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How Does Accountability Exacerbate Job Burnout in the Public Sector? Exploratory Research in Production Supervision in China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: With the advancement of behavioral public administration, the methodological innovation it introduces offers robust support for investigating the relationship between accountability and individuals' behavior in the public sector. This paper investigates the link between individuals' felt accountability and job burnout within China's industrial production context. We develop and validate a novel theoretical model grounded in cognitive stress theory using survey data collected from public sector safety supervision regulators. The results indicate that the regulators' felt accountability significantly impacts their job burnout, while threat appraisal played a mediating role in this relationship. Public service motivation negatively moderates the effect, with a more substantial effect observed at higher levels of motivation. This paper contributes to the development of felt accountability theory and promotes interdisciplinary dialogue.

Source: Behavioral Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/bs15060747

Authors: Zhiyi Fang, Qilin Zhang

Institution: Wuhan University

Language: English

Topic: Stress and Burnout Research

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654