Impact of Co-Worker Support and Supervisor Support Among the Middle and Senior Management in the Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

The purpose of the this research work was to evaluate the impact of social support (through its two dimensions: co-worker support and supervisor support) on the reduction of the burnout syndrome (considering its three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, professional efficacy, and cynicism) from two proposed models that show clear differences. Social support was assessed using the Job Content Questionnaire instrument, and the burnout syndrome was measured through the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey. A total of 467 middle and senior managers from the Mexican manufacturing industry participated in the research. Structural Equation Modeling was used to determine the relationships between the proposed variables. The results of model one show that social support helps mitigate the effects of burnout syndrome in its three dimensions. On the other hand, model two features better fit indices and specifically shows that co-worker support has a direct negative relationship with the dimension of emotional exhaustion, while supervisor support directly and negatively affects cynicism. These results show that, although social support helps in the mitigation of burnout syndrome in general, each type of support separately has a direct impact on a specific dimension of the burnout syndrome. Clarifying these relationships will help in the proposal of occupational hazard management policies in the Mexican industrial sector.