Work Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Burnout and Its Consequences, Using a Structural Model, in Air Cabin Crew Members

Abstract

Burnout is an emerging socio-labor phenomenon, where this problem is particularly relevant in airline cabin crew members, who face important psychosocial demands and difficult working conditions. This study aimed to analyze job satisfaction and its relationship with burnout and its consequences (family–work conflict (FWC), work–family conflict (WFC), and psychosomatic disorders), through structural models. The sample consisted of 732 workers in the aeronautical sector (204 men/28% and 528 women/72%), aged between 19 and 53 years (M = 33.56, dt = 6.62). The hypotheses were tested using a path model. The selected hypothesized model [where work satisfaction is associated according to the relationships established burnout model showed an adequate fit of the data, including a mediating role of feelings of guilt in the relationship between burnout and FWC (where FWC was associated with WFC and psychosomatic disorders). The findings of this study provide further insight into the problematic experience and development of burnout in airline cabin crews, in turn providing new evidence on the bidirectional and reciprocal relationships of FWC.

1. Introduction

Burnout is currently a phenomenon that attracts great interest in academic and professional circles, whose main scope is confined to occupations where work is performed in direct contact with clients, such as aid, service, or aeronautical personnel, where its presence is dangerous for health (physical, psychological and social) and air safety [1]. Since its emergence, burnout has been defined in many ways by Maslach and Jackson [2], the most widely used, who characterize this syndrome by the presence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal fulfillment at work, which may be presented by those individuals whose daily tasks are limited to the service of people. Burnout is caused by the interpersonal stressors present in work environments, where continuous contact with individuals receiving services produces harmful changes in attitudes and behaviors towards these people. Burnout is included in the latest update of the International Classification of Diseases 11th edition (ICD-11) [3]. Burnout is described as an occupational phenomenon classified as a non-medical condition, circumscribed to factors that influence the state of health or contact with health services, being conceptualized as a psychosocial phenomenon resulting from chronic occupational stress that has not been successfully managed, characterized by (1) feelings of exhaustion or depletion of energy, (2) mental distancing from work, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to work, (3) and a reduction in professional efficacy. Burnout could be conceptualized as an internal subjective experience that groups feelings and attitudes of a negative nature since it implies alterations, problems, and psychophysiological dysfunctions. These consequences are harmful to individuals and organizations [4].

Burnout is an increasingly emerging socio-labor problem [5], which has been described as the most significant public health crisis of the 21st century [6,7], frequently understood to be exclusive to helping or service professionals, perhaps because, in its origins in the studies conducted on this phenomenon, the vast majority of these studies have used samples of people caring for the physical and mental health of others and those working in social services, criminal justice systems, religious professions, counseling, and education [8]. However, burnout is a phenomenon that can potentially develop in a broader range of occupations and work activities [9], a point that is nowadays adequately evidenced, which has led to the current understanding that burnout can develop in all types of professions and occupational groups [10], such as the aeronautical sector, where its presence is dangerous due to its essential consequences for air safety and people’s health [11], especially evident in cabin crew, who have to face significant physical and emotional demands when dealing with passenger demands, medical emergencies, assisting people in turbulent situations, and other phenomena experienced by these workers, such as unfavorable working conditions and other duties related to air work [12,13], aspects that have increased the workload in a worrying way [14].

• Job satisfaction and burnout in cabin crew members

Although there are different definitions of job satisfaction, there is a consensus in understanding it as a positive emotional state resulting from the promotion of the value of work [15] and the degree to which workers are interested in their work, which is directly related to perceived personal well-being in life [16]. Few empirical studies show the relationships between stress and job satisfaction in aeronautical workers. In this regard, Chen and Kao [17], in a study involving 252 Taiwanese cabin crew members, found that job stress had a significant and negative effect on job satisfaction [β1 = −0.24 (−3.36)], similar to the findings of Liu et al. [18] in a sample of Chinese pilots, who, having job stress as a dependent variable, obtained significant effects and in the right direction on this variable [job stress (β = 0.333, p < 0.001) and job satisfaction (β = −0.456, p < 0.001)]. These results are similar to those collected by Ahmadi and Alireza [19] in military pilots. Likewise, MacDonald et al. [20], in a sample of U.S. cabin crew members, found that perceived stress was significantly and positively related to job dissatisfaction. Similar results were found for the relationships between job satisfaction and burnout in this professional group [21,22]. Mengenci [11] found negative and significant relationships between job satisfaction and the dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; Maslach and Jackson [2]), emotional exhaustion (r = −0.519, p > 0.05), and reduced personal accomplishment (r = −0.662, p > 0.05), after investigating the relationships between job satisfaction and burnout in a large sample of pilots and flight attendants of different Turkish airlines. Likewise, Ozel [23], in a paramount study involving 254 Turkish flight crew members, found significant relationships, in the expected direction, between personal job satisfaction and the sub-dimensions of a Turkish adaptation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory [24], emotional exhaustion (r = −0.314, p > 0.001), and personal achievement (r = −0.324, p > 0.001). these results are in line with those obtained by Ng et al. [25], where job satisfaction was a negative predictor of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; Maslach and Jackson [2]), dimensions that could be one of the underlying causes of the presence of burnout [26]. In summary, when work stress appears in occupational environments affecting health and job satisfaction, it may favor the development of burnout [27]. In this sense, there are essential studies in different professional samples that show that stress and job satisfaction are positively and negatively related to burnout in a significant way [28,29], with job satisfaction, most probably, being a predictive variable of burnout as a criterion variable, as shown in an outstanding meta-analysis by Alarcón [30], a transcendental issue to elucidate in the aeronautical sector, since these results suggest that equivalent relationships are established in this sector, an aspect that points out the need to study these phenomena in greater depth, given the small number of research studies on these subjects.

