Burnout Among Moroccan Middle Managers : A Qualitative Analysis of Psychosocial Profiles

Ikrame EL ABBADI1 and Imad-dine BAZINE2

1National School of Art and Design, Casablanca, Morocco

2National School of Business and Management, Tangier, Morocco

Abstract

This study builds upon a doctoral research project focused on occupational burnout within private-sector companies in Morocco. It seeks to identify the organizational and psychosocial demands that contribute to the distress experienced by middle managers. A significant gap remains in the academic literature regarding the psychological profiles of managers experiencing burnout in the Moroccan context, highlighting the relevance of this research. The methodology employed follows a qualitative and exploratory approach, combining life-narrative interviews with psychometric questionnaires. These tools were utilized to gain deeper insight into the underlying causes of professional burnout and how it manifests among the participating managers. The analysis of the data collected led to the identification of four distinct psychological profiles among exhausted managers : the “Autopilot,” who continues functioning mechanically despite exhaustion ; the “ Excessively Devoted,” whose unlimited commitment leads to burnout ; the “Work-Suffocated,” overwhelmed by excessive workload and lack of recognition ; and the “Wasted Talent,” who suffers from a misalignment between their competencies and assigned responsibilities.

Keywords: Burnout ; Psychological profiling ; Middle managers ; Qualitative interviews.
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