Exploring the impact of smart working on burnout among young Italian professionals

: the roles of personality and occupational factors in a mixed-methods study

Abstract

With the widespread transformation of the workplace brought about by smart working, and the growing emphasis on employee wellbeing, it is crucial to look more closely at the elements that may contribute to the likelihood of experiencing burnout symptoms. Responding to demands from academics in the field, this thesis investigates the impact of smart working on the propensity to burnout among young Italian professionals. The role of personality traits, measured by the Big Five model, and the significance of unique elements related to remote work, have been considered. Building upon the Job Demands-Resources framework, a mixed method approach was employed, incorporating a survey to collect perspectives of young employees, and interviews to analyze managerial viewpoints. Using both a quantitative and qualitative study, this work explored the potential organizational and personality factors that could contribute to the experience of burnout in remote job settings. The results suggested that smart working is a significant variable in accounting for the variation in burnout propensity among young Italian workers. Work-related factors exert a greater impact on employees' emotional reactions to remote job environments than personal variables. Nevertheless, intriguing findings have been achieved regarding certain personality traits that may have a more pronounced effect. Overall, the insights generated suggested a more holistic approach to smart working, and emphasized the role of the corporate cultures, managers, and leaders as enveloping drivers, able to generate a positive collective response. Important managerial implications were drawn, with the aim of contributing to the fundamental process of burnout prevention.

Date of Award	2 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter V. Rajsingh (Supervisor)