• Burnout Consequences

Today, there is a small amount of health research on air cabin crew members, characterized by being diverse and having different qualities, studies that, in general, have focused on pilots, perhaps because their behaviors are directly related to air safety [31].

Air cabin crew workers face various occupational health risks and hazards [32], such as circadian arrhythmias, cardiovascular diseases, hearing loss, cosmic radiation exposure disorders, insufficient sleep, hypertension, drowsiness, obstructive sleep apnea, spinal pathologies, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, dry skin and mucous membranes, gastrointestinal problems, musculoskeletal complaints, and headaches and ear pain, among others (e.g., Grout & Leggat [32]; Haldorsen et al. [33]; Wen et al. [1]), disorders that are most likely the result of the working conditions and high demands of these professionals [34], an issue in line with the findings of Nixon et al. [35] in an engaging meta-analysis whose purpose was to determine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between some occupational stressors and significant physical symptoms (back pain, headache, visual fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, fatigue, appetite and gastrointestinal problems) in samples of different professions, which showed that occupational stressors were related to physical symptoms both cross-sectionally and over time. These results align with the findings of Sveinsdóttir et al. [36], who, when comparing groups of nurses, teachers, and cabin crew, observed that airline workers rated their health worse, considering, in turn, that their working conditions were more demanding. These workers scored higher than teachers and nurses on the physical environment scale and three of the five symptom subscales included in the study (common cold scale, gastrointestinal scale, and sound perception scale). They scored higher than nurses on the stress and exhaustion scale. In this regard, Omholt et al. [37], in 843 commercial airline cabin crew members in Norway, reported that high levels of subjective health problems (musculoskeletal, psychological, gastrointestinal, and allergic complaints) and high levels of work-related stress were positively and significantly associated, similar conclusions to those reported by Wahlstedt et al. [38], who reported in their study of flight crew members that high levels of stress and work demands were associated with health problems. Similarly, Alparslan [39] found that one of the factors that influenced job anxiety was burnout (β = 46, p < 0.001). Likewise, Ching-Fu and Ya-Ling [40], in an essential study on air cabin crew members, found a positive and significant effect between burnout and health problems (β1 = 0.72, t-value = 11.70), similar results to those collected by Ching-Fu and Shu-Chuan [41] in 305 flight attendants from five international airlines in Taiwan, who found a positive and significant relationship between burnout and health problems (r = 0.61, p > 0.01). These results are in line with the SEM analyses performed, which showed a good fit of the estimates of the structural coefficients for the proposed hypotheses, where burnout had a significant positive effect on health problems (β1 = 0.71, t-value = 11.71), results similar to those collected by Tien-Ming et al. [42], who determined a significant relationship between burnout and health problems, given the estimated value of 0.61 (p < 0.001) found. Regarding this, Hu et al. [34], in a study involving 412 flight attendants of an international airline in Thailand, showed that burnout was related to mental health symptoms (R² = 13.5) and physical symptoms (R² = 5.4) included in the research. Furthermore, the formulated model revealed a moderate direct effect of burnout on mental health symptoms (95 percent CI: 0.27, 0.47) and a smaller direct effect on physical symptoms (95 percent CI: 0.28, 0.47). The results of the various investigations presented above indicate that work stress and burnout have adverse effects on the health of air cabin crew members. Finally, Salvagioni et al. [43], who, in a rigorous systematic review of prospective studies, aimed at ascertaining the evidence of the physical, psychological, and occupational consequences of burnout in different professional groups, concluded that a considerable number of high-quality prospective studies showed that health was related to burnout, with significant physical, psychological, and occupational consequences for the workers.

