Problems Associated With and Solutions to Employee Burnout in Modern Multinationals - Literature review Example

Problems Associated With and Solutions to Employee Burnout in Modern Multinationals Introduction Employee burnout is deemed to be a critical issue, which is facing by various workplaces in this modern day context. This issue may arise in different companies starting from a small company to a big one or multinationals. Employee burnout generally causes due to increased level of stress of the employees, which they experience because of extreme workload. The prime factors that lead the above discussed issue mainly include lack of occupational feedback along with communication, over workload, gaining momentum of role of conflict and ambiguity among others. Thus, with this concern, it can be affirmed the issue of employee burnout is mainly featured by different aspects. These aspects can be apparently recognized as inefficacy, exhaustion and most crucially depersonalization among others. The negative outcomes of this issue can be apparently observed as decrease in productivity as well as quality and stressed working conditions among others. It can be affirmed that the issue of employee burnout hinder the business organizations of this modern day context to accomplish their respective business targets. These targets mainly entail attaining maximum profitability in terms of market share, developing overall productivity, accomplishing superior competitive position as compared to others and most vitally sustaining in this competitive landscape for longer period (Schaufeli et al., 2001). With this concern, the following discussion will mainly include identifying the problems associated with the issue of employee burnout and implementing the solutions to address this issue in modern multinationals. A Brief Description of Employee Burnout Cedoline (1982) defined job burnout as a response to emotional and interpersonal stress on job. The issue of employee burnout is mainly featured by the factors of stress and emotion. By taking into concern the prevailing market conditions, it can be stated that the aforesaid issue is a result of high workload and job stress. It has been apparent that the responsibilities of the employees are increasing with the passage of time after gaining experiences, which in turn, causes employee burnout due to extreme level of work stress. Moreover, according to Cedoline (1982) and Carod & Vazquez (2013), job burnout is regarded as the consequences of disparity between job demands and the ability or power of the employees to perform effective functions. In agreement with Cedoline (1982), Schaufeli et al. (2009) defined job burnout in another way. In this similar context, employee burnout can be typically described as the decrease in employees’ capacity and energy due to the lack of valuable resources. The issue of employee burnout was developed in the year 1970 and thus referred to a reaction of interpersonal stress on job. The issue can be related with varied conceptions of human resource and also human services that entail social work, healthcare, teaching and psychotherapy (Cedoline, 1982). In the year 1980, the conception of employee burnout can be noticed to prevail in varied business organizations due to increased level of stress faced by the employees, which they experience because of extreme workload. With regards to the viewpoints of Maslach et al. (2001), the issue concerning employee burnout can be regarded as the confusion between the peoples’ mind and current working conditions prevailing in a workplace. It will be vital to mention in this regard that the issue of employee burnout is not a result of immediate reaction; rather it can be duly considered as generating stress amid the people (Jamal, 2008). It is projected that the idea of employee burnout may develop continuously, resulting in lessening valuable resources of the organizations at large. The issue is identified to impose adverse impact on the overall performance of the organizations in certain cases wherein employees interact with other people rather than dealing with other important operational aspects (Cedoline, 1982). According to Korunka et al. (2006), certain developmental stages can be apparently observed to cause maximum level of employee burnout. These stages have been elaborately discussed in the following: Stage One: Overloaded with work, high job stress and job expectations Stage Two: Physical along with emotional exhaustion Stage Three: Depersonalization or indifference Stage Four: Disappear or helplessness Based on the observation made by Korunka et al. (2006), the issue of employee burnout is recognized as a problem not only for an individual, but also for an entire business organization. This can be justified with reference to the findings of Burisch (2006), which denoted that the above stated issue results into diminishing the job performance of the employees by imposing immense workload on them, which in turn, affects the overall performance of the organizations by a considerable extent. It is worth mentioning that the issue can also be found to get associated with lower job satisfaction and reduced commitment along with higher possibility of leaving jobs (Cedoline, 1982). Most importantly, Korunka et al. (2006) pointed out the fact that employee burnout generally contributes in raising operational costs and making greater financial loss. With regards to discuss and analyze the problems associated with and effective solutions towards employee burnout in modern multinationals, the issue of employee burnout is described as “a condition of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment that can happen among individual who work with people in same capacity” (Maslach et al., 1996). There are three syndromes that can be linked with employee or staff burnout. These three syndromes embrace depersonalization, emotional collapse and diminished personal achievement. The pattern of emotional exhaustion denotes the release of emotional resources. The other syndrome i.e. depersonalization signifies the behavioral attitudes of people with a soft heart or indifferent attitude. The last syndrome i.e. reduced personal accomplishment represents devaluing of one’s work, which in turn, creates negative self-assessment (Korunka et al., 2006). Problems of Employee Burnout in Multinationals After acquiring a brief idea about the issue of employee burnout, it can be ascertained that this issue is faced in varied workplaces of modern multinationals and other big or small companies due to increased level of stress amid the employees attached with such companies. In order to identify the problems associated with the issue of employee burnout in modern multinationals, Reid et al. (1999) noted that the issue mainly arises when productivity as well as quality decreases and absenteeism along with stress related illnesses increase at large within a workplace. These eventually reveal the persistent of inequality between the ability