A Study on the Role of Work-related Rumination in the Relationship between Job Characteristics and Burnout

Drawing on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this research study examines the effect of perceived job characteristics on burnout in field officers of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in India. Further the moderating role of work related rumination (affective rumination and problem solving pondering) in the relationship between the perceived job stressors and burnout was theorized. Employing a cross-sectional design, for a sample of 225 employees, hierarchical regression analyses and a series of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses were used for hypotheses testing. Consistent with predictions, it was found that type of rumination additionally predicted burnout beyond job demands and job resources, with affective rumination being a positive and problem solving pondering being a negative predictor. Further, while there was no clear empirical evidence for affective rumination being a moderator, results provided partial support for problem solving pondering being a moderator.