Causes/ Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Burnout

Job burnout is a serious concern among entrepreneurs, who generally find themselves in work environments characterized by unfavorable, strenuous and complex situations. The purpose of this master thesis thus is to conceptually and empirically investigate the causes of job burnout among start-up owners. In this context, one of the main goals of the study is to investigate the factors that enhance the likelihood of burnout symptoms. By conducting computer-assisted telephone interviews with a representative sample of Austrian start-up founders, the study aimed at investigating the correlations of the job demands-resources model (JD-R) on job burnout in order to identify potential antecedents. In relation to the empirical analyses of the study, the results exhibit an exceptionally strong evidence for the proposed relationship between job demands and job resources and their impact on Burnout. According to that statement, results indicate that entrepreneurs confronted with work environments that are characterized by the combination of high job demands and low job resources, are expected to show higher levels of job burnout.