Abstract
Burnout, recognized as a psychological syndrome, stems from enduring
reactions to emotional and interpersonal obstacles at work. It
highlights the tension experienced by individuals within the broader
framework of their interactions with their jobs. This phenomenon has
attracted considerable attention across diverse professional sectors.
With the Middle East’s rapid expansion of tertiary education and
reliance on both local and expatriate educators, a thorough
understanding of burnout becomes essential. This study aims to
investigate the burnout levels experienced by university instructors in
Oman and to explore the relationship between their profiles and the
three burnout components: Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization
(DP), and Personal Achievement (PA). Using the adapted Maslach Burnout
Inventory (MBI) questionnaire consisting of 22 items, a survey was
conducted on a sample of 149 instructors with individual characteristics
from public universities in Oman. Regarding burnout, the results showed
a moderate level of DP (6.7) and PA (34.8), and a low level of EE (21.5)
based on the overall scores. Through bootstrap multiple regression
analysis, the results showed that instructors who have lower educational
qualifications, lack training support, or are native to the region
typically experience higher EE than their counterparts. Male instructors
with lower educational qualifications, lower incomes, and local
citizenship generally exhibit higher levels of DP compared to their
counterparts. Female instructors tend to display higher levels of PA
than their male counterparts. These findings highlight burnout in Middle
Eastern university instructors, guiding future studies to pinpoint
causes and tailor interventions in an evolving educational landscape.