Understanding the Impact of Burnout on Decision-Making Styles

Abstract Background and purpose This study aimed to fill a gap in the literature by identifying how employee burnout shapes decision-making styles in the post-COVID-19 business environment. The main goal was to examine the impact of three dimensions of burnout—exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy—on four conflict-related decision-making styles: vigilance, buck-passing, procrastination, and hypervigilance. Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 567 employees from various companies in Croatia participated in the online survey conducted in March 2023. Multiple regression analysis examined the impact of exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy on decision-making styles under conflict. Results The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that professional efficacy leads to a vigilant decision-making style, while simultaneously diminishing procrastination, buck-passing, and hypervigilance. Cynicism, in contrast, was a positive predictor of procrastination, buck-passing, and hypervigilant decision-making. Finally, exhaustion was found to have a positive impact on hypervigilance. Conclusion The study is significant because it contributes to the body of knowledge on the impact of burnout dimensions on professional decision-making styles in organisational settings, and it also offers practical implications of considerable importance.