• Work–Family Conflict/Family–Work Conflict

Work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC) are experienced when the demands of one role interfere with the participation or performance of the other role [44]. Thus, WFC refers to a form of role conflict in which the general demands, time commitment, and stress created by work interfere with the performance of family-related responsibilities. In contrast, FWC refers to a form of inter-role conflict in which the general demands, time commitment, and stress created by family interfere with the performance of work-related responsibilities [45].

Currently, there is a reduced amount of research studying the relationships between FWC, WFC, and burnout in air cabin crew members; however, some essential findings are consistent with other research on the harmful effects of these variables in different occupations [46]. The work demands of cabin crew members produce increased occupational stress, which is associated with burnout in workers’ complex conditions that stimulate the development of conflicts between work and family [47]. Aijaz et al. [48], in a study involving 200 female pilots, flight attendants, and ground personnel in Pakistan, found a positive and significant correlation between WFC and job stress (r = −0.658, p > 0.05). These are similar results to those of Uhuegho et al. [49], who, in a sample of 150 Nigerian flight crew members, revealed that there was a positive and significant correlation between job stress and FWC (r = 0.332, p = 0.01) and a positive and significant correlation between FWC and WFC (r = 0.171, p = 0.05). In this line, Chen and Kao [17] found that WFC and FWC had a positive and significant relationship with job stress. However, Nohe et al. [50] found that, in a significant multi-occupational meta-analysis that analyzed variables comparable to those used in this research (FWC, FWC, and stress) [family can interfere with work (FIW), work can interfere with family (WIF) and physiological strain (work-related strain, e.g., burnout; family-related strain, e.g., parental stress; and domain-specific strain, e.g., somatic complaints and depression)], found reciprocal effects; that is, WIF predicted strain (β = 0.08) and strain predicted WIF (β = 0.08). Similarly, FIW and strain were reciprocally related. FIW predicted strain (β = 0.03) and strain predicted FIW (β = 0.05), thus challenging the common assumption that WIF and FIW unidirectionally precede physiological strain. This aspect raises doubts regarding the direction of these relationships, i.e., whether WIF predicts strain, strain predicts FIW, or these variables are mutually related. Despite the research on WFC, FWC, and burnout, doubts persist about the direction of their relationships and their effects [51]. Critical meta-analytic studies have found that WFC and FWC are moderately correlated (coefficients ranging between 0.28 and 0.38), observing, in turn, differences in their antecedents and consequences [52,53]. Burnout increases the perceived interference between work and family, given its characteristic stemming from emotional exhaustion [54]. Liang [55], in an important study aimed at determining whether the burnout dimension of emotional exhaustion affected employees’ family life, found that emotional exhaustion was positively and significantly related to FWC (r = 0.37; p < 0.00), being, in turn, the indirect effect of emotional exhaustion and WFC (through psychological strain) of the formulated model (z = 2.39, p < 0.05; with a 95% bootstrap confidence interval ranging from 0.01 to 0.11). These results support the importance of the impact of emotional exhaustion in the family setting, where the stress that workers bring home (emotionally exhausted) may not only create new and complex family responsibilities for couples but also a higher FWC [56,57] (Boyar et al. 2008; Ferguson, 2012). Similarly, Na et al. (2021) [58], in a meta-analysis that aimed to study the influence of WFC in the workplace, after analyzing 171 empirical studies from 2014 to 2018, found that WFC was strongly correlated with workers’ emotions, work stress, burnout, and other important variables. Nohe et al. [50], in turn, showed that WFC has a stronger relationship than FWC with job demands, threats, and stressors, including burnout. Conversely, Rupert et al. [47] found that WFC and FWC were significantly related to subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory [2], where higher scores of WFC and FWC were associated with a lower sense of personal accomplishment at work and greater emotional exhaustion. These findings coincide with those found by Chernyak-Hai and Tziner [59], who observed that burnout positively and significantly predicted WFC (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), similarly to those reported by Westman et al. [60], who, after examining the fluctuations of WFC and burnout in a sample of business workers over different periods, found that burnout prior to a trip predicted WFC during and after the trip. Along the same lines, Westman et al. [61], in an interesting study, evidenced a reciprocal circular relationship between WFC, FWC, and stress, with WFC or FWC being able to increase burnout, which, in turn, can increase the perception of WFC or FWC, which contradicts the claims of most researchers that WFC and FWC predict burnout [62]. These findings support the possibility that psychosocial deterioration could also begin with the development of burnout and lead to an increase in WFC [61].

