A Preliminary Examination of the Relationship between Organisational Structure and Emotional Burnout among Correctional Staff

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2311.2010.00606.x Byline: ERIC G. LAMBERT (1), NANCY L. HOGAN (2), SHANHE JIANG (3) Keywords: correctional staff; job burnout; instrumental communication; formalisation; input into decision making Abstract: Abstract: In any nation, correctional staff are the greatest asset of any correctional facility. In an era where rising costs, shrinking budgets, and personnel shortages are common, it is increasingly important to provide a positive work environment to ensure worker stability. The research indicates that job burnout is a negative response that is influenced by the work environment. This study examined the effects of organisational structure on emotional burnout among correctional staff at a state-run prison. Promotional opportunity, integration, formalisation, instrumental communication, and input into decision making are the major forms of organisational structure. In addition to the above forms of organisational structure, the amount of daily contact and the personal characteristics of tenure, position, educational level, race, age, gender, and supervisory status were included as independent variables. In a multivariate analysis, supervisory status, degree of inmate contact, promotional opportunity, formalisation, instrumental communication, and input into decision making all had statistically significant associations with emotional burnout. The results support the postulation that organisational structure influences the emotional burnout of correctional staff. Author Affiliation: (1)Professor of Criminal Justice, Department of Criminal Justice, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA (2)Professor of Criminal Justice and Graduate Co-ordinator, School of Criminal Justice, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, USA (3)Professor of Criminal Justice, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Toledo, Toledo, USA Article History: Date submitted: August 2009Date accepted: November 2009