Haruv Institute

Professional burnout has been widely discussed in the literature since the late 1970s. It characterizes primarily people working in human-service professions, particularly those involved in the helping professions, such as psychology, medicine, teaching, social work, and to a certain extent, law. Burnout reduces professionals’ natural inclination to help others, and hurts professionals and their families and, naturally, those whom they are helping (Ashforth & Lee, 1997). Burnout also jeopardizes opportunities for a productive career, and greatly reduces the effectiveness of organizations in which professionals work (Maslach & Leiter, 1997).

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify school factors associated with teacher burnout. For that purpose, the organizational characteristics of those schools in which most teachers reported high levels of burnout (high-burnout schools) and schools in which most teachers reported low-burnout level (low-burnout schools) were identified and compared. A sample of 1,597 elementary school teachers were given a modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, including a background information section, followed by interviews with principals, teachers, and other school incumbents. The findings in this study indicated that four major school culture variables contribute to teacher burnout: (a) the drive toward measurable goal-achievement behavior imposed on teachers by school administration, (b) lack of trust in teachers' professional adequacy, (c) circumscribing school culture, (d) and disagreeable physical environment. Age, sex, level of education, and number of years in teaching are background variables...

The case study describes a 2-day workshop in which young Israeli Arabs and Jews succeeded in reaching agreement on a peace plan for the Middle East. Our analysis focuses on a number of problems in coordinating the task and process requirements of intergroup conflict resolution. We conclude that while the task model which we tested and developed in the workshop sewved important functions, it needed to be balanced by appropriate sensitivity to as yet unpredictable process contingencies. We suggest that such a balance is accomplished by dividing task and process responsibility between two consultants.