Abstract
Theoretical orientation of Moos’s (1994) psychosocial model of work environment and
outcomes was investigated in context of academic settings of Pakistan. In explaining the
relative effect of work environment in predicting burnout, the present study addressed the
question of moderating role of personality which so far was remained open. The operating
work environment of public and private universities was assessed on basis of ten
psychosocial dimensions including Involvement, Co-worker Cohesion, Supervisor Support,
Autonomy, Task Orientation, Work Pressure, Clarity, Managerial Control, Innovation and
physical Comfort. Burnout among university teachers was assessed on dimensions of
emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Findings
highlighted that work involvement as negative predictor and work pressure as positive
predictor contributed in emotional exhaustion. Similarly, involvement as negative
predictor explained variance in depersonalization scores. Co-worker cohesion and work
pressure as positive predictors and physical comfort as negative predictor explained
variance in reduced personal accomplishment. Teachers’ personality and affiliation with
public and private sector institutions provided significant explanation of burnout. Findings
stressed the need to monitor the work environment of academic settings as a means of
improving the quality of work life of teachers.