Miller et al. [63] observed that WFC and FWC are related to mental health problems. High WFC is a significant risk factor for stress-related health problems [64,65]. A correlation of 0.29 between WFC and physical complaints (such as gastrointestinal problems, headache, joint pain, insomnia, and muscle tension) was found by Baka [66], which is somewhat higher than the correlation of 0.23 achieved when considering WFC and described health disorders.

• Burnout Model

There are a limited number of burnout development models that consider guilt as an important variable in its progression. In some of these models, it has been determined that the effects of guilt lead to sustained and profound deterioration in professionals [67,68], since, apparently, burnout has been related to this factor from the very beginning of its research [2,68]. The multidimensional burnout model by Gil-Monte [69] particularly emphasizes the importance of guilt in shaping the different severity profiles of the syndrome, which have significant applied relevance. Through these profiles, it is possible to identify individuals who have deteriorated due to the effects of burnout and its influence on disorders that undermine health. While guilt may motivate individuals to repair potential harm caused to others [70], an excessive increase in this feeling can lead to significant psychosomatic disturbances [71]. In this regard, it seems that guilt is associated with anxiety [72] and some disorders that affect physical and/or mental health [73], making this variable a potential factor that induces illness in individuals [74].

Gil-Monte multidimensional burnout model [69] includes some important variables from self sociocognitive theories [75,76]. This model outlines the main antecedents and consequences of burnout and attempts to relate the role of cognitive and emotional factors as mediating variables in the association between perceived work stress and attitudinal and behavioral manifestation [77]. This model outlines the main antecedents and consequences of burnout and attempts to relate the role of cognitive and emotional factors as mediating variables in the association between perceived work stress and attitudinal and behavioral manifestation [78] following a process of cognitive re-evaluation. This perspective considers Eagly and Chaiken’s attitudinal model [79] and integrates cognitive and emotional factors as mediating variables in the association between perceived work stress and behavioral and attitudinal manifestations. It should be noted that this model includes guilt as an important part of burnout, with feelings of remorse for negative behaviors and attitudes at work, usually directed towards individuals with whom one interacts and establishes work-related relationships. However, this symptom of the syndrome is not present in everyone, as factors such as social values, ethical standards, different attributional phenomena, and others make a difference [77].

These variables, when progressively related over time, become chronic due to the effects of harmful working conditions, creating a scenario where feedback mechanisms act, as some individuals are unable to find the most appropriate coping strategies to manage the work stress they face. On the other hand, the combination of the variables in Gil-Monte model [69] allows for the identification of two burnout severity profiles among workers [77]. Profile 1 includes individuals who report perceiving high levels of psychosocial exhaustion, cynical behaviors (indolence), and cognitive impairment, but not significant levels of guilt. This profile is characteristic of individuals who manifest and experience the consequences of work-related stress, where indolence is used as a coping strategy, helping people manage stress and its consequences. Profile 2 is associated with higher levels of psychosocial exhaustion, cynical behaviors, cognitive impairment, and guilt, where individuals perceive and experience more intense and significant discomfort at work [69].

Although the importance of the syndrome has been widely documented and confirmed in scientific contexts, in various samples and professions, including the aeronautical sector, no studies have analyzed the role of guilt in the deterioration process of burnout among cabin crew members (CCMs). This is a relevant issue when attempting to determine the different profiles related to harm in these workers, an aspect with clear applied implications. In this regard, no studies have been found among these professionals that have used comprehensive burnout models, such as Gil-Monte multidimensional model [69], to analyze job satisfaction, psychosomatic disorders, and family–work and work–family conflict and their associations with guilt and burnout. This makes the present research novel and highly valuable, as it adds further understanding of burnout within new comprehensive parameters of this phenomenon in the aeronautical sector. Such analysis could help predict the development of burnout through the identification of profiles with different potentials for harm in individuals, laying the foundation for implementing programs aimed at improving the psychosocial work conditions of CCMs, based on a healthy work–life balance, an issue of great importance for this professional group.

