Longitudinal factorial invariance of the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐General Survey among employees with job‐related psychological health problems

Abstract

Abstract The study provides new knowledge about the longitudinal factorial invariance of the Maslach Burnout Inventory‐General Survey (MBI‐GS). In order to investigate the factor structure of the MBI‐GS and its invariance across time, a full panel data with two measurements gathered among employees with job‐related psychological health problems was used. Consistent with previous study findings, the results indicated that the correlated three‐factor model of the MBI‐GS (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy) showed a better fit with the data than the alternative factor models. The correlated three‐factor structure was invariant across time, indicating that the scale has good construct validity, thus producing evidence that the MBI‐GS is a valid scale to measure job burnout. The novel finding of the study was that the professional efficacy dimension was a more central symptom of the burnout syndrome than previous research evidence among healthy employees has established. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.