The role of personal resources in the dynamics of occupational burnout and work motivation: The case of russian urban public librarians

Purpose. The study is devoted to the problem of the relations between personal resources with work motivation and occupational burnout dynamics. The sample consisted of librarians from five city public libraries (N = 266) aged from 20 to 71 years (88% women). Method. The research was conducted over a one-year period and included three occasions with approximately six months in between. Such measurement instruments as W. Schaufeli's burnout questionnaire (BAT), dispositional optimism questionnaire (LOT), R. Schwarzer and M. Erusalem's general self-efficacy scale, hardiness test, work motivation questionnaire based on self-determination theory were used. Findings. According to the results of the analysis, carried out with structural equation modeling, it was found out, that personal resources are related to burnout growth (beta = .63, p = .03), connected with the growth of controlled motivation (beta = .57, p < .01) and decrease in autonomous motivation (beta = -.71, p = .03). The dynamics of burnout are not linked with the changes in work motivation. The obtained results are discussed from the conservation of resources theory and the job demands-resources model perspectives. Value of results. In our case, burnout is the result of the loss of resources, therefore, the connection between personal resources and burnout remains significant when controlling motivation. At the same time, motivation is woven into the process of saving and increasing resources. Accordingly, the process of losing resources turns out to be psychologically more significant than the process of increasing resources, which is associated with labor motivation, which is noticeable in respondents with a low level of personal resources: they have less pronounced changes in motivation and professional burnout over time.