• Hypothesis and Objective

This study analyzed job satisfaction and its relationship with burnout and its consequences. According to the studies reviewed, the following hypotheses are proposed using a structural model of airline cabin crew members: (H1) job satisfaction is positively related to enthusiasm toward the job and (H2) negatively related to psychological exhaustion; (H3) enthusiasm toward the job is negatively related to indolence and (H4) negatively related to guilt; (H5) psychological exhaustion is positively related to indolence and (H6) positively related to guilt; (H7) indolence is positively related to guilt; (H8) guilt is positively related to family–work conflict; and (H9) family–work conflict is positively related to work–family conflict and (H10) positively related to psychosomatic disorders.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Participants

Seven hundred and thirty-two workers from the aeronautical sector of a major international company made up the sample. The response rate of the study was 36.47%. According to gender, there were 204 men (28%) and 528 women (72%). The mean age of the study participants was 33.56 years (dt = 6.62, min. = 19 years, max. = 53 years). Regarding employment contracts, 707 (97%) were permanent and 25 (3%) were fixed-term employees. The mean length of service in the profession of the study participants was 7.27 years (dt = 6.08, min. = 0 years, max. = 30 years). Regarding the marital status of the participants in the study, 193 (26.4%) declared themselves to be married, 312 (42.6%) were single, 215 (29.4%) had a stable partner, and 12 (1.6%) were without a long-lasting companion. The mean age of the children of the participants in the study was 0.62 years (dt = 0.91, min. = 0 years, max. = 4 years). Regarding the educational level of the sample, 34 (4.6%) reported having a postgraduate degree, 340 (46.4%) completed university studies, 166 (22.7%) had incomplete university studies, 147 (20.1%) had a technical education, and 45 (6.1%) completed high school.

2.2. Instruments

2.2.1. The Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI)

The Spanish Burnout Inventory (SBI) [80,81] consists of 20 items distributed across four dimensions: (1) enthusiasm toward the job: the desire to achieve work goals as a means of attaining personal satisfaction [5 items, study α = 0.88]; (2) psychological exhaustion: the presence of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by constant interaction with people at work who create problems [4 items, study α = 0.88]; (3) indolence: the emergence of negative attitudes of indifference and cynicism toward people one is supposed to care for in the organization [6 items, study α = 0.81]; and (4) guilt: the manifestation of feelings of guilt for negative attitudes that arise at work, mainly directed toward individuals with whom work relationships are established [5 items, study α = 0.81]. Low scores in enthusiasm toward the job and high scores in psychological exhaustion, indolence, and guilt indicate high levels of the syndrome.

2.2.2. Job Satisfaction

The UNIPSICO [82] subscale (6 items, α the study = 0.77) was used to measure job satisfaction. Individual items include the degree of satisfaction the worker has with different aspects of the job, such as satisfaction with supervision, cleanliness and hygiene, participation, salary, promotion, supervision, and decision making (e.g., the opportunities your job offers you to do the things you like to do). Participants responded to the items on a 5-point frequency scale ranging from “Very dissatisfied” (0) to “Very satisfied” (4).

2.2.3. Psychosomatic Disorders

Psychosomatic disorders were measured using the UNIPSICO subscale [82] (9 items, study α = 0.81). The items include work-related psychosomatic disorders (e.g., headaches, musculoskeletal pain, sleep quality, anxiety, and illness, e.g., “Does your head hurt?”). Participants responded to items on all scales on a 5-point frequency scale ranging from “Never” (0) to “Very often: Every day” (4).

2.2.4. Family–Work and Work–Family Conflict

Family–work conflict (FWC) and work–family conflict (WFC) were measured using the UNIPSICO [82] subscale (10 items, α the study = 0.87 FWC and 0.78 WFC). Items included the level of interference between individuals’ work roles and family roles (e.g., my job makes it difficult for me to be a parent) and conversely (e.g., family and home demands take my focus away from work). Participants responded to the items on a 5-point frequency scale ranging from “Never” (0) to “Very often: every day” (4).

2.3. Procedure

The research team contacted the managers of a crucial labor representation organization of a company in the Chilean aeronautical sector, with an international scope, for data collection, who, after explaining the study’s objectives, agreed to carry it out. Subsequently, the research team managed the adequate development of each stage of the projected measurement, which was carried out electronically outside working hours. The sample was selected non-randomly; the participation in the study was voluntary and confidential after reading, signing, and accepting the provisions of the research stipulated in a protocol called “informed consent”, which was previously approved by the ethics commission of a critical Chilean organization for the prevention of occupational hazards.

2.4. Data Analysis

MPlus program version 7.4 [83] was used to analyze the collected data statistically. The initial exploratory analysis was performed to evaluate the statistical assumptions on a Structural Equation Model (SEM). Different models were specified to examine the formulated hypotheses, all supported by a baseline model where job satisfaction (construct 1) is positively related to enthusiasm toward the job (construct 2) and negatively related to psychological exhaustion (construct 3); both constructs (2 and 3), affect indolence (construct 4) and guilt (construct 5), the latter being determined by family–work conflict (6), work–family conflict (7) and psychosomatic disorders (8). Regarding the alternative models, model 2 does not consider the impact of psychosomatic disorders, model 3 does not consider the impact of family–work conflict, and finally, model 4 considers the baseline model, the impact of sex on job satisfaction. Figure 1 describes the four resulting models. The following were used to evaluate the fit of the models: the absolute fit index (χ²), the Tucker–Lewis (1973) index (TLI), the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). TLI and CFI values greater than 0.90 and RMSEA values less than 0.08 indicate acceptable model fit, whereas values greater than 0.95 (for TLI and CFI) and less than 0.05 (for RMSEA) are indicative of excellent fit [84]. The division of the χ² coefficient by the degrees of freedom (χ²/gl) was also considered; according to the literature, values lower than 3 indicate a good fit [85].

