Burnout breakdown: unraveling influences on academic performance in Malaysian Public Universities

This study aims to unravel the influences on academic performance among faculty members in Malaysian public universities, with a specific focus on burnout. By examining the factors contributing to burnout and its impact on academic performance, this research sheds light on the complexities of the relationship. The sample included 431 academicians from 20 universities. The study focused on job demands, perceived job burnout, job resources, and religious personality. Questionnaires were adapted from previous studies, and the Job Demands-Resources theory of burnout guided the research design. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0 with structural equation modeling. The results showed that all factors significantly predicted the variables. Perceived job burnout was moderate (mean score: 3.16) and mediated the relationship between job demands and performance. Religious personality moderated the relationship between job demands and burnout, while job resources moderated the relationship between job demands and performance. The study recommends further research in different institutions to validate and expand the knowledge on job burnout among academicians, as it affects various aspects of academic performance in tertiary institutions.