of the individuals and the work environment. According to Beheshtifar & et al. (2013), personal problems and organizational issues also contribute in raising the issue of employee burnout. If a multinational company expects more from its employees in terms of providing their deliberate efforts towards the attainment of desired business targets and the employees obtain less in terms of career opportunities, growth, job security and lifetime employment by delivering such efforts, the issue of employee burnout is likely to occur (Beheshtifar & et al., 2013). In order to identify the problems resulting from employee burnout in modern multinationals, it can be stated that the factors like high job demand and low resources may also uplift the issue to the optimum level (Lloyd et al., 2002). Identifiably, interpersonal level is also a problem of job burnout or employee burnout and this type of problem generally occurs at the time when there exists an unbalanced form between employees’ resources and clients’ demands. This simplifies that when client expectations are exceeded from the resources available, the modern multinationals mainly experience the problem of employee burnout. Specially mentioning, social support is also a major problem of job burnout, which mainly faces by the modern multinationals (Schaufeli et al., 2008). Common Strategies or Solutions in Modern Multinationals for Resolving Employee Burnout It has been earlier mentioned that employee burnout is a serious issue for the modern multinationals, as this affects their overall performance in terms of making huge financial loss. Therefore, to address and mitigate this crucial issue, multinationals belonging to this modern day context must adopt certain important steps or strategies that have been elaborately discussed in the following: Individual Level Strategy It will be vital to mention that the adoption along with the execution of individual level strategies can help in mitigating the issue of employee burnout by a certain extent. Based on the report published by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (2013), the above stated strategies mainly entail forming greater balance between work life, family and personal life, deciphering optimistic attitude towards work and maintaining the work related ethical norms among others. These sorts of strategies generally aims in determining that individuals in the form of employees must understand the value of life and also career opportunities, which in turn, facilitates in lessening the issue of employee burnout (The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, 2013). Corporate Level Strategy In accordance with report published by Institute of Cost Accountants of India (2013), it can be ascertained that the strategies linked with corporate level also play imperative part in mitigating the issue of modern multinationals. These strategies aid in forming along with preserving healthy work culture and environment. From the perspective of corporate level strategies, it can be asserted that the management team of the modern multinationals should take effective steps like reducing excessive work hours and providing better working conditions to the personnel among others It is the management team of the modern multinationals, who should realize the responsibility to solve the problem of job stress or job burnout. The team should provide reward systems for the employees who perform well, offer great opportunities for career development and deliver structured as well as balanced organizational culture, which in turn, increases the productivity and likewise mitigates the issue of employee (The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, 2013). Corporate Stress Prevention Strategy The strategies relating to the prevention of corporate stress also play imperative role in addressing and mitigating the issue of employee burnout in modern multinationals (Lakshminarayanan, 2007). To solve the problem of employee burnout, the management team of the modern multinationals must analyze the dilemmas face by the employees while working. In this regard, the management team may arrange a group discussion wherein the employees can provide their individual opinions (Collings & et al., 2007). Then, the management team must collect the data of all the employees and take effective decisions accordingly in order to cope up with the issue of employee burnout (Lee et al., 2012). Pros & Cons of the Strategic Measures Pros and cons generally denote the advantages and the disadvantages of varied strategic measures or policies that must take by the modern multinationals to cope up with the issue of employee burnout. In this similar context, the distinct advantages that can be obtained from the above discussed strategies include enhancing the quality along with the productivity of the employees, increasing the size of the organizations, developing the growth of the business and most vitally forming a healthy association between employees and management team among others (The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, 2013). However, as per the observation made by Heller et al (2010), certain disadvantages of applying such measures or strategies might include lack of flexibility along with creativity of the employees and raising imbalance between personal and professional life among others. Conclusion & Recommendations From the above discussion and analysis, employee burnout is a serious issue for the modern multinationals, which affect their overall performance and restricts them to attain their respective desired business or operational targets. It can be determined that this crucial issue mainly emerges when the demands of the clients in the form of the customers exceed from the ability of the employees to meet their preferences. It is worth mentioning that by reducing the stress and offering suitable working conditions to the employees, the above stated issue can be mitigated by a certain degree. The other solutions to reduce or solve the problem of employee burnout, the management team of the modern multinationals must adopt certain effective measures. These measures might encompass providing reward systems to encourage the employees for better productivity and offering better career opportunities as well as growth. It can be apparently observed that individual factors, organizational structures and interpersonal problems often cause the problem of employee burnout. Thus, in conclusion, it can be affirmed that the above stated policies or measures can support in dealing with the issue of employee burnout, resulting in facilitating modern multinationals to sustain in this competitive business setting for a longer period. References Beheshtifar, M., & Omidvar, R. A. (2013). Causes to create job burnout in organization. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Science, 3. Carod, J. F., & Vazquez, C. (2013). Burnout syndrome is an international setting. 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