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. 2024 Apr 23:15:1298001.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1298001. eCollection 2024.

The cost of protecting resources: a cross-sectional study on the interaction between LMX and role ambiguity on work addiction and burnout among Canadian first-level healthcare managers

Francis Maisonneuve  1 , Patrick Groulx  1 , Anaïs Galy  1 , Denis Chênevert  1 , Michel Cossette  1
Affiliations

The cost of protecting resources: a cross-sectional study on the interaction between LMX and role ambiguity on work addiction and burnout among Canadian first-level healthcare managers

Francis Maisonneuve et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Using the conservation of resources (COR) theory, our study explores the interaction between role ambiguity and leader-member exchange (LMX) quality on burnout using work addiction as a mediator among Canadian first-level healthcare managers.

Methods: Cross-sectional data was collected among 165 first-level managers working in healthcare with the support of interprofessional associations in Canada. Linear regression was used to test the presented hypotheses.

Results: Work addiction fully mediated the positive relationship between role ambiguity and burnout among first-level managers. In addition, high LMX exacerbated both the direct and indirect effects of role ambiguity.

Conclusion: Our study contributes by identifying role ambiguity as a context under which LMX can have adverse effects for first-level managers in healthcare. Moreover, work addiction acted as a mediator, theorized as a risky resource investment which depletes managers' resources. Having a good relationship with their team further entices managers to develop a pathological relationship with their work to protect its members, which in turn is related to higher levels of burnout.

Keywords: LMX; burnout; healthcare; managers; role ambiguity; work addiction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Theoretical model.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Two-way interaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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