3. Results

Table 1. Descriptive statistics and correlations of the study variables.

	Mean	Sd	Sk	Ku	α	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	1.66	0.84	0.07	−0.51	0.88	1
2	2.02	0.84	0.29	−0.33	0.88	−0.482 **	1
3	1.45	0.71	0.32	−0.05	0.81	−0.425 **	0.621 **	1
4	0.66	0.60	0.97	0.88	0.81	−0.160 **	0.394 **	0.497 **	1
5	1.56	0.66	0.27	−0.05	0.81	−0.298 **	0.647 **	0.416 **	0.253 **	1
6	1.81	0.68	0.04	−0.40	0.77	0.585 **	−0.453 **	−0.443 **	−0.248 **	−0.364 **	1
7	1.67	0.65	0.40	0.25	0.87	−0.365 **	0.560 **	0.366 **	0.312 **	0.492 **	−0.406 **	1
8	1.90	0.45	−0.04	0.03	0.78	−0.561 **	0.630 **	0.515 **	0.317 **	0.518 **	−0.647 **	0.603 **	1

(1) Enthusiasm toward the job, (2) psychological exhaustion, (3) indolence, (4) guilt, (5) psychosomatic disorders, (7) job satisfaction, (8) work–family conflict and (8) family–work conflict. ** p ≤ 0.01.

shows the means, standard deviations, kurtosis, skewness, and Cronbach’s Alpha of the study variables. On the one hand, in general, the results are adequate; all the indicators of the variables included in the research present normality, generally not exceeding the skewness and kurtosis coefficients, defined as statistical reference criteria ±1 [86]. On the other hand, all the Cronbach’s Alpha values of the scales evaluated were adequate [87]; the highest value was 0.88 (enthusiasm toward the job and psychological exhaustion). Likewise, in most of the items of the scales, the corrected homogeneity reached values higher than 0.40. The scales’ items contributed to increasing the internal consistency of the scale of which they are part.

On the one hand, all the relationships between the dimensions of the SBI and the other variables included in the study were significant, as expected, following the definitions of the dimensions of the selected instruments and similar findings in previous studies [88,89] (see Table 1).

On the other hand, an initial exploration and descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate the pattern of missing cases to check the assumptions of normality and determine the behavior of the variables. A case assignment method replaced missing values with the mean in the series. Consequently, the baseline model became the final research model, with standardized paths and error coefficients in Figure 1. The baseline model results revealed a good fit (χ²(1021) = 3062.867, CFI = 0.868, TLI = 0.860, RMSEA = 0.052).

Table 2. Indexes of the resulting models.

	χ2	df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA (90% IC)	χ2/df
Basal Model (1) *	3062.867	1021	0.868	0.860	0.052 (0.050–0.054)	2.99
Model 2	2301.106	692	0.880	0.872	0.056 (0.054–0.059)	3.32
Model 3	2551.517	769	0.865	0.856	0.056 (0.054–0.059)	3.31
Model 4	3244.360	1067	0.860	0.852	0.053 (0.051–0.055)	3.04

* p < 0.001. Selected model with the best fit.

presents the indices for the remaining models (2, 3 and 4).

The results of the baseline model (model 1) in the path analysis on the antecedents, consequences, and process of burnout highlight that this was the model with better levels of fit.

