Career Dysfunctional Thoughts, Work-Family Conflict, and Administrative Burnout in a Sample of Female Educational Administrators: Implications for Resilience Counselling

Evidence has shown that female administrators often juggle domestic and administrative roles in both their families and workplaces. These roles can sometimes place demands on them that are beyond their control, leading to vulnerability to burnout and work-family conflict. In light of this, we sought to investigate the impact of cognitive behavior therapy on occupational dysfunctional thoughts, work-family conflict, and administrative burnout among female educational administrators. To do this, we utilized a randomized control design. A total of 68 school principals and 18 primary school headteachers were recruited to participate in the study. The principals were assessed at pretest, posttest, and follow-up test using scales measuring occupational dysfunctional thoughts, work-family conflict, and job burnout. Following the initial assessment, treatment sessions were conducted by experts in the field. The data collected was analyzed using repeated measures of analysis of variance, partial eta square, and univariate analysis. The results indicated a significant improvement in career thoughts, a reduction in work-family conflict, and administrative burnout among female administrators who underwent cognitive behavior therapy. Additionally, there was a statistically significant effect of time on career thoughts, work-family conflict, and administrative burnout. The follow-up results showed that the effectiveness of CBT was maintained over time in reducing dysfunctional career thoughts, work-family conflict, and administrative burnout. In conclusion, the study suggests that female administrators who receive CBT are better able to understand, perceive, and manage conflicting work-family issues, leading to reduced work burnout and work-family conflict.