The Relationship Between Work-Life-Balance and Burnout: Effect of Gender and Sector of Activity

This study aimed to explore the effect of gender, and working in the private vs.public sector, in the relationship between work life balance and job burnout in Macao. Namely: (1) How does work-life balance affect burnout? (2) How does gender affect the relationship between work-life balance and burnout? (3) How does working in the private vs. public sector affect the relationship between work-life balance and burnout?
Based on the literature we proposed that higher work-life balance was associated to lower emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy; that the negative relationship between work-life balance and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy was stronger for women than for men, and for workers in the private than in the public sector. Quantitative data were collected through a cross-sectional design using a self-response questionnaire in Chinese and English, combining online and paper formats. The sample included 305 Macao full-time workers in different areas. Findings indicate higher work-life balance is related to lower emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Unlike for emotional exhaustion or cynicism, gender moderated the relationship between work-life balance and inefficacy. Contrary to our hypothesis, the effect of work-life balance perceptions on inefficacy was stronger for men than for women. Unlike emotional exhaustion, sector moderated the effect work-life balance on cynicism and inefficacy. These effects of work-life balance on cynicism and inefficacy were stronger in the private sector than in the public.
Our findings regarding the effect of work-life balance on burnout are in line with the Job demands and resources model, and suggest that it is important to account for gender and sector differences to better understand and intervene in the relationship between work-life balance and burnout.