The Role of Leader Health Orientation on the Relationship Between Employee Self-Care and Job Burnout Among Applied Behavior Analysis Practitioners

Abstract

Professionals within the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are at a high risk of feeling exhausted and disengaged, both of which are components of burnout (e.g., Slowiak & DeLongchamp, 2022). Franke and colleagues (2014) introduced the concepts of self- and follower-directed health-oriented leadership; each were said to be an effective personal and job resource, respectively. Understanding that resources may be used to mitigate the strain of high job demands, this study examined the relationship between Employee Self-Care and burnout among ABA practitioners and how having a healthoriented leader (Leader Staff Care) influences that relationship. In a sample of 137 ABA practitioners, 87.25% reported moderate to high levels of burnout, and burnout was negatively associated with Employee Self-Care. While Employee Self-Care values, awareness, and behaviors were predictors of burnout, Leader Staff Care did not moderate the effect of Employee Self-Care on burnout. Though Leader Staff Care was not a significant moderator with all three components (i.e., value, awareness, behavior), Leader Staff Care behavior was the most influential moderator between Employee Self-Care and employee disengagement. The results of this study contribute to the literature by providing new knowledge on the role of health-oriented leadership and how it can be used as an organizational job resource by those in leadership roles to mitigate job demands and reduce burnout among ABA practitioners. Leaders should consider how they can best support employees self-care awareness, values, and behaviors as findings illustrate the importance of employee self-care as a personal resource.