Browsing by Author "Mannonen, Oona"

The aim of this thesis was to examine what kind of achievement orientation goal profiles can be identified among employees, and how the employees belonging in different profiles differ in work burnout and engagement. The topic was viewed in the context of transition from studies to working life. Achievement goal orientations describe individual and generalized ways of dealing with achievement situations and preferring certain types of goals. Work burnout consists of exhaustion, inefficacy and cynicism, and work engagement consists of vigor, dedication and absorption. Connections between achievement goal orientations and well-being have been found in the study context, so it is meaningful to study this topic in the work context as well. The first hypothesis was that three or four achievement goal profiles can be found among the employees. According to the second hypothesis, learning- and success-oriented employees will experience high work engagement, but success-orientation is connected to higher burnout. Avoidance-orientation and being uncommitted is most likely connected to lower engagement and higher burnout. The data of this thesis was a part of a data collected for the FinEdu-study in the fall 2016 and spring 2017. The participants (n = 535) were 28- to 30-year-old employees who were at the beginning of their professional careers, and they filled in a questionnaire that measured achievement goal orientations, work burnout and work engagement. A person-centered approach was used, so the participants were first divided into achievement goal profiles using a cluster analysis. The differences between the profiles concerning work burnout and engagement were analyzed with analysis of variance. Four different achievement goal orientation profiles were identified in the data: mastery-oriented, success-oriented, indifferent and disengaged. Mastery-oriented employees experienced quite a lot of work engagement and only a bit of burnout. Success-oriented employees were also engaged, but they experienced more burnout than mastery-oriented employees. The indifferent and disengaged employees weren’t as engaged, indifferent employees experienced efficacy and cynicism, whereas burnout of the disengaged employees was average. Overall, however, the employees experienced more work engagement than work burnout. The results can be applied for example when there is a will to help employees set their personal goals, improve work environment and tasks and enhance well-being at work.