4. Discussion

The results obtained in this research support the hypothesis that there is a positive and significant relationship between the levels of job satisfaction and enthusiasm toward the job (Hypothesis 1) and a negative and significant relationship with psychological exhaustion (Hypothesis 2). These variables are part of the burnout model considered in this study [69], which was adequately adjusted according to the hypotheses formulated and the original relationships envisioned by the author. These results confirm the existence of a significant, harmful, and bidirectional relationship between job satisfaction and burnout, with job satisfaction scores being a significant antecedent of enthusiasm toward work and psychological exhaustion in airline cabin crew members, results in line with those proposed by Mengenci [11], Ozel [23] and Ng et al. [25], dimensions that could be one of the underlying causes of the presence of burnout [26], since when work stress appears in occupational environments affecting health and job satisfaction, it can favor the development of burnout [27]. Job dissatisfaction and burnout are important sources of absenteeism and turnover in service personnel such as airline employees [90]. Thus, the continuous interaction of flight attendants with customers, most likely, generates higher levels of emotional exhaustion, causing consequences that can be very harmful, since a closer association between job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion will contribute to work events, strongly influencing and harming emotionally exhausted workers [91], and, in turn, a perceived sense of accomplishment can act as a buffer against any inconvenience in flight attendants (such as jet lag, fatigue, and so on) [25], an issue that corroborates the importance of the findings of this study, confirming the importance of considering job satisfaction as an essential predictor of reduced enthusiasm toward the job, psychological exhaustion and burnout in air cabin crew members, conclusions in line with those postulated by Alarcón [30] who, in a critical meta-analysis that included different multi-occupational samples, points out the need to study these phenomena in greater depth given the small number of research studies on these subjects. Likewise, these findings support the hypotheses formulated in this study (Hypothesis 3–7) regarding the relationships and significance of the variables included in Gil-Monte burnout model [69]. Although the CFI (0.87) and TLI (0.86) values calculated for the best model we could establish are below the generally accepted threshold, it can be asserted that the model is acceptable due to its complexity [92]. It is important to note that in the study conducted, the best model was selected based on the most appropriate fit of the variables, upon which improvements were made to the relationships between variables, and paths were added and modified. However, future research is recommended to explore alternative models (e.g., including interaction effects or latent variable models) to assess potential improvements in global fit.

These results sustain the findings of other researchers who have conducted empirical studies on these relationships and show that the psychosocial processes of deterioration that underlie the burnout model tested in this study are reproduced in air cabin crew members, a finding of significant practical implication for the generation of new preventive intervention strategies in this professional group. The results of the model analysis showed a positive relationship between enthusiasm toward the job and indolence and a negative relationship between psychological exhaustion and indolence, an aspect that, according to considerations of Eagly and Chaiken’s model of attitudes and change [79], could be explained by the integration of the role of cognitive and emotional experiences as mediators in the relationship between perceived work stress and behavioral/attitudinal outcomes, considerations that may contribute to the understanding of the processes that are a substantial part of the development of burnout in flight attendants, where these variables most likely progress in parallel, through the manifestation of cognitive and emotional responses, to the emergence and expression of negative attitudes of indifference or cynicism towards the people they are attending. Likewise, these results empirically support the positive and significant relationship between indolence and guilt in the sample. This outcome contributes to a better understanding of the mediating role of guilt between burnout and its consequences, which was found in this research related to FWC, WFC, and psychosomatic disorders in air cabin crew members (Hypothesis 8 and 9). The significant positive relationship found between guilt and FWC in flight attendants has been supported in other research, such as that of Liu et al. [18], who indicated that guilt could be a linking mechanism with WFC, finding that workers felt more guilty than most of their peers when they experienced WFC, as did flight attendants. Similarly, Judge et al. [93] found a positive and significant relationship between guilt and FWC (r = −0.55, p > 0.01) and that feelings of guilt and hostility at work were associated with FWC and WFC. Similar correlations to those found by Guerrero-Barona et al. [94], who, after using the SBI, found a positive and significant relationship between guilt and WFC (r = −0.11, p > 0.05), a variable that seems to be related in a bidirectional and reciprocal way with FWC [95], and the same as the relationship between guilt–work–family and guilt–family–work found by Chen and Cheng [96], who determined a positive and significant correlation between FWC and guilt–family–work (r = −0.28, p > 0.05).

This study’s results confirm the use of bidirectional measures of the work–family interface and suggest the use of distinct measures that differentiate between WIF and FIW, as well as the positive and negative influences one factor may have on the other. The findings of this research could serve as a valuable comparative source for other studies using different samples, for instance, cabin crew from various countries and organizations, public and private personnel, women and men, etc. In this work, the sample cannot be considered fully representative of an international situation, and consequently, our findings cannot be generalized entirely, although the majority of cabin crew worldwide are women [97]. The aviation industry is predominantly female-dominated, particularly in flight attendant roles [98]. In this regard, it is worth noting that the sample of Chilean women used in this study falls within the international parameters of representativity and proportionality in terms of gender. For instance, approximately 77% of flight attendants in China are women [99], and this value is 80.9% in the USA [97].

It should be noted that the study presented herein holds significant reference value for further investigation into the phenomena addressed, as its exploratory nature paves the way in a Chilean context that is otherwise limited in these areas. In this sense, the use of a longitudinal design is recommended for similar future research, as it would allow for stronger inferences regarding causes and effects and for determining the magnitude of causal effects.

