Do Job Characteristics Explain Variability in the Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Burnout?

Abstract: This study explores whether the relation between self-compassion and burnout varies across jobs, and whether job characteristics (level of interpersonal demands) explain this variability. Multisource data were collected from n = 715 workers in n = 102 occupations. Self-reports of self-compassion and burnout were provided by participants, whereas objective assessments of job characteristics were derived from O*NET. Multilevel analyses were conducted using M plus. Results supported our hypothesis that self-compassion is negatively associated with burnout. However, we found no evidence that the self-compassion–burnout association varies across jobs, nor did we find evidence of a cross-level moderating role of the level of interpersonal job demands. Our results broaden our understanding of self-compassion's role in organizations and speak to the consistent value of self-compassion in negating burnout.