The Role of Psychological Factors in the Successful Digital Transformation of an Organization in Reducing Burnout Among Social Workers (Using Teachers as an Example)

This study examines the issue of teacher burnout and analyzes the psychological factors that contribute to successful digital transformation and its reduction. The authors drew on the resource conservation model of burnout (Hobfoll 2001), the model of psychological factors of successful digital transformation in the workplace (Trenerry et al. 2021), and theories of group norms (Terry et al. 1999; Smith and Louis 2009) to test the effects of individual-, group-, and organizational-level factors on reducing teacher burnout in educational organizations. The study sample included teachers from small towns and rural areas in Russia (N = 316). Using structural equation modeling, we found that administrative support, an organizational-level factor, had a direct effect on reducing teacher burnout. Affective (emotional) readiness for the implementation of digital technologies also contributed to a reduction in teacher burnout. The group-level psychological factor – methodological support from specialist – did not have a significant effect on reducing teacher burnout. Similarly, the organizational-level psychological factor of perceiving digitalization as an organizational norm did not have a direct effect on reducing teacher burnout. However, an indirect (mediating) effect of this factor was identified through the affective component of readiness for digitalization. It can be concluded that when digitalization is perceived by teachers as the norm, this generally enhances their positive attitude and motivation to use digital technologies in their professional activities, which ultimately leads to a decrease in burnout.