questions concerning parsimony and whether we should focus on joint mechanisms of leadership styles, rather than the differences between them. In this theoretical research article, we propose that positive leadership styles translate into similar leader behaviors on the work floor that influence employee work engagement through a number […]

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New article on Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)

This article [in Dutch] focuses on the development and psychometric evaluation of a new burnout instrument: The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). Based on a theoretical analysis, an overview of existing burnout instruments and in-depth interviews with professionals, a new conceptualization of burnout has been developed. This serves as the basis for the BAT that consists […]

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New article on organizational change and work engagement

This multi-wave, multi-source study focuses on the benefits of work engagement for employee adaptation to organizational change. The change entailed the implementation of a flexible office design in an engineering firm, which caused radical change for employees. The hypothesized process was that initial employee meaning-making will facilitate work engagement, which, in turn, predicts supervisor-rated adaptive […]

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New publication on new burnout questionnaire (BAT)

This paper introduces a new definition for burnout and investigates the psychometric properties of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), which is based on that definition. In a prior qualitative study, 49 practitioners were interviewed about their conceptualization of burnout (part 1). Using a dialectical approach, four core dimensions—exhaustion, mental distance, and impaired emotional and cognitive […]

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New Publication on the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)

Burnout as a concept indicative of a work-related state of mental exhaustion is recognized around the globe. Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory is by far the most frequently used questionnaire for assessing burnout, it is associated with several shortcomings and has been criticized on theoretical as well as empirical grounds. Thus, there is a need […]

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New article on heavy work investment

The academic literature has drawn a clear distinction between a positive form (i.e., work engagement) and a negative form (i.e., workaholism) of heavy work investment (HWI). Nevertheless, the weight of individual and situational factors contributing to their development was not thoroughly explored. This study aims to investigate simultaneously the role of person factors (i.e., obsessive–compulsive […]

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New article on engaging leadership

The current study investigates the mediating role of job resources (JRs) (i.e. person-job fit, value congruence, alignment, job control, use of skills, participation in decision-making, coworker support and performance feedback) and basic psychological need satisfaction at work (i.e. autonomy, relatedness, competence and meaningfulness) in the relationship between engaging leadership (EL) (i.e. inspiring, strengthening, empowering and […]

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New publication about burnout and epigenetics

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a potential role in the neurobiology of burnout, but there are no studies investigating the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Our aim is to further explore the role of BDNF in burnout, by focusing on the Val66Met polymorphism and methylation patterns of the BDNF gene and serum BDNF (sBDNF) protein […]

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New publication on burnout and engagement among dental hygienists

This paper investigates the prevalence of burnout and work engagement among Dutch young and more experienced dental hygienists and the work experience of young professional dental hygienists. In Study I, 400 participants completed the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory online, whereas in Study II, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was distributed via […]

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New publication on work engagement and corporate purpose

It is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positive effect on employee motivation and engagement, but so far no empirical evidence is lacking. To examine this assumption, a corporate mission and vision matching the definition of a higher purpose were tested in two subsequent studies. The first study […]

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