Levine, Ralph L. with Mary Van Sell and Beth Rubin, "A Model of Burnout in the Work Place", 1985
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Burnout is a problem associated with work in social service organizations. It is characterized by loss of energy, negative attitudes, and decreased performance. This system dynamics model encompasses the literature on burnout and belongs to a general class of stress and motivational models which describe problems of alcoholism and sexual harassment in the work place, etc. The gap between performance and professional expectations generates physical and psychological fatigue, which decreases involvement and performance. Supervisors frequently ignore the workers' problems, but will initiate structure when quality is perceived to decrease. The gap between expectations and performance may account for burnout initially, but cannot account for maintaining burnout after expectations decrease. Learned helpless may be the mechanisms that sustains burnout.