The association between PhD holders’ experiences of professional support and work engagement and burnout
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21556020 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kirsi Pyhältö (0000-0002-8766-0559, University of Helsinki, corresponding author), Lotta Tikkanen (0000-0003-0338-2414, University of Helsinki), Anna Sala‐Bubaré (0000-0003-1733-2063, Universitat Ramon Llull), Marina García-Morante (0000-0002-6492-2691, Universitat Ramon Llull), Montserrat Castelló (0000-0003-1757-9795, Universitat Ramon Llull) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 748-765 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-03 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Higher Education Research & Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0729-4360 • E-ISSN: 1469-8366 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/07294360.2025.2559637 |
| OpenAlex | W4414760829 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 64 |
Most new PhD graduates are going to have non-academic careers, but research on their work experience has so far been limited, particularly regarding the quality of professional interactions and how they contribute to their occupational wellbeing. This paper reports on experiences of professional support among PhD holders working outside academia. The dynamics between professional support from colleagues, burnout symptoms and work engagement were explored. Survey data from 557 PhD holders from across the disciplines in Spain were collected in 2022 with a PhD employee survey. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that emotional support and instrumental organizational support acted as buffers against all burnout symptoms and increased work engagement, whereas informational support did not provide such benefits. The study extends the existing body of knowledge on PhD holders working outside academia by 1) illustrating PhD graduates experiences of informational, emotional and instrumental support experiences in their work beyond academia 2) explaining the dynamics between professional support, burnout symptoms, and work engagement and 2) introducing a new instrument for studying professional support from the colleagues of PhD holders working outside academia
Burnout · Higher education · Occupational stress · Professional development · Social support · Work engagement · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Higher Education and Employability · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
Education at a Glance 2019
Early predictors of job burnout and engagement.
Structural equations modeling
An integrative literature review of employee engagement and innovative behavior
Social support concepts and measures
Sources of social support and burnout
Understanding the burnout experience
Missing data
The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout
Exploring the professional development of doctoral supervisors through workplace learning
PhD holders’ working conditions and job satisfaction in Spain
Collaborative writing among PhD holders in non-academic careers
How does obtaining a permanent employment contract affect the job satisfaction of doctoral graduates inside and outside academia
The Measurement of Work Engagement With a Short Questionnaire
Social support in the general population
Stories of moving on Hass PhD graduates’ motivations and career trajectories inside and beyond academia
Job Satisfaction Among Ph.D. Holders
Social support at work
Changes in teacher efficacy during the early years of teaching
The measurement of experienced burnout
The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Doctoral education and employment in the regions
Social Support as a Moderator of Life Stress
Factors determining the career success of doctorate holders
Beyond knowledge and skills
The function of social support in engaging and disengaging experiences among post PhD researchers in STEM disciplines
An international exploration of post-PhD careers. Discussing the issues of employability and intersectorial mobility
A Brief Measure of Social Support
Sources of Social Support and Mental Health Among LGB Youth
| Highly cited | No |
|---|