Understanding: Burnout

Burnout is a complex psycho-physiological syndrome represented by feelings of anxiety, tension, mental fatigue, physical exhaustion and a loss of concern for the people with whom one is living and working. It emerges as a result of chronic stress. It has been used with reference to a decrease in the psychological capabilities of athletes, coaches and managers to deal with stressful situations. The most noticeable feature is that BPO industries and Call Centers have reported high rates of burnout. From the perspective of contemporary business and health-care systems, it has become imperative to understand burnout. Perhaps, no other psychological disorder/distress is as pervasive as burnout because it primarily involves organization and structure as one of its crucial factors. Therefore, it is highly a demand of the time that we start taking an in-depth look at what has been done so far. This book also focuses the difference between the stress discourse and burnout from various contexts. Apart from an introductory article by the editor, the book contains two parts. The first part covers the Perspectives of burnout. This part presents articles that conceptualize burnout from scholars well-known in this field and helps readers to understand the theoretical underpinnings that makes burnout a special category. The latter part includes the Case Insights of burnout. This part covers a range of articles, applying the concepts and analyzing real situations through different methodologies. As a whole, the book would present the reader a comprehensive view with diverse materials published recently on the theme.