Throwing in the Towel: Burnout among Practicing Interior Designers

Abstract

Job turnover is often preceded by burnout, a psychological syndrome involving prolonged response to stressors on the job (Maslach & Leiter, 2008). This phenomenon is measured along a continuum ranging from job engaged to full burnout. Higher levels of burnout can result in turnover, excessive absenteeism, and numerous physical and emotional symptoms among employees. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of burnout among practicing interior designers, and identify both individual and situational factors relative to burnout. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI–GS) was used to measure burnout and a Job Satisfaction survey gathered basic demographic and situational (job–related) information from practicing interior designers (N = 130). The voluntary and anonymous surveys were distributed via US Mail and the response rate was 52%. Results revealed that study participants were experiencing a moderate level of burnout. However, when compared with other professions, interior designers rated highest in cynicism and second only to nurses in exhaustion, as measured by the MBI–GS. Statistically significant correlations and regressions were found between burnout and the individual factors of age and years of professional practice as well as the situational factors of workload, control, reward, and fairness. The results and implications of the study are relevant to both interior design practitioners and academics and the discussion calls upon these communities to reconsider discipline–based traditions and expectations that may exacerbate burnout to keep practitioners healthy and positively engaged in the profession.

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