Mindfulness as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Big Five Personality Traits and Burnout Among Generation Z Employees
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Objective: This study examines the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and burnout among employees at a regional public transportation company and investigates the moderating role of mindfulness as a psychological resource.
Methods and Materials: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed using self-report questionnaires administered to 436 employees. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-AMOS) was applied to examine the relationships between personality traits and burnout and to test the moderating role of mindfulness. The measurement and structural models demonstrated acceptable fit (e.g., CFI, TLI, and RMSEA within acceptable thresholds).
Findings: The results showed significant associations between personality traits and burnout. Neuroticism was positively correlated with burnout (β= 0.164, p< 0.001), while extraversion (β= -0.258, p< 0.001), agreeableness (β= -0.231, p< 0.001), and conscientiousness (β= -0.177, p< 0.001) were negatively associated with burnout. Mindfulness was found to significantly moderate these relationships. It strengthened the negative relationship between extraversion and burnout (β= -0.286, p < 0.001) and between conscientiousness and burnout (β= -0.200, p = 0.002), while also amplifying the positive relationship between neuroticism and burnout (β= 0.445, p< 0.001).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the associations between personality traits and burnout are contingent upon individual levels of mindfulness. While mindfulness is generally associated with lower burnout, its effectiveness as a buffer is not universal and varies across personality profiles. Given the cross-sectional design, self-report data, and single-organization sample, these findings should be interpreted as context-specific associations rather than causal effects.
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