Ahmet Yildirim

Human Resources Management Department,

Faculty of Administrative Sciences,

Suleyman Demirel University,

Türkiye

ahmet.yildirim@sdu.edu.tr

ORCID 0000-0002-1208-071X

The relationship between burnout and job satisfaction: A study on school administrators

Abstract. This study explores the impact of burnout on job satisfaction among school administrators working in public schools in Türkiye. Grounded in the increasing importance of psychological well-being in educational leadership, the research aims to identify how burnout measured through emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment affects overall job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional design grounded in causal-comparative logic data were collected from 345 administrators using validated burnout and job satisfaction scales. The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, and between depersonalization and job satisfaction, while personal accomplishment exhibits a strong positive relationship with job satisfaction. Regression analysis indicates that burnout explains 53.6% of the variance in job satisfaction, highlighting its substantial influence. These results underscore the importance of addressing burnout as a critical factor affecting administrative performance and institutional effectiveness in education. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from the Turkish context and offers practical implications for educational policymakers aiming to enhance leadership sustainability. Efforts to strengthen emotional resilience, promote a sense of professional accomplishment, and mitigate exhaustion among school leaders are essential for fostering both individual well-being and organizational success.

Received: June, 2025

1st Revision: March, 2026

Accepted: June, 2026

DOI: 10.14254/2071-8330.2026/19-12/7

JEL Classification: I29, M12, M54

Keywords: burnout, job satisfaction, school administrators