ABSTRACT

Researchers have often debated whether burnout and work engagement are truly different concepts, or whether they are opposite poles of the same construct and therfore redundant. Recent perspectives postulate that they are both real and redundant. In this paper we examine these three competing views using a bifactor modelling approach. A sample of 1787 Argentine employees completed the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS), and other work-related measures. Bifactor analysis showed that at the construct level, work engagement and burnout are not adequately represented by a single well-being dimension, indicating that they are distinct constructs. At the dimension level, vigour and exhaustion could not be accounted for by a general energy factor, meaning that these constructs are distinct rather than direct opposites of one energy continuum. In contrast, dedication and cynicism were substantially explained by a single identification factor, suggesting that they represent each other’s opposite along an identification continuum. However, dedication and cynicism displayed a unique pattern of relationships with different external variables, implying that they are also real constructs. Collectively, the findings indicate that each of the competing views on the work engagement-burnout relationship has its merits. Implications for conceptualization and measurement are discussed.

摘要

研究人员经常争论倦怠和工作投入是否是真正不同的概念，或者它们是否是同一结构的相反两极，因此是多余的。最近的观点认为它们既真实又多余。在本文中，我们使用双因素建模方法研究了这三种竞争观点。1787名阿根廷雇员的样本完成了乌得勒支工作敬业度量表（UWES），马斯拉赫倦怠量表-一般调查（MBI-GS）以及其他与工作相关的措施。双因素分析表明，在建构水平上，一个人的幸福感并不能充分代表工作投入和倦怠，这表明它们是截然不同的建构。在维度层面上，活力和疲惫无法用一般的能源因素来解释，意味着这些结构与一个能量连续体截然不同，而不是直接相反。相比之下，奉献精神和犬儒主义基本上是由一个识别因素来解释的，这表明它们沿着一个识别连续体代表了彼此的对立面。但是，奉献精神和犬儒主义显示出与不同外部变量之间关系的独特模式，这意味着它们也是真实的构造。总的来说，调查结果表明，关于工作投入-倦怠关系的每一种竞争观点都有其优点。讨论了概念化和度量的含义。暗示他们沿着识别连续体代表彼此的对立面。但是，奉献精神和犬儒主义显示出与不同外部变量之间关系的独特模式，这意味着它们也是真实的构造。总的来说，调查结果表明，关于工作投入-倦怠关系的每一种竞争观点都有其优点。讨论了概念化和度量的含义。暗示他们沿着识别连续体代表彼此的对立面。但是，奉献精神和犬儒主义显示出与不同外部变量之间关系的独特模式，这意味着它们也是真实的构造。总的来说，调查结果表明，关于工作投入-倦怠关系的每一种竞争观点都有其优点。讨论了概念化和度量的含义。