Moreover, this study’s results support the consideration of guilt as another critical component of the syndrome, feelings of remorse for behaviors, and the manifestation of negative attitudes developed at work, especially directed towards people with whom work relationships are established. These findings suggest that feelings of guilt contribute to explaining the existence of different forms of burnout evolution linked to the development of guilt, as not all individuals develop this symptom, given that its appearance is linked to social values, professional ethics, and the individual’s attribution processes, among other variables [77]. Seemingly, the variables defined in the formulated model mutually interact in flight attendants through a deterioration process that becomes chronic due to the existence of feedback mechanisms, which are maintained and reinforced by the existence of unfavorable working conditions of the service and because the individuals, due to the lack of training, fail to find adequate coping strategies to manage those conditions or symptoms that are the origin of the perceived work stress in this group of workers.

According to Gil-Monte [77], combining these components would make it possible to identify two burnout profiles and levels of severity of the syndrome among professionals.

Based on the results of this study, the hypothesis formulated confirms a significant positive relationship between WFC levels and psychosomatic disorders (Hypothesis 10), conditions in the sample that are most likely the result of the working conditions and the high demands of flight attendants [34]. These findings are in line with those described by Borgmann et al. [64] and Koura et al. [65], who point out that high levels of WFC are an essential risk factor for the appearance of stress-related health problems. This is contrasted by Baka [66], who, in a critical study, obtained a correlation of 0.29 between WFC and physical ailments (such as gastrointestinal problems, headache, joint pain, insomnia, and muscle tension) in healthcare workers, a correlation similar to that found in this study in cabin crew members.

Based on the results found, it is recommended to strengthen the balance between work and private life and the personal resources of cabin crew, as these positively influence job satisfaction. A positive outlook and available resources can generate greater benefits when addressing family and work conflicts. The sustained increase in the psychological capital of aviation workers may facilitate the reconciliation of their private and professional lives [100].

Moreover, at the organizational level, it is advisable to strengthen talent selection, training, and the career development and management of cabin crew, as evidence suggests that these are key factors that enrich professional experience, improve personal performance, and enhance service quality [101].

It should be noted that the cultural context may have influenced the results, as cultural differences could have affected some of the model’s relationships. This issue could potentially be addressed through the use of psychometric methods, such as multigroup computational factor analysis or response models, to interpret results. These methods could be highly useful in future research where cross-cultural factors are relevant, particularly in the Chilean aviation sector, where studies like ours, which include job satisfaction, burnout, and family–work and work–family conflict, are scarce and exploratory. Furthermore, the rigorous use of qualitative (mixed) methods may be a valuable complementary tool for quantitative analyses [102].

There are some limitations to this research. The sample analyzed may not represent the target populations, so the generalizability of the study results may be compromised; at the same time, the sample used was not balanced in terms of sex. Using a cross-sectional research design does not provide definitive answers about the direction of causality between guilt and FWC, WFC, and psychosomatic disorders. Further longitudinal research is needed for more accurate and generalizable conclusions. Also, data collection was questionnaire-based, which increased the likelihood of standard method variance effects.

5. Conclusions

The results of this study align with the propositions derived from Gil-Monte multidimensional model [69], which describes burnout as a process that begins with a decrease in enthusiasm for work and an increase in emotional exhaustion, eventually leading individuals to exhibit indolence and, in severe cases, guilt. These findings highlight the role of guilt in the development of burnout and in the deterioration process of aeronautical personnel.

In this study, job satisfaction is both positively and negatively related to burnout in a significant way, in line with the findings of Huang [28] and Yorulmaz et al. [29], with job satisfaction seemingly being a predictive variable of burnout in CCMs. Additionally, the study results point to a reciprocal circular relationship between work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC), suggesting that these two variables can increase burnout—contradicting the claims of most researchers who state that WFC and FWC predict burnout [62]. These results indicate that the surrounding psychosocial deterioration of CCMs may develop burnout, which in turn may lead to an increase in WFC [60]. Furthermore, this research confirms that WFC and FWC are associated with various mental health issues in these workers, with high levels of WFC being a significant risk factor for the emergence of health problems.

Finally, it is suggested that aeronautical professionals be trained in work–family and family–work balance as a preventive measure against the high demands of the job, helping individuals manage burnout and its impact across different spheres of life, such as the family context. Organizational practices should consider new job designs and interventions tailored to the specific needs of different aeronautical work units, from which structural intervention programs should emerge. These programs should include, as cross-cutting themes, issues related to occupational diseases, social support, coping strategies for work-related stress, mental health, work–life balance, soft skills, teamwork, and problem-solving.