Job Burnout and Performance: A Study of Academic Staff at Tanzania’s Institute of Finance Management and Moshi Co-operative University

Abstract

This study examined job burnout among academic staff at Tanzania’s Institute of Finance Management (IFM) and Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU). Using Maslach’s Burnout Inventory, it assessed burnout levels, causes, and their impact on teaching, consultancy, and research. A mixed-methods convergent design was employed, with data collected through semi structured questionnaires (93 valid responses; 70.4% return rate) and interviews with 20 department heads and deans. The findings revealed low personal accomplishment (30.6) and high depersonalisation (25) as key indicators of burnout, while emotional exhaustion (14.5) was minimal. Primary causes included low incentives (95%), heavy teaching loads (85%), and poor workplace recognition (75%), all contributing to diminished morale, performance, and job satisfaction. The study recommends institutional interventions such as incentive schemes, improved contracts negotiated through workers’ associations, mentorship programs, and recruitment of additional academic staff to ease workload pressures linked to student enrolment growth and programme expansion. These measures could improve research output, consultancy participation, and overall staff engagement.